Quite likely the world’s finest 1930 Cadillac V8. AACA National First Prize, 99.5/100 CCCA Grand Classic, 98.67 CLC National. More than a quarter-million dollars invested to make it the finest in the world!
Sometimes, nothing but the best will suffice. In the case of this breathtaking 1930 Cadillac 353 convertible coupe, the owner decided that an AACA-first-prize-winning restoration simply wasn’t good enough, and embarked on a quarter-million-dollar quest to create what is unquestionably the finest 1930 Cadillac V8 in the world. It has scored 99.5/100 points in CCCA competition and even more importantly, 98.67 points at the Cadillac-LaSalle Club national meet, and since then, the items resulting in deductions have been corrected.
The original build sheet that accompanies this car indicates that it was original all black, including the body, moldings, and fenders, but when it was first restored in the 1970s, it was treated to a then-contemporary color combination of two-tone tan with orange wheels. In 1977, it was awarded an AACA National First Prize, arguably the highest honor such a car could receive at the time. But by 2010, even the best restorations start to show their age, and the owner commissioned D&D Classic Automobile Restoration to return the lovely Cadillac to show-winning condition. The body was stripped to bare metal and the finish was rebuilt from there, duplicating a stunning black cherry finish seen on a Duesenberg Model J. The result is simply stunning.
If you’re familiar with the artists and craftsmen at D&D, you know their work is exemplary, with wins at Pebble Beach to their credit. Panel fit is excellent, and both doors were rebuilt to improve their fit at the lower edges, and vulnerable areas of the body, most notably the corners around the lower edges of the door, were reinforced to eliminate cracking in the future. Chrome and brightwork was removed and refinished to show standards, and the body was pinstriped by hand, a procedure that required more than 40 hours!
Inside, the tan leather interior that was installed in 1977 was both highly accurate and beautifully preserved, so other than cleaning and conditioning the hides and replacing the carpets, it was not touched. The gauges, however, were rebuilt including the clock, which is fully functional. The canvas top was replaced during the recent restoration, duplicating the original support straps and rear window configuration, which offers an opening center section for both ventilation and communication with rear-seat passengers. For safety, seatbelts were retrofitted and secured to the steel portions of the body, not the wood frame, so they will work as intended if worse comes to worst. The top does fold but has only been down once and we didn’t have the heart to risk wrinkling it just for photographs.
Mechanically, the car was excellent thanks to the quality of the first restoration and the expert care it received since completion. The strong-running 353 cubic inch V8 fires quickly and drives superbly, with great torque and a wonderful V8 burble from the tailpipe. The engine bay is dressed for show, and worth noting is that the sole deduction taken by the judges at a major event, a hairline crack in the distributor cap, is actually supposed to be there. Shifting is effortless thanks to Synchromesh, and with the optional 4.75 gear ratio, it offers strong performance out on the road. The wire wheels were repainted tan to match the chassis and fitted with new 7.50-18 Lester wide whitewall tires.
Documentation is extensive, with full restoration photos, receipts (totaling more than $278,000), the original build sheet, and judging sheets.
Anyone who has restored a car to this level knows the investment in both money and time such an undertaking requires, and the cost to take a car to #1 condition is so staggering that few collectors have the fortitude to do it. If you insist on the very best, a car without notable flaws and which has been finished by the best pros in the industry, there are but a handful available. Perfection has its cost, but it also has its privileges. There are simply none finer than this. Call now.
For more photos and details, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
