1928 Cadillac Series 341A

Cadillac, during the latter portion of the 1920s and early 1930s, witnessed the creation of the LaSalle companion model in 1927 wearing styling by Harley Earl's new 'Art and Colour' department, and the introduction of the sixteen-cylinder engine that was in development since 1926 and announced after the stock market crash of 1929. General Motors' president William C. Durant had acquired 60 percent of Fisher Body in 1919, and Fisher purchased Fleetwood Metal Body in 1926. A year later, it was integrated entirely as an in-house coachbuilding division of General Motors. By 1928, nearly all of Fleetwood's work was being applied to the Cadillac and LaSalle chassis. The Fisher and Fisher 'Custom' lines were merged, while Fleetwood handled the full custom builds.

The 1928 Cadillac line included a single model, the Series 341-A powered by an eight-cylinder engine with offset blocks, a single exhaust system, an oil filter mounted on the engine, an oil level indicator behind the right-hand block, and side-by-side connecting rods. Its configuration was very similar to the engine used in the LaSalle Model 303 with the most visual difference being the use of a Cadillac float feed carburetor and enameled heat deflector. It had a cast-iron block, a copper and aluminum crankcase, a 341 cubic-inch displacement, three main bearings, mechanical valve lifters, and delivered 90 horsepower. The engine was backed by a three-speed synchromesh manual transmission with a twin-disc clutch. The rear drum brakes were 16 inches while the fronts measured 17 inches (they began at 16 inches, then increased mid-year to 17 inches). Artillery wheels were standard and wire and disc wheels were optional equipment. Semi-elliptic leaf springs were used in the front and rear, with a beam axle in the front and a live axle in the rear. New double-action Delco hydraulic shock absorbers made for a smoother ride. The wheelbase measured 140 inches and had a length of 213.25 inches. The commercial chassis had a 152-inch wheelbase and were bodied by Superior.

After the successful launch of the LaSalle marque, Harley Earl turned his talents to the 1928 Cadillac, featuring new headlights, a chromed plated grille, sweeping fenders, and elegant new bodies from Fleetwood and Fisher. Cadillac advertised 'Fifty body styles and types – Five hundred color and upholstery combinations,' while the Salon catalog for 1928 boasted 'Colors from Nature's Own Studio.'

Styling highlights included 12-inch bullet-type headlights mounted on a crossbar between the fenders and sidelights located on the cowl. In the back were dual ball-shaped rear lights mounted on the fender. Closed cars had dual ventilator doors on the sides while open cars had them on top of the cowl.

Pricing for the 1928 Cadillac began at $3,350 for the roadster and rose to over $6,200 for the Touring Town Collapsible Cabriolet. The Fisher bodies were all under $4,000 while the Fleetwood bodies began at that price point.

Optional equipment included tire covers, tonneau windshield, step plate, tire mirrors, folding trunk rack, disc wheels, and natural wood wheels.

Cadillac had 20,001 sales in 1928, dipping to 18,103 sales the following year, and 14,995 in 1929.

by Dan Vaughan

Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton by Fisher

The 1928 Cadillac received a new, larger V8 engine to replace the original one that dated back to 1915. This was a good year for the marque; production totaled 20,001 for the year. The Series 341 Cadillac rode on a 140-inch wheelbase, and the 341-cubic-inch engine produced a top speed of 70 mph. The chassis had underslung rear springs, which allowed bodies to be lower than before. The 1928 model, which was the first Cadillac designed by Harley Earl, bore a distinct resemblance to the LaSalle introduced the prior year. No less than 42 standard body styles by Fisher or Fleetwood were listed in the catalog for 1928. This example is fitted with a custom Dual-Cowl Phaeton body by Fisher and has been owned by Mr. Lewis for 15 years.

by Dan Vaughan

Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton by Fisher

Cadillac debuted the 341-A Series in 1928. It rode on a longer 140-inch wheelbase and used a bigger 341 cubic-inch L-Head V8. Although the engine only produced 90 horsepower, it produced a massive 208 pound-feet of torque which eliminated unnecessary shifting of the three-speed manual transmission. This fabulous Cadillac dual-cowl phaeton recently won an Amelia Award in March of 2007.

by Dan Vaughan

Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton by Fisher

This car is a Series 341, Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton. The body is by Fisher. It is powered by a V-8 engine with 341 CID, it has a 140-inch wheelbase. It cost approximately $4,000 when new. The current owner has owned the car for approximately 20 years.

Town Sedan by Fisher
Chassis number: 306449

This Cadillac is the ex-Al Capone vehicle. It is painted green with black fenders, the same as the 85 Cadillacs that were also supplied to Chicago police and city officials. It was also fitted with flashing red lights behind the grille, a regulation police siren, and the first known police-band radio receiver in a private automobile.

This is a 'bulletproof' car that has heavy glass measuring nearly an inch thick and completely lined with 3,000 pounds of steel armor plating. Heavy spring lifts permitted the side window to operate, while the rear window was rigged to drop quickly.

The engine is a 341 cubic-inch L-head V8 unit offering 90 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel mechanical drum brakes.

In 2010, this car was offered for sale at the 'Sports & Classics of Monterey' presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $450,000 - $650,000. Bidding reached $355,000 but was not enough to satisfy the car's reserve. It would leave the auction unsold.

The car was purchased in May of 1933 by Mr. Harry LaBreque from Mr. Patrick Moore, of 37 Grove Street in Rockville, Connecticut. It is believed that Mr. Moore purchased the car from an agent in Chicago, with whom they believed it had been placed by Capone. The car was owned by the Moores for about a year.

Capone was caught in October of 1931 attempting to sell his home in Florida, along with two yachts and other items, for $150,000 cash. Al Capone was convicted on October 18th of 1931 and sentenced in November and had a rehearing of appeal denied in March of 1932, with his sentence at Atlanta U.S. Penitentiary beginning on May 4, 1932.

After the LaBreque ownership, the car was shipped to New York and shipped to England and was displayed at the Southend-On-Sea amusement park and later at the Blackpool Fun fair in Manchester. Dance hall owner Tony Stuart purchased the car for $510 at an auction in February of 1958 and sold it months later to Harley Nielson, a businessman and car enthusiast from Todmorden, Ontario. Neilson undertook a comprehensive restoration, and in the process, most of the heavy armor plating was removed, but other features, including the bulletproof glass and drop-down rear window, were retained.

The car was sold to the Niagara Falls Antique Auto Museum in the mid-1960s and then sold in late-1971 and displayed at the Cars of the Greats museum, co-owned by Peter Stranges, of Niagara Falls, Ontario. B.H. Atchley's Smoky Mountain Car Museum in Tennessee acquired the car in early-1979; Atchley freshened the restoration, and since the original glass was heavily crazed and deeply yellowed, a specialist supplied replacement glass of identical size and thickness. The car then joined the O'Quinn Collection in 2006.

This is among the earliest surviving bulletproof vehicles, fitted with glass almost an inch thick and lined with nearly 3,000 pounds of armor plating. Heavy spring lifts permitted the side windows to operate, while the rear window was rigged to drop quickly, allowing occupants to fire upon would-be pursuers. The modified windows were also equipped such that the glass could be raised an extra inch or so, revealing a circular cutout large enough to accommodate the muzzle of a machine gun.

by Dan Vaughan

Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton by Fisher
Chassis number: 302701

This 1928 Cadillac Sport Phaeton by Fisher rests on a 140-inch wheelbase and is equipped with a 341 cubic-inch V8 engine with 90 horsepower and backed by a three-speed manual transmission. It has a folding rear cowl with a windscreen, a feature not found on the Phaeton - thus making it a Sport Phaeton hallmark - kept the rear-seat passengers free of wind.

This Cadillac is finished in Kelly green, with a darker green used on the fenders and on the beltline and side flank accent moldings, along with the undercarriage. There is a saddle leather interior and tan canvas convertible top. The interior features a dark green dashboard with a suite of gauges and a Jaeger clock. In the back there is a trunk with a folding trunk rack. At all four corners are wire wheels along with two side-mounted spares.

by Dan Vaughan

In 1928 Cadillac introduced a new V8 engine that was 341 cubic-inches and produced 90 horsepower. The vehicle in which it was installed was called the 341, or the Series 341 and 341B. Production of this engine, and this series, continued until 1929 when it was replaced by the 353. The Series 353 had a 353 cubic-inch engine that benefited from a 3.38-inch bore and 4.94 inches.

by Dan Vaughan