Vehicle Description
In New York on January 4, 1930, Cadillac stunned the motoring world
as it introduced the breathtaking new V-16. While Bugatti had
already produced a 16-cylinder engine by pairing two inline
eight-cylinder units, Cadillac's was the first true 16-cylinder
automobile engine designed and purpose-built from scratch. Working
under legendary GM engineering chief Charles Kettering, Owen Milton
Nacker led V-16 development beginning in 1926, with strict secrecy
including cover stories worthy of a covert operation and notations
on various blueprints claiming the V-16 was simply Cadillac's
contribution to a new GM bus design. Featuring modern
overhead-valve cylinder heads, a 45-degree cylinder bank angle, and
external manifolds, the Cadillac V-16 engine was easily accessible
in the engine compartment for maintenance and repairs. Beautifully
finished and presented, Cadillac's V-16 was the first automotive
engine ever to be "styled" with completely hidden wiring and
polished aluminum and porcelain surfaces, topped off with a pair of
striking rocker covers featuring brushed aluminum fins. The V-16
was also renowned for incredible smoothness, thanks to evenly
spaced firing intervals and a massive forged crankshaft, supported
by five main bearings. The V-16 engine was whisper-quiet, thanks to
ingenious hydraulic valve silencers.Other innovations included a
lightweight silicon-aluminum crankcase, five-point engine mounts,
and carefully engineered pistons and rings, plus a single
distributor with two sets of breaker points controlled by two
separate ignition coils. Among the V-16's many attributes, it could
be driven in high gear just above idle without stalling, allowing
uncanny ease of operation in virtually any operating environment.
Conservatively rated at 175 horsepower with a higher-compression
185-hp variant optional, the V-16 delivered incredible low-end
torque - 320 pounds-feet at just 1,200 to 1,500 RPM - and propelled
Cadillac's massive long-wheelbase chassis and a veritable multitude
of luxurious bodies by Fleetwood and select other custom
coachbuilders with ease. Cadillac managed to survive the rapidly
declining luxury-car market of the early 1930s thanks to the
financial resources of its parent company, GM. Without this
support, Cadillac could never have produced such a
limited-production, luxurious, and commanding automobile. Although
the V-16 was brilliantly engineered and sold quite well at first,
its fast-shrinking Depression-era market meant that the V-16 was
produced in small numbers - 4,378 in all according to marque
experts - through 1940. While the V-16 chassis, internally
designated Series 452, was an engineeringtour de force, its
coachwork was equally impressive in terms of styling and luxury.
Based entirely on a regal 148-inch wheelbase for 1930 and 1931, the
V-16, often known simply as the "Sixteen," was available with an
exceptionally wide array of custom coachbuilt bodies by Fleetwood
and Fisher, encompassing virtually every style and passenger
configuration imaginable. Undoubtedly, the most sporting of these
offerings was Fleetwood Style no. 4302, a graceful 2/4-passenger
roadster with outstanding proportions and clean lines devoid of
extraneous chrome trim. The lightest factory body style on the V-16
chassis, its relative lightness made it a startling performer. The
Cadillac build sheet for vehicle number 701761, maintained in our
records, documents its distribution through Fitzhenry Cadillac
Company in Worcester, Massachusetts. This document verifies the
vehicle as a style 4302 roadster, displaying a Boone Brown chassis
and body panels accented in Thorne Maroon. The interior featured
Radel leather, complemented by a Burbank cloth top and Gold Bronze
wire wheels with maroon striping. Remarkably, the sheet lists no
additional equipment. The sheet also mentions "Tag Whittall,"
indicating the vehicle was reserved for a notable customer, a
practice common in the 1930s for Cadillac. In 1930, Worcester's
most distinguished clientele included the Whittall family. "The
Whittalls were definitely a very prominent family," explains Linda
Davis, the curator of the Shrewsbury Historical Society. "They
lived in Worcester on Southbridge Street, at the time a very nice
part of town, and they owned all the mills in that area. Matthew
Whittall Sr. was a 33rd degree Mason who was unbelievably
successful and nice to his employees. He built a church and a park
in town. They had a 'summer' house in Shrewsbury, off Prospect
Street." Juniper Hall, as Mr. Whittall dubbed his "summer place,"
was situated on 100 acres that were spread over the highest point
in Shrewsbury, and it sported famous formal and "picking" gardens,
which were open to the public. Undoubtedly, that was where the V-16
Roadster was destined. With the original Mr. Whittall having passed
to his reward in 1927, it is believed to have been claimed by his
son, who had succeeded him as the head of the family businesses. In
1933 a young Massachusetts man named John Moir, Sr. visited his
local Lincoln dealer, Baker Ford Company of Brookline, where he
discovered an intriguing motorcar that had been recently traded in.
Moir Sr. was a man of means, as his family recently sold their
Chase & Sanborn Coffee Company to General Mills for a considerable
sum. So, it may seem unusual for a wealthy young family man of this
sort to be after a used car. But this was no ordinary time, as 1933
was during the height of the Great Depression, and this was no
ordinary used car - it was the finest car America had to offer - a
mighty Cadillac Series 452 V-16 fitted with Fleetwood's sportiest
body, the 2/4-passenger rumble-seat roadster. Following World War
II, John Moir Sr. passed the Cadillac to his son, John Moir Jr.,
who drove it during his time at Harvard for three and a half years
and then for commuting to his job at the Museum of Science in
Boston. In 1950, upon his father's advice for a more
traffic-appropriate vehicle for Boston, John Jr. acquired a new AC
2-Liter Buckland tourer. Yet, the Moirs, known for their tendency
to retain possessions, kept the Cadillac, storing it in its
original condition until the early 1990s. At that time, John Jr.
commissioned Curt Hardee of Hooksett, New Hampshire, for its
restoration in "the only colors it has ever worn." It was dressed
up with a radiator stone guard, but otherwise remained astoundingly
authentic, retaining every original component save only the
radiator "Goddess," whose pot metal crumbled, and the mirrors on
the side-mount spares, replacing the long-lost originals. Achieving
98.25 points and winning the CCCA Primary First Prize in 1997, the
V-16 roadster was rarely shown outside John Moir's residence in
Chocorua, New Hampshire. The acquisition of the 2-liter Buckland
tourer sparked John Jr.'s expertise in AC vehicles and fueled his
broader interest in cars, leading to the creation of the renowned
"A to Z" collection. The V-16, symbolizing "C" in the collection,
was particularly treasured as the centerpiece. In 2014, as John Jr.
aged, he decided to disband his collection, including the V-16
roadster, marking an 81-year period of single-family ownership, a
remarkable tenure for any vehicle. Since changing hands, the
roadster continues to present beautifully, showcasing its authentic
and striking appearance, with a well-maintained interior,
undercarriage, and engine compartment that attest to Hardee's
respectful restoration. The Moir V-16 stands as one of the most
exceptional examples of Cadillac's pre-war sports models, held in
high regard and affection, especially by the Moir family, who
preserved its legacy for decades. Offers welcome and trades
considered For additional details please view this listing directly
on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7678-1930-cadillac-v16-roadster/
