To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The Guyton
Collection event, 4 - 5 May 2019.
Estimate:
$50,000 - $75,000
- Wonderful Brass Era Cadillac
- Well-preserved older restoration
- Originally sold by Don Lee Cadillac, San Francisco
The Model 30, named for its horsepower, was Cadillac's sole
offering in 1909. A refinement of the 1907-1908 Model G, it had a
longer wheelbase but was offered only in open body styles. Selling
for about two-thirds the price of the G, the new Model 30 sold
nearly six times as many cars as all 1908 Cadillacs combined.
Three body styles were offered: a roadster, a tourer, and a
demi-tonneau. The latter had a detachable tonneau and could be
converted to a runabout. The roadster and demi-tonneau had a
sweeping cowl that presaged "torpedo" styling. When a windshield
was ordered, it was affixed to a wood dashboard fitted over the
cowl. In 1910, closed bodies�a coupe, and a limousine�returned to
the Cadillac line. The 1911 model year brought a longer wheelbase
and marked the last use of "Model 30." Although the cars remained
much the same through 1914, they were sold as simply
"Cadillac."
The big news for 1912 was electric starting and lighting. This
Delco system, developed by visionary engineer Charles Kettering,
was not the first electric starter, but was much smaller and
simpler than previous efforts, and thus more practical. From his
work at the National Cash Register Company, he understood that an
electric motor could be severely overloaded, provided that it was
used only intermittently. The 1912 Cadillac system used four
six-volt batteries connected in series for 24-volt starting, while
lighting and accessories ran at six volts. Kettering realized that
a complete electrical system made sense for a car, and thus
Cadillacs dispensed with gas- and oil-fueled lighting
completely.
This 1912 Model 30 five-passenger touring was shipped from the
factory on 24 October 1911 to Don Lee, the San Francisco dealer.
Its further history is not known, until acquisition by the Guyton
Collection in October 2008, from Eric Gibson of Keswick, Virginia.
An older restoration, it has been well preserved and presents well
in dark blue over black fenders, the body accented with delicate
white pin striping. It has a full canvas top in black, and black
buttoned leather seating. The famed Cadillac electric lighting and
starting is present, complemented by a bulb horn. The engine
compartment is correctly detailed, showing just a few signs of
use.To view this car and others currently consigned to this
auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/gc19.
