1926 Cadillac Series 314

Custom Phaeton

The 1926 Cadillac Model 314 was powered by a ninety-degree, L-head V8 engine producing 80 horsepower. It had a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel mechanically-operated drum brakes. Wheelbase sizes measured 132-, 138-, and 150-inches. The Semi-Commercial body styles had the larger 150-inch platform while the 'Custom' had the 138-inch platform.

This Model 314 is a Fisher Style #1155 and is an aluminum-bodied four-passenger Phaeton. The car was delivered to Plainfield, New Jersey in April of 1926. Since new, the car has been treated to a complete restoration. The work was finished in early 2009 in a Pale Green with Olive Green lower body and trim. There is Deep Green carpeting, Tan leather upholstery, and a Tan cloth top with matching side curtains and boots.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Hershey Auction presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $80,000 - $100,000. As bidding came to a close, the car was sold for the sum of $66,000 inclusive of the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Brougham

The 1926 Cadillac was promoted as 'The New 90-Degree Cadillac.' From 1926 forward referred to its new models simply as 'The New Cadillac.' The Series 314 designation was used chiefly by the sales and mechanical departments (314 referred to the displacement of the car's motor).

This example has been formally identified as a 'coach,' but in 1926 Cadillac adopted the name 'brougham.' It was basically a two-door automobile with a back seat, albeit a sport version.

Additional features of the new V-8 motor were crankcase ventilation and an oil filter. And the combination starter/generator that had been used for many years was replaced by separate units in 1926.

This automobile was purchased new in Chicago, then spent much of its life in Arizona and Michigan car collections before being acquired by the current owners.

Sedan
Engine number: 101539

By the start of 1924, Cadillac had produced over 160,000 V8-engine automobiles. Ernest Seaholm had recently been promoted to chief engineer and would oversee Cadillac's technical developments for the following two decades. During this era, it was common to design a V8 as two four-cylinder engines on a common 'flat' crankshaft, which worked well enough, though prone to imbalance. One of Seaholm's first projects he would oversee in his new position was a groundbreaking engine, introduced in 1924, and utilizing a balanced, two-plane crankshaft counterweighted with rod journals at 90 degrees to one another. This is the same configuration and setup used in modern V8 engines. The result was a remarkably smooth operation and, thanks to a lighter flywheel, developed more power. Another major improvement to the new V-63 model Cadillacs was four-wheel braking, although the system was mechanical, not hydraulic, as used by Duesenberg and Chrysler.

The new Cadillac Series 314 was introduced at the beginning of August 1925 and is considered a 1926 model. They were a re-engineered version of the V-63, and received its name from the engine displacement size. It weighed 250 pounds less than its predecessor and had nearly 10 percent more power. Instead of increasing the price, Cadillac reduced the cost by as much as $500 for its customers.

This particular 1926 Cadillac Series 314 Limousine Sedan was shipped from the factory on August 14th of 1924 and delivered 11 days later to customer J.L Boyer of Greenville, Ohio. It has a 132-inch Chassis Custom with disc wheels. The original body is not known, but the current body is much like several that Cadillac offered to the professional and livery trade, with a slanted windshield and opera windows in the rear quarter. There are vertical cowl ventilators on each side and side lamps that are flared into the cowl, an unusual setup for Cadillacs of this period.

Charles Baldwin of Colorado Springs, Colorado, sold this Cadillac to the Merrick Auto Museum in 1996. It is finished in maroon with red moldings, black fenders, and body-color disc wheels with Lester whitewall tires. The interior is upholstered in brown mohair, and the floor is carpeted in the same theme.

The engine found the bay matches the factory build record.

by Dan Vaughan

The Cadillac 314 was introduced in 1926 and served as a replacement for the V63 Cadillac of the prior year. The 314 name would be used again in 1927, with a slight modification being called the '314A', and replaced by the 341 in 1928. This was a significant vehicle for the Cadillac marque, as the company itself made a shift from the Henry Leland engineering era to the Earnest Seaholm and Harley Earle tenure. These new vehicles could be distinguished from past models by their nickel-plated radiator shell. which had been given a more-round appearance. All bodies were originally built by Fisher, but Fleetwood would be given the opportunity to work their craft later in 1926 and in 1927.

The 314 came in Standard and Custom bodies for 1926. The custom line bodies were mounted on a 138-inch wheelbase and most were given a swing-out, single-pane, windshield. Open cars had vent wings. Other distinguishing features were the 10-inch drum headlights, roof bead molding which aided in keeping rain from entering the vehicle, exterior rubber-finished door handles, extra lighting such as panel lights and automatic dome light, running board mats, and a Motometer on the top of the radiator grille. The custom line also had a rear bumper and a double front bumper to help to protect the vehicle. The standard line could purchase the bumper for an additional $24 each. The custom line vehicles were elegant and well-appointed, evident by their interior hardwood decorative panels, detachable vanity and smoker cases, silk cord handles, special seat fabric with springs for comfort, and electric gasoline gauge.

The eight-cylinder engine displayed 314.4 cubic-inches, had three main bearings, a Cadillac carburetor, and an available 87 horsepower. The engine was mated to a selective sliding gear three-speed transmission with multiple disc clutch and shaft drive. Mechanical brakes on all four wheels provided the stopping power.

There were a total of 27,771 examples of the Cadillac produced during the 1926 calendar year. The 1926 Cadillac's had been introduced in August of 1925 with total sales from August of 1925 to September of 1927 amassing 50,619. The 314A Cadillac's of 1927 was introduced in July of 1926 and produced through August of 1927. There were a few changes, mostly aesthetic, such as a new fender design with a convenient compartment for the battery and tools. The radiator was modified and now looked different than the prior year.

Both the 314 and 314A were offered in a variety of body styles. The 314A had 8 Standard body styles, 13 custom body styles available from the factory, five Brumm and Willoughby custom styles, and 15 custom styles offered by Fleetwood. The base price for the 2 door Brougham standard body was just under $3,000 with the top of the line Limousine Brougham by Fleetwood costing nearly $5,550.

The Cadillac's with their L-head engines were very versatile, offered in a variety of body styles that catered to a wide audience of buyers, and continued the marque's slogan of the 'Standard of the World.'

by Dan Vaughan