Beschreibung:

452ci OHV V-16 Engine 2 Twin-Choke Cadillac Carburetors 165bhp at 3,400rpm 3-Speed Manual Transmission Front and Rear Leaf Spring Suspension 4-Wheel Drum Brakes *The Danbury Mint V-16, previously owned by Dr. Joseph Murphy *Well-documented example retaining original coachwork, chassis and driveline *Cadillac's crowning technological achievement in the most desirable Roadster form *Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance entrant THE V-16 CADILLAC Cadillac astonished the world's automotive elite when it introduced a spectacular new ultra-luxury car, powered by an amazing 16-cylinder engine, at the 1930 New York Auto Show. This new super-sized Cadillac was clearly a General Motors response to the Duesenberg Model J, introduced by E. L. Cord the year before. However, while the snarl of the Duesenberg straight eight flaunted its raw, race-bred power, the Cadillac V-16 would set new benchmarks for smooth, silent and superbly impressive performance. Cadillac created the V-16 to compete with and exceed the standards of the best automobiles in the world. GM dispatched a group of the new cars to Europe, where the Continent's most erudite automotive connoisseurs were invited to compare, first-hand, the beauty and substance of the Cadillac V-16 against the upper-crust cars of the time -including Isotta-Fraschini, Hispano-Suiza, Mercedes-Benz and, of course, Rolls-Royce. An impressive number of early V-16s were exported as a result. The heart of the Cadillac V-16 was of course its magnificent engine. Displacing a total of 452 cubic inches on all its sixteen cylinders, it featured overhead valves, and produced up to 185 horsepower. Beautifully detailed and meticulously sculpted, the engine's appearance was just as awe-inspiring as its soon-to-be-legendary smoothness and quietness. Cadillac offered a number of Fleetwood bodies for the 1930-31 Series 452A V-16 chassis. Arguably, the most stylish and collectible to this day was the Roadster. This sleek and sporting, close-coupled two-seater design by Fleetwood designated with style number 4302, was made in few examples, and carried a hefty price tag. These classic Roadsters remain the quintessential Classic Era top-of-the-line collector car. THE MOTORCAR OFFERED This fine example of Cadillac's technological tour de force Series 452 V-16 sports the stylish Fleetwood Roadster body it has worn from new and is likely to be one of the best, genuine examples existence. As revealed by engine number 701056 and body number 29, It is an early example and therefore retains the early features not seen on the later 1930 and 1931 model-year V-16s, such as the lack of cowl vent and the early dash assembly. The original owner of this stunning V-16 Roadster was William C. Bryant who lived on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit. Being a local, he was able take delivery of his new Roadster at Cadillac's Detroit Assembly Plant. The car retains its original delivery tag attached to the firewall with Mr. Bryant's name - a feature that was common on V-16s that were sold directly by the factory and not by a dealership. The second owner was Wilbur Sanders, also from Detroit, who purchased the car in the 1950s. Sanders sold the car to Richard Sahlin in the 1980s. When Sahlin purchased the stylish Roadster, it was an extremely low mileage original car that had never been restored or disassembled. Sahlin commissioned noted specialists Bryan Joseph to complete the first restoration. The car was judged by the CCCA during 1990 and 1991 seasons and awarded a Senior Badge and was furthermore a class winner at the 1991 Meadowbrook Concours. The car was quietly sold during in the early 1990s and became part of the prestigious collection of Dr. Joseph Murphy of Pennsylvania. During his ownership, the car was featured in his book In Search of Excellence: The Dr. Murphy Automobile Collection by Dennis Adler. Dr. Murphy later sold the V-16 Roadster to a private collector on the West Coast. The car was kept in a private collection during this peri