Vehicle Description
"The Standard of the World" was not only Cadillac's advertising
slogan, but it was a doctrine for its engineers and designers to
live by. During the 1930's, the company went to great lengths to
live up to that claim, building ever more exclusive and stylish
models. Despite the economic hardships, the junior LaSalle brand
and entry-level Cadillac V8 models were selling well, and some
much-needed cash was swelling the coffers. Cadillac decided the
time was right to add a bit of excitement to the "multi-cylinder"
engine race that was going on between high-end manufacturers around
the world. In 1930 they shocked the motoring world with the
introduction of both a V12 and an unprecedented V16 engine
displacing 452 cubic inches. This put Cadillac right into the thick
of the battle with such prestigious manufacturers as Hispano-Suiza,
Lagonda, Rolls-Royce and their chief rival, Packard. Both engines
were designed simultaneously by Cadillac engineer Owen Nacker, and
they shared the same basic layout as well as many common
components. The V12's output was a healthy 135 horsepower, while
the V16 put out a full 175 horsepower - a headline grabbing figure
for its day. In 1933, a V16 Imperial Cabriolet started at $6,250
and stretched to a whopping $8,000 for the top line All Weather
Phaeton. The starting price was a full $3,000 more than a
comparable V12 model, keeping in mind that a 1933 Chevrolet cost
$445. Of course, an entire range of custom and semi-custom bodies
were available from within GM and outside coachbuilders. The
Cadillac LaSalle Club has put the number at approximately seventy
different combinations of chassis and body options, which
undoubtedly allowed a high degree of exclusivity, considering just
125 of a planned 400 examples were built. The V16 Cadillac remains
to this day one of the most collectible, exclusive, and desirable
of all American classics. In early spring of 1933, a tremendous
machine arrived at Don Lee Cadillac of Los Angeles. It was a V-16
seven-passenger town cabriolet, the very first of three made that
year, and its build sheet notes that it was finished in all-over
black - a line of "BLACK," right down the left side of the page -
except for the wire wheels and their disc covers. Imposing, elegant
and visually striking, this 1933 Cadillac Model 452C V16 All
Weather Phaeton represents the most expensive and exclusive
Cadillac offered at the time. Only three cars were built in 1933
with this coachwork. As is common with V-16s of this era, the
second page of the build sheet has not survived, and so additional
special requests for the car have been lost. Thus we may never know
if the original owner, Joan Crawford, really did have all of the
interior hardware plated in satin-finished pewter, so that a
photographer could not catch her distorted reflection in celluloid.
Nonetheless, it is the kind of legend the lady enjoyed spinning
around herself. The incredible Fleetwood coachwork exhibits the
early beginnings of streamline design, thanks to its fully formed
fenders, split and tapered radiator shell and Art-Deco inspired
streaks and slashes. It is truly a work of art and absolutely
breathtaking to behold. At the front end, a fabulous quad-bar front
bumper features polished strips and the horns are magnificent Deco
pieces with concentric chrome inserts in the trumpets. The 1933
Cadillac is instantly recognizable thanks to the body-color split
grille, which on this example is graced with a gold-plated Cadillac
emblem and goddess mascot. Dual sidemount spare wheels wear painted
covers and the running boards are fitted with polished strips that
accentuate the long, flowing lines, in true Art Deco fashion. In
the rear is found a black painted trunk along with a chrome trunk
rack, dual taillights, a repeating quad-bar bumper, and correct
dual-exhausts. Black painted wheels wear full chrome wheel covers
and white wall tires, the smooth covers further enhancing the
streamline styling. Opening the rear doors, you are treated to a
complementary grey wool broadcloth interior that is accented with
exquisite inlaid wood trim. The upholstery is in excellent order,
just barely gaining a broken-in appearance. The chauffeur's
compartment is all business, however being a Cadillac, gorgeous
detailing adorns the dash with its textured inlays, engine-turned
escutcheons, and correct original instrumentation. It is difficult
to determine whether the famous owner or the engine is the star of
this show. Opening the long bonnet reveals one of the most
awe-inspiring engines of the era. The Cadillac V16 is a masterpiece
of form following function. It is a piece of mechanical beauty. The
narrow angle Vee is topped with black painted rocker covers
accented with polished ribs. This truly is a showpiece from top to
bottom. After Crawford's use of the car, it was purchased by John
Quarty, an innovator in modern resort hotels, and continued its use
chauffeuring celebrities, now at his San Marcos Resort near
Chandler, Arizona. Finally retired, it made its way to Ohio, and
there was acquired, via Tom Barrett, by the Hillcrest Motor Company
in the early 1970s. Located on Wilshire Boulevard in Hollywood, the
Hillcrest Motor Company was the successor to Don Lee, the famed
dealership that had sold the car to Ms. Crawford. Recognizing the
opportunity to buy back the most famous car they ever sold, the
dealership took it, and their employees restored it to its original
condition. Afterward it was placed in the small museum on the
second floor of the Hillcrest Motor Company, and began its new life
as a famous showpiece, featured in the September 1974 issue of
Motor Trend, in Roy Schneider's Sixteen-Cylinder Motorcars, and as
the basis for several die-cast collector's models, as well as in
advertisements for The Broadway. After the death of owner Willet H.
Brown in 1993, the Hillcrest dealership was closed, and its company
collection sold by Sotheby's at the Petersen Automotive Museum in
1994. There the Crawford V-16 was acquired by Dr. Joseph Murphy of
Pennsylvania. Dr. Murphy, in turn, sold the car to Otis Chandler,
in whose famous Vintage Museum it was exhibited until 2003. This
Hollywood legend has resided in just two collections since. The car
is accompanied by a comprehensive history file, including copies of
various articles, a copy of the build sheet, and, importantly,
copies of numerous pieces of correspondence with Hillcrest
employees, in which they confirm Crawford's ownership and detail
the restoration completed by some of the men who worked on the V-16
for her in 1933. Cadillac V-16s of 1933 are rare in any form, with
fewer than 30 known to exist; only two are seven-passenger town
cabriolets, and only one of those is the iconic ex-Joan
Crawford/Hillcrest Motor Company/Otis Chandler car - an automobile
with decades of Hollywood heritage, documented, recorded, and known
to enthusiasts far and wide. Joan is famously quoted as saying: I
never go outside unless I look like Joan Crawford the movie star.
If you want to see the girl next door, go next door. Well, this is
a car that could make even the girl next door look like a movie
star. We think Joan would approve. Offers welcome and Trades
Considered For additional details please view this listing directly
on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7752-1933-cadillac-v16-town-cabriolet/
