Vehicle Description
By the 1930’s, Cadillac had long been established as an outstanding leader in the Automobile business. Cadillac was founded in 1902 and fell under the auspices of General Motors by 1909 to become their flagship brand, and survives today as one of the oldest continuously running car companies of all time. Cadillac’s “The Standard of the World” slogan was realized in many engineering firsts such as the first electric starter, the first to wear electric lamps, the first fully synchronized manual transmission, and the first dual plane V8 for superior smoothness.
The 355 series first appeared in 1931 and was a mainstay of the Cadillac lineup through 1935. Sold with a variety of standard and custom bodies ranging from a sporting roadster to a formal limousine, the V8 powered 355 sustained Cadillac into the height of the Great Depression. The previous Series 353s 5.8 liter, 353 cubic inch L-head V8 was freshened up for the 355, and performance was strong thanks to a healthy 95 horsepower output. Sales of the 355 were quite strong in spite of the dire economic conditions, with about ten thousand examples finding owners in 1931.
This gorgeous Series 355A Fleetwood Roadster is finished in a striking combination of two-tone silver over blue fenders on the body, with red wire wheels, black roadster top and a red interior. Restored approximately 20 years ago and used very lightly since, it still presents in wonderful condition both cosmetically and mechanically. The beautiful Fleetwood roadster body style features a cozy two seat main cabin, with a rumble seat out back and a golf bag door on the curbside. The metallic silver main body is accented by a dark blue belt line, accented with a perfectly judged red pinstripe. Combined with brick red wheels and leather interior, the resulting combination is quite stunning. Paint work presents in excellent condition, and beautiful chrome adorns the front and rear. The front end is nicely accessorized with dual Trippe lights, a fabulous mascot and a stainless steel radiator stone guard. Further features include dual sidemounts with strapped on mirrors, windwings on the windscreen, and dual spot lights. Dual brake lights, chrome rumble-seat steps and a luggage rack round out the tail-end details. With lots of chrome, lots of flash and lots of style – this Cadillac has magnificent presence.
The gorgeous interior is upholstered in brick red leather, with matching wool carpet and a black convertible top. The real gem of the interior is an utterly fantastic art-deco fascia with engine-turned dash and a beautiful sun-burst pattern instrument panel. Upholstery and interior fittings are all in excellent order throughout. Under the long hood lies a well-detailed 353 cubic inch V8, that appears clean, tidy and properly detailed – a theme that you find everywhere you look on this wonderful motorcar. In spite of the restoration being approximately 20 years old, this Cadillac remains exceedingly attractive, fresh and highly presentable inside and out. It is also quite usable, thanks to the smooth and reliable power from the V8 engine and the easy to operate synchromesh 3-speed manual transmission. It is clear that a tremendous amount of money was spent to bring this fine Cadillac up to a very high standard. Since completion it has been very well maintained and preserved in fine condition and is now totally showable, road worthy and simply gorgeous to look at.
