The Cadillac V-16 has gone down in history as one of the greatest cars of all time. Despite the onset of the great depression, American car manufacturers were still in a race to see who could create the biggest and most outrageous car with the most exotic engine. Duesenberg created their big double overhead cam straight eight, Stutz created their double and single overhead cam eight cylinder, and Cadillac answered with its overhead valve V-16. With sixteen cylinders, 452 cubic inches and 185 horsepower the V-16 competed not only with its U.S. competitors, but with the ultra refined European cars such as Mercedes and Isotta Fraschini. Offered in numerous body styles, open and closed, very few preserved original examples of any body style exist today and it is still one of the most coveted cars in the world.
Offered here is the most original V-16 Cadillac in the world; a 1931 Cadillac V-16 Series 4355 Imperial Cabriolet with just 9,900 original miles from new! Cadillac built just 52 Imperial Cabriolets such as this car, a five passenger limousine without rear quarter windows. This car, engine number 701758 did some traveling initially before it found its first owner. While V-16s sold well in the first part of 1930, with the onset of the stock market crash sales slowed up a bit and many V-16's went unsold, being shipped from dealer to dealer until its first owner would be found. Such as #701758, first delivered to a dealer in Brooklyn, New York on May 28, 1930. Over a year later on June 19, 1931 it was diverted to Cadillac of Manhattan and then on September 28 it was moved again to Atlantic City, New Jersey. Eventually the car found its way into the hands of a Mr. George Ackerle of Camden, New Jersey sometime in the 1940's. The car later appeared in the June 1971 issue of the "Self Starter" magazine and it was featured again in an issue of Automobile Quarterly in 1973, still in the ownership of Mr. Ackerle and still in completely perfect original condition. Mr. Ackerle amassed a collection of American classics starting in the 1940's and kept the V-16 in his barn until his death in 1988 when his entire collection was purchased by another New Jersey collector Mr. Bill Johnson. Mr. Johnson would later sell the V-16 and since it has passed through a few collectors hands until arriving to us today. The car is still in untouched original condition, showing some patina, but wearing it very well. Everything except the tires is original on this car including its paint, upholstery, and chrome. It even retains its factory stenciled numbers on the firewall. It is a true time capsule. Mechanically it runs and drives like a brand new car. It's truly amazing. Complete with a copy of its Cadillac build sheet, every number is correct and original on this car. It still retains its original Fleetwood stamp on the body sill (Body #32, also shown on firewall), and original identification tag on the side of the cowl. Never shown at any major concours, this car is worthy of the best preservation classes at the best shows in the world. If you want to know what it was like to drive a V-16 when it was new, this is your chance to finally find out. Contact us today for more information.
