(le résumé en français se trouve en bas de page)
[ last update: 02.25.2008 ] Best viewed with a screen image size of 600 x 800 pixels
The (new) Cadillac Database©
The Cadillac V16
Part 4b
Roster of Survivors
Series 452D or Series 60, and Series 35-90, 36-90, 37-90
1934-1937
Return to The (New) Cadillac Database© Index Page
or to the "V-16" index page
(le résumé en français se trouve en bas de page)
For many years I have been a keen admirer of the bespoke sixteen-cylinder Cadillac models built from 1930 through 1940. Only 4076 cars powered by the mighty sixteen-cylinder engine were built in that eleven-year period, that is an average of just 370 cars a year. In fact, however, three quarters of them were built during the first year of production].
Fortunately for we admirers of beautiful classic automobiles, many of them have survived. Listed in these sections is the information about these survivors that I have gleaned over the last 40 years. If any users of The (New) Cadillac Database© have additional or more recent information on any of these cars, I will gladly include it in this section. Due credit will be given to the person(s) providing complementary facts about these cars. Most of the survivors in this particular section (1934-1937) were brought to my attention by owner-enthusiast Stan Squires of Bloomfield Hills, MI. Stan did considerable research on "Sixteens" of these four years and has provided me with the results of that work.
Information about surviving sixteens of the second generation comes to me from different sources and it is quite possible that some of these entries may duplicate each other. With your help, we may gradually eliminate the duplicates and end up with an up-to-date listing.
Features
Radiator grille badge and gold-plated Cadillac goddess
from 1934 Fleetwood aerodynamic coupe, style #5899 [car #3]
[Photos: © 1999, Yann Saunders]
Regular Production Models
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| Body Style |
Body Number | Engine Number | Latest available information |
| 5825 | 15 | 5100051 | (1934) This one, with regular wire wheels and hub caps, custom trunk rack and hand-crafted wooden bumpers (replacing the original, delicate bi-plane type) was owned in the seventies by an elderly namesake, Lyle Saunders. This car has survived [2006], as has its former owner; I learned from the car's new owner, D. Mitchell, IL, in 11/2000 that both Lyle (then aged 97) and his wife were well and still enjoyed being taken for occasional rides in the old V16. I learned also that the bumpers are in fact authentic; it is the trunk rack that is made of wood. |
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| 5825 or 5825-LB |
11 | 5100031 | (1934) Town car, no sidemounts. First owner: actress Marlene Dietrich. She used the car for a tour of Europe that year and left it in England. In 1963, this car was reported to be owned by Mrs. William Ott of St. Petersburg, FL [Self Starter, Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13]. Mrs. Ott reportedly bought the car in 1960 from a Mr. George Hormel of Austin, MN who had got it in 1955 from the original owner. My information shows that, at some point it was owned also by Leonard Poole of Allentown, PA. In addition, the British magazine Motor Sport for 11/1962 (p.894) reported that it was sold at auction, as part of the Sword collection in the UK, for £375 [???] to a collector in Australia? In a later ad in Motor Sport, December 1973 [p.1459], the car is mentioned once again. Did Sword buy it from Mrs. Ott or from Len Poole? It was last reported in a Museum collection in New Zealand [6/1999] Late extra (9/2000): I am in contact with Stan Bellamore, the museum manager; he supplied the engine and body numbers. The body #11 is at odds with the records which show that only 4 units of this style were built in 1934. I am assuming, therefore, that the factory grouped this style with the following ones: 5775 (10 units), 5775FL (1 unit) and 5775S (5 units). If anyone has another suggestion, please let me know. Later still (4/2006): Indefatigable V16 researcher, Terry Wenger, has passed on some interesting information re the Dietrich car. He writes: Concerning the Marlene Dietrich car. I thought I read somewhere that the car she posed with was a stand-in; her car has the small hubcaps and exposed wire wheels as shown [below] when Mrs.Ott owned it. Since Marlene took delivery of the car in early '35, the new bumpers must have been installed. If you look closely at the RH picture, below, the right license bracket is still there, only it has a sign that says that the car was owned originally by Miss Dietrich. The picture you have of a town car owned by James Gaskin Sr. also is Marlene's car, taken in the '70's at Hershey [I have now moved that picture to this entry]. I took several pictures of it at Hershey that year, myself, and it still had the same sign on the RH front license bracket that it did when Mrs. Ott owned it. Thanks for the update, Terry. |
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| 5825LB | #35 | 5110206 | (1936) This car was delivered as a show car to New York City on October 31, 1935 then diverted to Newark, NJ on July 10, 1936, where it was sold. It is the only Fleetwood town car on the V-16 chassis for 1936. The base price was $8,850; options included sidemounts, license frames, trunk rack and rear seat radio, bringing the total to around $9000. This car was acquired by the U.S. Navy and used by Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King from 1941 through 1946; at that time it carried USN tag #17200. It was owned later by Leo L. Gephart (mid-sixties) then, for many years, by Robert R. Lewis (since about 1971 and through the eighties). .Subsequently it was acquired by Dick Kughn (early nineties?). I saw it advertised for sale on the Internet by RM Classic Investments in Aug. 1995. Kruse Auctions advertised it again in Aug. 1996 [lot #973] for $225,000. I next saw it for sale at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, AZ, in Jan. 1998. It may have been acquired there by Don Behring for the Blackhawk collection, although I did not see it there when I visited in June 1999. At the time Mr. Gephart owned it (in the sixties), the car had circa 37,000 miles on the odometer; the interior hardware was gilded like the well- known surviving Fleetwood V-12 town car owned by collector, Jack Frank. |
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| 5825 | ? | ? | (1937) This one [one of only two town cars built on the "Sixteen" chassis in 1937, and gthe only known survivor] belonged to President Quezon of the Philippines; it was given as a gift to Gen. Douglas MacArthur when he was under contract to the Filipino Government to form a military force there. The car remained on Corregidor Island following WW2 in the Pacific. It is hoped at one time to get the car to the USA on a long lease arrangement with the Philippines, whereby it could be restored and better protected in a museum. In fact, the car was shipped back to Quezon City and became part of the memorabilia collection honoring former president Quezon. It was fully restored by the Vintage Car Club of the Philippines. It is said that GM funded part of the restoration at a cost of $25,000. |
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| 5833S | ? | ? | (1936) Town sedan. Owned by Bill Ruger Jr. of Ruger firearms |
| 5835? | #58 | 5100129 | (1935) This was
originally a limousine style 5875 that was subsequently destroyed. It now carries a
convertible coupe body off a V12 chassis and uses a 1933 V16 engine. What became of the
1935 limousine body and engine listed here is not known; this car was featured in the
August 1963 and Nov.-Dec. 1963 issue of the CLC's Self-Starter magazine
where it was reported under the ownership of a Mr. Bernie Miller.
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| 5835 | ? | ? | (1936) This car was offered for sale at different a Kruse auctions as lots #5031, #687, #720 (in 1989) with a price tag of $800,000! The color is brown and the condition rated as excellent. The next entry possibly describes the SAME car [a dark brown color could readily pass for black, as in the two photos, below] |
| 5835 | #41 | 5110243 | (1936) This car was a Kruse lot (#646) as well as #47 (in 1994) and #650 (in 1991). The color could be black or dark brown. The rumble seat is special; the original Fleetwood design comprised two Opera type [auxiliary seats], facing sideways, concealed in side walls when not in use [photo, below]. However the location of the auxiliary seating could be changed; it cost $200 and delayed delivery by one week. The car is said to have had a frame-off restoration in Canada. As lot #646 it was reported as sold for $285,000 [a far throw from the $800,000 asking price!]. The two B&W photos (below) are from the seventies (before the Canadian restoration); the rumble seat was already in place at that time. |
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[Jim Butler photo too ? - yes, road lights are the same]
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| 5875(?) | ? | ? | (1934) Craig
Watrous, a V16 collector and admirer relayed this information in June 2000: About
three years ago, at Hershey, there was a 1934 V-16 7-pass. imperial for sale
in the Car Corral. It allegedly had just come from England and had been purchased new by
Rolls-Royce to allow them to study the competition1.
There could be no doubt it had been used in a UK country. It was equipped with
trafficators, number plate sunk in the deck lid, odd ball lights in front. I may have a
photograph of it somewhere. The results of the Kruse auction venue at Hershey, PA, in
Fall 2005, show that the car changed hands for either $82,000 or $88,000 (the two amounts
are shown). _____________________________________________- 1 I believe this had Cadillac approval; there was an interesting series of articles on Rolls-Cadillac cooperation in the Self-Starter in 1999(?)
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| 5875? | #100 | 5100024 | [NEW,
1/2001] Seen advertised for sale in Scottsdale, AZ (at the annual
Barrett-Jackson venue); it was described thus: basically original, solid,
perfect running V16, new interior, no rust, mechanics sound, good driving and running
original V16, divider window . The
car was bid up to $62,500 but not sold.
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| 5875 | #56 | 5100103 | (1935) Reported in the Nov.-Dec. 1963 issue of the Self Starter, p.13, as being only a parts car, owned by Mr. Chester Holley of Tampa, FL. He bought it from a Minister |
| 5875 | ? | ? | (1936) Shown
in Maurice Hendry's authoritative Cadillac - Seventy Year History as belonging to
W.J. Posledy (1973). Where is it today?
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| 5875 | #85 | 5110204 | (1936) This car was owned in 1963 by a Mr. Victor N. Agather of Mexico City, Mexico [Self Starter, Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13]; he bought it in 1959 from a Sr. Durán. Late extra [June 2004] This from the son of the previous owner: I chanced upon your database and was pleased to find data on my car. I wanted to let you know that your information is correct. My father, Victor N. Agather passed away 3 years ago. Today I own the car. I imported the car back from Mexico about 10 years ago. It is a running car, though a bit rough. I have been slowly upgrading it while still driving it. The history I have is that the car was specially ordered for a customer in San Francisco, though I do not know who. The car entered Mexico in 1946 (I have the import papers). I have heard it was owned by the Governor of the state of Chihuahua, though I cannot verify this. I also have heard that the car lived in the port Mazatlán, Mexico, though I cannot verify this either. There is some corrosion on the underside of the running boards that would support its having lived in a corrosive environment like a seaport, but there is no corrosion anywhere else. If you have any other information on the car I would appreciate it [sorry Victor, but the only information I have, about any surviving V-16 cars, is what you see in this section - I never hold ANYTHING back from Database users, unless formally asked to do so by a vehicle's owner]. The car is a wonderful and after 45 years is definitely part of the family. Lots of weddings are in its history as well as the regular transportation to Church on Sundays. Perhaps Victor has a photo or two that we could add here for the viewing pleasure of our many Database visitors ? |
| 5875 | #95 | 5110212 | (1936) This car was reported to be owned in 1963 by Mr. Bob Mellin of Richmond, MI [Self Starter, Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13]; Bob bought it on June 30, 1962, from Thomas W. Synott II of Wenonah, NJ. Mr. Synott had got it from William T. Walter of Drexel Hill, PA, in 1954; Mr. Walter had bought it in 1951. The car was sold originally through a dealer in Jacksonville, FL where it had been shipped from the factory on April 21, 1936. |
| 5875 | #101 | 5110220 | (1936) This car was reported to be owned in 1963 by Mr. Joe P. Mikula of Sacramento, CA [Self Starter, Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13]; Joe bought it from Gordon Turnage of San Jose, CA, in 1962 when it had already 123K miles on the odometer. This car was shipped from the factory on May 18, 1936 [my birthday ...but three years later!]. It was sold to the first owner only in 1937. |
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| 5875 | #117 | 5130306 | (1937)
This car was reported to be owned in 1963 by Mr. George E. Klein of
Warrington, PA [Self Starter, Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13]; Mr. Klein had bought the car
in 1942. It was shipped from the factory 5 years earlier, on March 11, 1937.
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| 5875 | #112 | 5130307 | (1937)
This car was reported to be owned in 1963 by Mr. S. Howard Brown of
Grantville, PA [Self Starter, Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13]; it was shipped from the factory on
March 12, 1937. This car has since been scrapped.
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| 5875 | #119 | 5130311 | (1937) This car was reported to be owned in 1963 by Mr. Michael J. Barts of Chicago, IL [Self Starter, Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13]; it was first shipped to Columbus, OH, on November 25, 1936; in 1958 it was acquired from the Gaylor estate and had several owners until 1961 when it was bought by Mr. Barts from a Mr. William Holzer |
| 5875 | #123 | 5130321 | (1937) This message was posted on the CLC Message Board on November 08, 2002 at 11:13:12: 3My company is restoring our 1937 V-16 limousine. I have looked everywhere and cannot find the lenses or the bezels for the front fender mounted parking lights. I would greatly appreciate it if anyone knows where some are, or where I can get some good photographs and measurements for fabrication. I wrote to Chris the same day and got this additional information:. Our Cadillac is a 1937 Fleetwood 7 passenger limousine. Body style 5875. The engine or vin# is 5130321. This is the best information I currently have. If I find something different I will let you know. Let me know if you need any further information. Chris. Would appreciate a couple of pictures when the restoration is complete, Chris. Thanks. |
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| 5875 | ? | ? | (1937) was offered for sale in the CLC Self Starter in June, 1996; at that time it was located in San Gabriel, CA and said to be in excellent condition. Asking price was $40K. |
| 5875FL | #23 | 5100023 | (1934) This car was purchased new from Dew Motors in St. Petersburg, FL, June 4, 1934, by Mrs. Margaret V. Atchison. In the Nov.-Dec. 1963 issue of the Self Starter, p. 13, this car was reported owned by Mr. Chester Holley of Tampa, FL. One of two built, it is a possible survivor today; it was last photographed in CA, in 1978. The trouble with cars of this "repute" is that unscrupulous restorers/speculators will discard or destroy a less attractive, closed body style to convert the car into a much more desirable convertible style. The car below may have suffered this fate. According to an article by Bob Mellin in the Self Starter issue for August 1963, p.8, at least one limousine style was "retired" and given a convertible coupe body! [Note: Factory lists this engine number as style #6275S, body #75] |
| 5875FL | #122 | 5130313 | (1937) This car was lot #961 at a Kruse auction (also #942 in 1991 and again #968 in 1992); the color is black [John Klein photo CCCA - perhaps not this car]. A similar car was on sale again at the Kruse auction in Tampa, FL, in March 2000. No engine number was listed. The car [lot #841] was described as a 4-door, 7-pass. limousine: Black exterior, black interior - frame off, black leather front, gray rear interior, divider Final bid $30,600. The car was not sold. Late Extra [12/2005]: The car is offered for sale on EBay with a reserve of $60K. The description reads thus: This fabulous original V-16 Cadillac has a great documented history. Only two of this style were produced in 1937 and only 37 [actually 47] total V-16's were built in that year. 1937 was the last year for the powerful 452 cu. inch V-16 OHV engine. Purchased new by Edgar Mannix, Chief of MGM Studios. In fact, he owned the car until his death in 1963. It has only traveled 34,000 and is truly a survivor. Note custom leather padded roof. Winner of the CCCA First prize, the car speaks for itself. Many options including driving lights, dual slide mounts with metal covers and mirrors, and a hidden rear seat radio. Hidden turn signals were added in the parking lamps for safe touring. Although the Cadillac was in storage for 22 years, it is mechanically sound. It has always been well maintained and updated with such things as new brake pads, lines, and wiring so that it is ready to tour once again. Mannix was great friends with Clark Gable. In fact, Gable was given the car is use during the filming of Gone With the Wind. He and Vivian Leigh, his co-star, used the car daily for their trips to the movie set. This a rare and important Classic that would be the star of any collection or Museum. Later [1/2006]: the car was bid up close to 100K ($98.7K) but failed to meet the vendor's reserve! Latest [10/2007]: the "Bulletin" of the CCCA for 10/2007 contains a 2-page story about the car; the pics there are in B&W. |
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| 5875-S | #9 | 5100016 | (1934) This car was reported to be owned in 1963 by Mr. Robert E. Harrison of Philadelphia, PA [Self Starter, Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13]; it was shipped from the factory on July 25, 1964; this was the third car of this style to be built; it remained in storage for many years. It is believed to have been acquired, later, by Dave Towell of Akron, OH [seen in the Self-Starter, August 1965]. Late extra [Oct., 2003]: the present owner, Cliff Woodbury (who was to celebrate his 89th birthday in March 2003) wrote to say he had this car. He explained the apparent discrepancy in unit numbering, his car being #9 of only 5 units built on the V-16 chassis; he said "Fleetwood body styles were installed on V8, V12 and V16 chassis without interruption of the body number progression." BTW, Cliff owns also a 1935 Cadillac convertible coupe, style 35-668 that he bought in October, 1940 (!), and still drives ! |
| 5875-S | ? | ? | (1935) Craig
Watrous owned this (green) sedan in the mid-sixties (photo in SS Nov-Dec
1965) [ missing photo]
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| 5875-S | ? | 5110252 | (1936) The owner contacted me on New Year's Day, 2007, informing me that he owned this car (purchased originally by his great-grandmother); it has only 43K miles on the odometer and is presently undergoing restoration in CT. I hope to get more information soon, as well as a couple of pictures. The owner writes: This car was bought new in Charlotte, NC by my great grandmother, Mary Ella Cannon. It was ordered for her and has her name and last three digits of it's serial engraved on the steering wheel. She ordered a silver plated goddess hood ornament which I have replaced but have the original on a marble stand. She had a chauffeur and was the wife of the founder of Cannon Mills, maker of towels and sheets. She lived in Concord NC and died in 1938, thus it was her last vehicle. The car sat from 1952 until 1972 then it was partially restored and driven sporadically until 2005. Today it is near the end of a frame off restoration at Enfield Auto in Ct. I plan to keep it in my family for more generations. I am the third owner and the fourth generation. |
| 5876 | #24 | 5100050 | (1934) Such a car was owned by Bob Mellin of Richmond, MI, as reported in the Nov.-Dec. 1963 issue of the Self Starter, p.13. I saw it again in the Self-Starter for Nov.-Dec. 1967, p.7. It was acquired subsequently by Stan Squires, MI. Stan was a great help in piecing together this section on V-16 survivors. He was telling me just recently (March, 2004) that his car was missing all the instruments on the dash; believe it or not, he actually found a complete set for sale; talk about LUCK! He says: The car had to be in very good condition because the instruments are beautiful. They are definitely from a 1934 to 37 Cadillac V-16 as the face is gold with black letters [V-16 only]. I would suspect that it was a limo more than a coupe or convertible and it was in California. Stan was able to obtain many drawings from Cadillac where he was in close contact with Pete Estes. His car was originally owned by Daniel B. McDaniel of Houston, TX. Then between 1955 and 1958 was in a stock car race at Blue Island, IL [!!!]. Stan purchased it from Bob Mellin, in 1964. It is believed the car has now passed into the ownership of Monty Holmes, WA. |
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| 5876 | #39 | 5100130 | (1935) was listed in the Nov.-Dec. 1963 issue of the Self Starter, p.13, as being owned by Mrs. Mary B. Hecht of Alligerville, NY. In November 1975, V16 enthusiast Stan Squires informed me that this car [as well as a second one] had been sold to a Mr. John Serafin of Rockville Center, Long Island, NY |
| 5876 | ??? | ??? | (????) As indicated in he previous entry, another Fleetwood style #5876 was sold to Mr. John Serafin of Rockville Center, Long Island, NY |
| 5876 | ? | ? | (1936)
Tom Barrett III of Scottsdale AZ has (had?) one with a reported 18K miles
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| 5876 | #43 | 5130315 | (1937) A
Mrs. Edward Hummel got this car as a wedding present around July 1937. In the
CLC's Self Starter magazine for Nov.-Dec. 1963, it was said to be owned by
a Mr. Bill Wenslau, the son of that first owner; at that time the car had a reported 15K
miles on the odometer This one was Kruse lot #43 at a recent auction; it had been
lot #29 in 1993 and probably also lot #684 in 1992. The color is black. I wonder if this
is the same car listed above as a 1936 model???
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| 5880 | #23 | 5100040 | (1934) This one was reported to be owned by a Mr. A.E. Marcotte of Glendive, Montana, in the Nov.-Dec. 1963 issue of the Self Starter, on P.13. This car was scrapped around 1958 and the engine installed in a racing car; second car of the series to be built, it was shipped form the factory in May 1934. I have it that the car was rescued by Monty Holmes, WA., many years ago, along with the race car. It was in pretty horrible shape. Both the Convertible Sedan and the race car are being restored. The finished chassis was shown at Pebble Beach about 5 years ago, and the car is currently (2006) |
| 5880 | #44 | 5100052 | (1934) In 1991, this car was owned by Bob Westerman of Cincinnati, OH; there is an article in the Self-Starter for September, 1991. It is the car formerly owned by Mr. S.J. Paolella also of Cincinnati, OH, that was listed in the Self Starter issue for Nov.-Dec. 1963 Late Extra [1/2007] from John M. Mereness who has helped me in the past to straighten out erroneous information in the Database: The car was originally pearl grey (and was still original prior to being restored and painted black); it was built for a hotel auto show (I had the [build] sheet from GM in my hand a few weeks ago and cannot remember what it said though it lists the hotel and is very detailed as to the paint finish which must have been a very early use of pearl paint); later, it was bought new from the GM World's Fair Rotunda where the original owner's son still talks about it revolving on a platform in the middle of the rotunda. That family, the Williams family owned (and still own) Western & Southern Life Insurance Co. in Cincinnati. The house where the car resided is also still in existence and for sale at something like 6 million dollars! The picture of the car is the black one that you have equally misidentified below. You can see the Ohio historical license tag. The car is very distinctive as it has a trunk mounted spare. I had a new top put on for them several weeks ago and had the pleasure of taking the car across town (one helluva great driving car). Hope this info helps. John added: This may be of interest as well: we had a new top put on and while the top was replaced, the pads were original. Inside the pads runs a radio antenna that circles the car inside the top pads. It was very difficult to restore and added about $2,500 to the bill for the top, of nearly $8,000 dollars, due to the overall complexity of the top. |
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| 5880 | [1936 body] used to be #75 |
5100023 | (1934/1936) Frequently seen at Kruse auctions too, during the collector car "boom" in the late eighties and early nineties, I saw this car as lot #46 in 1994, #49 in 1993, probably #5033 in 1992, #710 in 1991, #690 in 1990 and #700 in 1989 and lot #662 [year unknown]. As that particular lot, it was said to have been sold for $115,000. Current vendor says the car underwent a professional, body-off restoration in 1974 and is in excellent running condition; chassis/engine # originally carried a 6275-S flat-windshield sedan body; it was converted to a [much more desirable] convertible sedan using the body off a 1936 car; it had circa 61K miles on the odometer in 2001; it is black with a red leather interior and a tan Stay-Fast convertible top. Newly rechromed bumpers and grille. Dual side mounts. Price $175,000; call Frank [Nicodemus - of F.E.N. Enterprises?] 845.462-5959 (NY) [http://www.classiccarshowcase.com/34cadv16.htm] . Latest offer from Frank (2006): $225,000 ! |
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| 5880 | #25 | 5100038 | (1934) This car shipped from the factory June 19, 1934; it was reportedly purchased new by Ethel DuPont Roosevelt. It was acquired in 1952 by Roy N. Licari of Alexandria, VA (see Nov-Dec. issue of the Self Starter, p.13). Mr. Licari sold it to the current owner, Mr. Louis L. Barnhart, in 1963. Louis told me, in May 2003, that being the brash youth he was in 1963 he had simply jumped in the car and driven it home the 300 miles from near Philadelphia, PA, to his home near Roanoke , VA. Although he says some electrical were faulty he was able to complete the trip without incident. He describes the car's condition as "'good", but that it would need work to be a "show car". Louis has also a 1959 Coupe de Ville |
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| 5880 | #101 | 5110245 [1936] |
(1934) This was lot #646 at a recent Kruse auction. The color is black and the condition said to be good to excellent [the engine number is from the 1936 production run]. |
| 5880 | ? | ? | (1934)
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| 5880 | ? | ? | (1934)
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| 5880 | #64 | 5100104 | (1935) This car has been junked. According to the Self Starter issue for Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13, it was owned at that time by Mr. Bob Mellin. It was shipped by the factory on January 24, 1935 to the Cadillac branch in Philadelphia, PA, only to be diverted later to the New York Auto Show; after the show it returned to PA where it was acquired by Henry W. Breyer, Jr. of Breyer Ice-Cream renown; at that time the car was painted a similar green to the color of the Breyer ice-cream cartons. William T. Walter of Drexel Hill, PA, bought the car in 1952 and sold it in 1954 to Thomas W. Synott II of Wenonah, NJ. The late Dave Holls bought it in 1962 and spent many hours restoring it; sadly the Holls' home caught fire on January 2, 1963 and the car was all but destroyed. Bob Mellin acquired it for parts. |
| 5880 | #86 | 5100143 | (1935) According to the Self Starter issue for Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13, this car was owned at that time by Alden O. Johnson of Minneapolis, MN. An army captain had sold it to a used car dealer in the fifties; the late Dexter Buell bought it from the dealer, located in St. Paul, MN. He sold it to a Mr. John Morgan who, in turn, sold it to a Mrs. Norval. In 1957 Mrs. Norval sold it to Mr. Johnson. |
| 5880 | #100 | 5110222 | (1936) This car shipped from the factory on February 10, 1936. In 1963, according to the Nov.-Dec. 1963 issue of the Self Starter, p.13, it was owned by the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, IL, the museum having got it as a gift, in 1949, from a Mr. John B. Hawley of Minneapolis, MN. At that time it was in fine condition despite non-original front bumpers, headlights, running board, rear stone guards and rear fender spears. Late extra [6/2006]: this just in from enthusiast Chris Summers of W.Virginia. I recently visited the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and 5110222 is still there and still part of the museum, listed on the info card as donated by Mr. Hawley. It appears to be in poor condition, with chipped and scratched paint and a threadbare, water stained convertible top; I was unable to see much of the interior because the top and windows were up, but it appeared ratty, as well. It has its headlights mounted in the front of the fenders [???], running boards split and curved in towards the middle, and rounded front and rear bumpers, as well as solid guards on the rear fenders. None of which are for the better, in my opinion... A photo would be useful, if any Chicagoans can do the honors! |
| 5880 | #104 | 5130320 | (1937) This car was shipped from the factory on December 12, 1936; the original owner was a Mrs. E.P. Waggoner whose name still graces the horn button along with number "320" [from the engine number 5130320]. In 1958 it was acquired by a Mr. James A. Weston who, in 1961, sold it to Mr. Craig Watrous of Sacramento, CA. It was reported to be still owned by Craig in the Self Starter, Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13]. In 2001, it was owned by Hunter Classics. Late Extra [1/2007]: enthusiast and restorer, John M. Mereness, kindly sent this description from the Hunter Collection catalog: This particular car was ordered in October, 1936 for shipment 'Dec. 12, sure' to A.P. Mitchell Cadillac of Fort Worth [TX]. The purchaser was Mr. E.P. Waggoner, whose family controlled one of the largest ranches in Texas (Mrs. Wagonner's daughter, Electra, was the famous Texas beauty for whom the Buick Electra was named in 1959). The build sheet specified black exterior with flare red wheels, black leather interior and silver goddess (mascot). It became part of the Jim Brucker (Cars of the Stars - Movie World) collection in the 1960s and appeared at an auction in Southern California in the early 70's, at which time it was bought by Thomas Cadillac [Los Angeles]. It is pictured at that auction on page 125 of [Roy Schneider's] Sixteen Cylinder Motor Cars. It can be identified by its distinct (non authentic) rear window. It was sold at the Thomas Cadillac auction, April 1986 [1996?] and restored by Hunter Classics in 1997-98. It received a 2nd in class at Pebble Beach, 1998 and scored 100 points (Senior #22232) at the Indiana Grand Classic." |
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| 5880 | #107 | 5130349 | (1937) This was the last V16 convertible phaeton built and the second last V16 car of the 452ci series. The list price of this particular car was $8105 and it weighed 6210 lbs. In the Nov.-Dec. 1963 issue of the Self Starter, p.13, it was reported to be owned by a Mr. S. Howard Brown of Grantville, PA. Mr. Brown bought the car on September 16, 1947, from a Dr. Devine, the second owner, who was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. The story of this car was published in Torque magazine for Mar-Apr. 1987, pp. 4-5. Late Extra [May, 2007]: Accoding to Aussie/Tasmanian enthusiast, Bruce Reynolds, who took a photo of this car at the Gilmore Museum in PA, in 2002, the car is now dark green. It was previously listed here as an "unknown" because I did not have the VIN or body numbers. |
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| 5880 5880-S ??? |
? | ? | (1934-37) This
may be one of the cars already listed above. I have been unable, thus far, to get a
positive ID. The car in this picture was included at one time in a Kruse auction
catalog, in the eighties. I believed in error that it was the V-16 from the Museum of
Science and Industry, in Chicago, but that proved to be incorrect.
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| 5885 | #1 | 5100044 | (1934) This
unique convertible Victoria was
purchased new by Hugh Fenwich of South
Carolina, for $8150. In the Nov.-Dec. 1963 issue of the Self Starter, p.13,
it was reported [apparently in error] to be in the Princeton Auto Museum, Princeton, MA.
It was |
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| 5885 ex-5875 |
[ #5 ] | 5100013 | (1935) This car was on display at a Florida CCCA meet in 1990; believed to be owned today [2001] by Hunter Classics of St. Louis, MO. Formerly a light color (early '90s), currently (2001) it is painted black. The original chassis/engine carried a limousine body (style #5875); somewhere along the line it appears to have acquired a much more desirable convertible Victoria body. The car was formerly in the Princeton Auto Museum. Its body reportedly was changed by the Museum in the 40's, after a wreck. Gene Zimmerman owned it and displayed it at his Automobilarama Museum near Harrisburg, PA, before moving to FL. Currently (2006) it is owned by Hunter Classics. Friend and enthusiast, Terry Wenger has photos of it that he took in 1971, in PA.when it was apart and that body had been on it for a long time. |
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| 5885 | #11 | 5100118 | (1935) In the
Nov.-Dec. 1963 issue of the Self-Starter, p.13, this car was reported owned by
Mr. Albro Case of E. Windsor Hill, CO. Could it be the same car now (1999)
owned by Jack Nethercutt of the Merle Norman collection, San Sylmar, CA?
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| 5885 | ? | ? | (1935/37) I saw and photographed this modified convertible Victoria in the Blackhawk collection in Danville, CA, in June 1999 |
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| 5899 | #3 | 5100034 | (1934) Formerly (?) owned by William T. Walter, Sr. of Drexel Hill, PA [he bought it in 1946 and still owned it in 1963, according to the Self Starter issue of Nov.-Dec. 1963]. Immediately recognizable in those days by its single, massive, orange, Cyclops-like fog light, the car was on the field at Hershey in 1967 (photographed there by the late Dave Ficken). It was fully restored in the nineties and went from being a nice, used car worth $5-6K to one estimated (by some) at over $2 million! Indeed, I saw it and photographed it at the Barrett- Jackson auction in Scottsdale, AZ, in 1998. There it carried a $2.2 million price tag! At an earlier showing it was priced at "only" $850,000 (lot #11). I believe the car currently (2005) is in the Blackhawk Museum collection in Danville, CA. It has been advertised for sale also by the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas. Latest [8/2007]: An effective sale took place at the Gooding & Co. auction at Pebble Beach on August 19, 2007. The car achieved "only" (!) $616,000 [thanks for the update, Chris Cummings]. |
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| 5899 | #5 | 5100060 | (1934) In the Nov.-Dec. 1963 issue of the Self Starter, p.13, this car was reported owned by Grady Paine of Lakewood, CA. At that time it was reported as unrestored. This may be the car I saw offered for sale by auction, by the Kruse organization, in August 1996. |
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| 5899 | ? | ? | (1934) Seen on the Web in May, 2001; this vehicle is reported to have served a beer
delivery route during WWII. The car recently completed a full restoration :
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| 5899 | #13 | 5110224 | (1936) First reported to be owned by Robert Day of Los Angeles, CA [Self Starter, Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13], then by a Mrs.Wilhelmetta Keck of Los Angeles, CA, I believe the current owner is Jim Zanardi, a member of the CCCA. The car was on show at the CCCA's Gilmore Museum, Hickory Corner, MI, in July 2007. |
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| 5899 | #20 | 5130339 | (1937) It was formerly owned by John Serafin of Long Island, NY [at one time, he owned two of these aerodynamic coupes]; it was acquired later by Jack Nethercutt for the Merle Norman collection, San Sylmar, CA. This is the only aero coupe built in 1937. In the SS for 3/63, p.11. there is a photo of this car when it was owned by a Mr. Rudolph Buckles; in the issue of the magazine for Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13, the car was in the ownership of a Mr. Bill Sanders, of Dearborn, MI. |
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| 6275 | #356 | 5100136 | (1935-36?) Was included in the Vegas Auction for April, 2001. The listed engine number, if correct, would make this car a 1935 model. The auction ad described it thus: 1936 Cadillac V-16 armored limousine ID #5100136; Roosevelt's car - own a part of American history. I saw this car in a glass display case at the Imperial Palace, Las Vegas, in 1999. At that time it was in "as found" condition (in drab, military olive gray garb). The holes in the windshield and side windows allowed occupants to fire guns at would-be aggressors ! Late Extra [June, 2004]: Tim Pawl who heads our CLC Museum and Research Center reports that the car is currently at the Peterson Museum in L.A. A young CLC members has an internship there sent Tim a letter describing the car; he said it was located in their basement storage, looked rough and thought it should be "saved". The Peterson Museum has no current plans for restoring the car. |
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| 6275 | #356 | 5100136 | (1934) [information supplied by Chris Cummings, V-16 owner, and Mike Fairbairn of RM Auctions]. This Series 6275 seven-passenger limousine has been known for years as Joseph Kennedy’s car. It was first delivered to Rolls Royce in London, according to the build sheet [apparently, Rolls-Royce serviced and maintained the cars for the U.S. Embassy; a handwritten note on the build sheet indicates that the car was intended for Kennedy’s use - while the car was indeed delivered in 1934, Senator Kennedy did not become the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom until 1937; it is likely, nevertheless, that the car was still part of the Embassy fleet during his tenure; clearly, however, it could not have been ordered for him]. Shown at Meadowbrook in August, 2005, this car was said to be unrestored and has never required restoration. It was expected to fetch between $75,000 and $100,000. It is believed the car returned to the U.S. after the war, although little is known of its ownership history since then. The vendor acquired the car from a well-known Oklahoma collector [James C. Leake ?], who had expended considerable effort to ensure that the car would be in top operating condition, including a full rebuild of the remarkable 16-cylinder engine and a conversion to 12-volt operation. The body number seems high, considering that only nine units were mounted on the V-16 chassis; we must assume, therefore, that the balance includes also the sedan style, #6275-S, as well as bodies mounted on V-8 and V-12 chassis that year. |
| 6275-S | #75 | 5100023 | (1934) This car was reported to be owned, in 1963, by Mr. Joe P. Mikula of Sacramento, CA [Self Starter, Nov.-Dec. 1963, p.13]. Norman Taunton of Galt, CA, bought the car in 1960. On the horn button is an indication that the original owner was a Mr. R. Van Hoosear, with number "11". |
| 6275 or 6275-S |
#107 | 5100030 | (1934) Thanks to recent research [7/2001] by Matt Larson of the CLC, it was determined that this car was a flat-windshield limousine, Fleetwood style #6275 [body #107], and that the first owner was not [as I had been told earlier] South Pole explorer, Admiral Byrd. The car was ordered by Capital Cadillac Co., Washington, D.C., and is listed as "Charge to Mrs. John N. Garner at Factory". Neither Matt nor I know who the Garners were, but cars charged to factory accounts in those days are rather unusual; that notation is found, for example, on build sheets for cars ordered by the various Fisher brothers, by Alfred P. Sloan, by Harley Earl, etc.] Late Extra [8/2002]: Long time CLC member, Currell Pattie, has solved the mystery; he writes: If the John N. Garner is John Nance Garner, he just happened to be Vice President of the United States under Roosevelt! Currell adds: By the way, I grew up in Alexandria, VA, right across the river from DC. We were treated to a lot of interesting Cadillacs, due to the Federal Govt's presence. When the old car movement got started in the '50s, there were a lot of classic and neoclassic Cadillacs indigenous to the area. My own research revealed that this car was owned [in the late fifties or early sixties?] by a Mr. G.F. Wood of Boston, MA. In the Self Starter issue for Nov.-Dec., 1963, p.13, it is attributed to a Mr. R.E. Byrd of Boston, MA; I wonder if he might be related to Admiral Byrd, the South Pole explorer?) Indeed, a car with the same engine number, attributed to the late Admiral Byrd, was sold by the Admiral's son to a Danish auto museum [Aalholm Castle Museum of Count J.O. Raben, Nysted, Denmark]. But the latter car [below] has a "V"-windshield (not a flat one) and appears to have been converted to an open-front town car from a Fleetwood style #5875 limousine. I doubt that anyone would want to attempt to convert a flat-windshield 1934 V-16 to a "V"-windshield type. Are we to assume, therefore, that the engine from car #5100030 was later removed from body #107 and put on a "V"-windshield limousine body? Perhaps one of our Danish CLC members might volunteer to help us clear up this mystery by examining the car's body tag at the museum [see also the "custom" conversion, below]. |
| ? | ? | ? | (1934) Unidentified chassis photographed at Pebble Beach, CA, in 2002 |
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| -- | -- | -- | Craig Watrous, a V16 owner/admirer mentioned in May 2000 that he had owned a 1937 V-16 convertible sedan, shown at Pebble Beach in 1958 and again, with a fresh restoration, in 1998 (currently owned by Mark Ohm?). Craig had also a 1936 V-16 limo and a 1935 V-16 sedan for 7 passengers that he purchased from the original owner, Ross Perpoutsie, in San Francisco. In addition, he has been keeping track of several of the 1930-31 sixteens but regrets that he does not have the engine numbers |
| -- | -- | -- | (Unknown) I was reading in a recent issue of the "Bulletin", newsletter of the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) about a member who says he still owns a V-16 from 1934 that he bought in 1940! |
| -- | -- | -- | (Unknown) My neighbor here, in Chapin, S. Carolina, remembers an family friend from West Virginia (sadly now deceased) named Russel Grant who, she says, owned an open V-16 Cadillac of 1934-1936 vintage. She believes the car may still be owned by Mr. Grant's son, Gary. Anybody out there in W. Virginia who could shed light on this mystery car? |
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| [5802] | ? | ? | (1980s) V-16 roadster for two passengers. This "1934" model was actually built in the eighties by Fran Roxas of Alsip, IL, under the expert guidance of Strother McMinn, well-known retired Cadillac stylist and keen V-16 enthusiast, who supplied the original Fleetwood drawings. In his book "Fleetwood - The Company and the Coachcraft", James J. Schild refers to this car as a "reproduction" or "reproduced duplicate", or "reproduction body". IMHO, however, it can be none of the above; to pass as such would require at least one original to have been built in 1934, which is not the case. For want of a better term, I refer to it as the "fake" or "modern-day", Fleetwood-inspired style #5802 roadster. It was built as closely as possible to the manufacturer's original design, specifications and manufacturing methods. Metal fabrication was accomplished by Scott Knight on a wood structure by Don Linsley.
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| [5859] | ? | ? | (1980s) 5-pass. sport phaeton. This "1937" V-16 (like style #5802, above) was built from scratch in the eighties from an original Fleetwood design. Like the previous car, I refer to this one as the "fake" or "modern-day", Fleetwood-inspired #5859 sport phaeton. Once again, metal fabrication was accomplished by Scott Knight on a wood structure by Don Linsley. |
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| ??? | ??? | 5130316 | Factory records of this engine number seem to have been lost |
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| custom 5875 ??? |
#107 (???) |
5100030 |
(1934) Custom town car [conversion]. This car has the same
engine number as the V-16 once owned by John Nance Garner, Vice President of the
USA in the Roosevelt administration. It was later owned by Mr. R.E. Byrd of Boston, MA
(see "6275" entries, above) whom I suspect to be the son of Admiral Byrd, the
South Pole explorer. This odd car has been for many years in the Museum collection of
Count J.O. Raben, in Nysted, Denmark. I got the car's engine number from Mr. Raben's
secretary in 1977. The Museum catalog tells this story: The
Admiral's son [Byrd] wrote to the Museum [no date indicated] asking
whether the car might be of interest to it. He admitted it was in poor condition as it had
lain out in the open for fifteen years, so the price was reasonable. Unfortunately,
although the initial cost to acquire he car was low, restoration proved to be very
expensive. The engine, however, was in good condition. All that was needed was to
clean out the fuel lines; the car started up after only a few engine revolutions. According
to Matt Larson, CLC archivist par excellence, this engine number belongs to a
flat-windshield 1934 V-16, Fleetwood style #6275; however, the converted car has
a "V" windshield as well as enclosed rear quarters; there is no vent pane in the
rear door window glass, which seems to suggest that the conversion was made from a
standard Fleetwood style #5875 limousine, rather than from the formal style #5875-FL that
featured a leather roof covering and blank rear quarters. Stan Squires, a long-time
acquaintance and V-16 enthusiast pointed out many years ago the following
anomalies on the Raben car: (1) the car has no rear bumper, (2) three vertical
"stiffeners" have been added between the bi-plane front bumper bars, (3) there
are painted grille areas that should be chrome, (4) sealed-beam headlights have been
added, (5) car has the wrong wheel covers. Stan Squires [car #5100050] suspects
that either the style number (6275) on the list is wrong or that I have been given
erroneous information. He says that John Serafin, from Long Island, has two
stationary coupes and told Stan about some engine numbering problem with one of his cars. |
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| Custom | [8690] 416 |
5100144 |
This hybrid car powered by a V16 engine is a mystery. On the cowl tag it has Job #8690, which relates to a 1929 La Salle 2-pass. coupe style, body # 416. The engine number was corrected in June, 2005, from #2100144 (which corresponds to a 1934 La Salle straight-eight motor) to 5100144. The car has a boat-tail body by an unknown maker ...but under the hood is the unmistakable first-generation V16 motor. The car was offered for sale on this site: http://www.carsclassic.com/stock/1930_Cadillac_v16.htm. It is titled as a 1930 model. Style #8690 relates to a La Salle 2-pass. coupe); this one apparently is body #416. It has a boat-tail body by an unknown maker. The 20 inch wire wheels are much larger than regular Cadillac- LaSalle wheels of the early thirties (16" and 17"). The body plate data is totally believable. Matt Larson, who researched the recently published history of the La Salle, had this to say about it: The beast obviously started out in life as a 1929 Cadillac 341-B, V-8 coupe. My earliest Master Body Part List confirms that style 8690 is a 2 Pass.Coupe with leather back and rumble seat on a 140" wheel base (the equivalent '29 LaSalle 2 Pass. Coupe is a style 8590, on a 134" wheel base). Whoever put this thing together didn't even bother to put 1930 bumpers and taillights on it to try to make it look like a V-16. There were no 1929 model V-16 cars and none of the real V-16 cars had Buffalo wire wheels. The photo is too fuzzy to tell if the running board mounted spotlight is authentic Cadillac. The headlights are probably 1930/31 V-8 and 12. Certainly the parts are not worth anything like the $50K that they want for this morphodite. |
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| Custom | n/a | 5130328 | (1937) Custom 2-passenger roadster. The bare chassis was shipped to Lausanne, Switzerland, from GM's depot at Antwerp, Belgium, and bodied there by Willy Hartmann of Lausanne. Currently [June 1999] this huge car is part of the Blackhawk Automobile Museum collection in Danville, CA. This car has been offered at auction many times in the last 10-15 years at prices ranging from a "modest" (?) one million dollars, to an outrageous $3.5 million! Who would believe it was acquired by a Swiss collector, in 1965, for a modest $925 (well, it did need a major restoration!) Read the full story by clicking here. |
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| Custom | ? | ? | Here is another interesting V16 "racer" by Volpi; it is located (and apparently registered) in Holland. Photos were supplied kindly by enthusiast Anthony Hazelaar whom I have asked for complementary information. A similar exercise was conducted in Spain on a 452-452A chassis that once belonged to a sedate town car. I pray that this engine was not taken from some super-rare, Fleetwood-bodied sixteen ! |
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| "Custom" | ? | ? | This racing buggy powered by a
V-16 engine of the 1934-37 production was pictured in the Self Starter issue for
January 2007. The engine came from a convertible sedan style #5880 that had been
wrecked. It turns out that both engine and body are currently (2007) being restored.
We'll be hearing more about this one, I'm sure.
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Return to The (New) Cadillac Database© Index Page
or go back to the V16 index page
© 1996, Yann Saunders and the Cadillac-LaSalle
Club, Inc.
[ Background image:
1934 aerodynamic coupe, style 5899, photo © 1998, Yann Saunders ]
