Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire 1938 Caddy V-16 Limo

My father chauferred an older couple in a Caddy limo like that only it had a V-12 engine. Musta felt like the coolest HS kid in town, the job provided a little pocket change for him during the depression.

Thanks for posting this Higginz! The car used in the Addams Family movies was a 1931 Caddy limo with a V 16.

I've seen those engines, but not within a car.... a lot of them were sold for commercial use. I've seen them, even up thru the 80s, for powering search lights for carnivals.. IIRC, those things had a compression ratio of like 5.5 to one. yet it was only a little over 400 CI.

Very nice looking car.

beautiful car, first ever of American land yachts , as in early 50s Buick and 70 s almost everything.

norm.

I think that the V16 in 1938 was a newer version of the Cad V16 that had an L head (valve in) as compared with the earlier overhead valve V16. Since the displacement was not all that large for the number of cylinders, and they apparently were not reaching for big horsepower, the quest probably was torque distribution and excellent balance to give quiet smooth performance. I remember seeing a number of old Cad V16s as a kid on the East coast - some with two carburetors - but never got into one.

That is cool

Here's some more information, and..........one that's for sale.
https://silodrome.com/cadillac-sixteen-v16/

Ending in 4hrs on Bringatrailer if you want in on it!

V16 Cadillac Convertible

Jay Leno's garage has a piece on one in his collection. Two carbs and NO gas mileage but tractor like torque and smooth pulling power.

I worked for a Company that built displays for General Motors they wanted a Cadillac V-16 for a display in the early 90's....they asked in July and we needed the engine completed for the Detroit Auto Show in January....I looked asked and had 100's of people looking any where and every where to find one....in November I found one in Mexico got it back to Detroit and did a complete restoration on it in time for the Auto Show....
The engine is still being used by GM for Displays....

Cool!!

That sounds like a fun project - glad you go to do it. Was it the earlier OHV design or the later L head? Where did you find any needed parts/components?

Nice catch, that's pretty cool. Small world

Pretty cool.

That's what a luxury car is supposed to look like.

Auction has ended. $190K did not meet reserve. What a beautiful (expensive) car.

No wonder Higgs doesn't want to pop the hood.

Yeah, you don't touch a car in Dads shop. Even asking him to open the hood is crossing the line a bit.

Well, I was wrong. These are the seats out of a Chrysler Airflow Limo.

Also, the seats in this Caddy are wool.

Damn moths!

Stopped in to see how Dad was coming along on this Caddy today. Looks like it's all ready to go.