Cadillac’s Fabulous 1930 V16 Dual Cowl Sports Phaeton
In the wild and wooly 1920s, custom-bodied cars were all the rage among movie stars, captains of industry and yes, even among gangsters. Having a flashy, expensive car was a way for owners to flaunt their status to the rest of society. During this period, the competition in luxury cars was fierce among the leading manufacturers including Duesenberg, Stuz, Packard, Marmon and Pierce-Arrow. Unfortunately, the one-time leader in luxury cars, Cadillac, lagged behind, outpaced by their rivals.
Realizing the need to create something very special in order to catapult them back into the lead as an innovator and top luxury brand, Cadillac embarked on a secret project in the late 1920s. Cadillac’s Chief Engineer, Ernest Seaholm, was tasked with the job of designing a revolutionary new engine to help the marque regain its position as an industry leader. Working in absolute secrecy so as not to tip off the competition, Seaholm and his team worked on the new design with two key guidelines, the engine had to be vibration-free and very quiet, two desirable characteristics demanded by buyers of luxury cars.
With a clean sheet of paper the team designed the engine with a 45-degree cylinder bank angle with overhead valves chosen to keep the unit narrow, with easy access to all the components. In addition, the engine was “styled” with polished aluminum and porcelain, including a pair of polished valve covers.
This revolutionary V16 engine was introduced at the 1930 New York Auto Show where it stunned the automotive market. Until then, only Bugatti had produced a 16-cylinder engine, created by bolting two eight-cylinder engines together. With one brilliant stroke of engineering, Cadillac reclaimed the top of the luxury car market.
The timing of the V16’s introduction was unfortunate for as outstanding as it was, the economy in the United States was at a low point due to the Depression. As a result, the high price of these luxury Cadillacs ($5,300 – $9,500), combined with the poor economy made them very difficult to sell. Production of the V16 only lasted 10 years, 1930-1940, and totaled a little over 4,300 cars. Of the various V16 models built, only 85 were Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton’s (1930–’31) making this model very rare indeed.
Needless to say, Cadillac V16s are highly sought after in the collector car market and some models like the Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton are so prized, they rarely are available for sale. However, one Northern California car collector was lucky enough not only to find one but was also able to acquire it for his collection.
Steve Marini
San Francisco Bay Area resident Steve Marini recalls his first car purchase at 14-years old, “I bought a 1957 Ford Ranchero cheap, did some work on the car then sold it for a profit.” This was the beginning of his life-long association with cars that continues today. As early as he can remember, Marini was fascinated with anything mechanical, disassembling and reassembling whatever device he could get his hands on. This mechanical knowledge base would serve him well throughout the years as a hobby turned into a business and into a car collection. Marini has bought and sold thousands of cars by his account, over the past 40 years, and he still enjoys the search for the next car for his collection. Among his various businesses, he has been involved in auto classified newspapers and publishing and for the last 22 years, has owned GM Sports, a General Motors car salvage yard and restoration business.
Having already owned several Packards and Cadillacs, Marini was looking for the latest addition to his collection, something special, a “Full Classic” as he describes it. Since not many Cadillac V16s were made, they don’t pop up on the market that often, yet Marini remembered seeing an ad for one. He recalls, “I went back to the website where the V16 was advertised but it was no longer listed, so I thought it must have been sold.” A few weeks later he was going through his desk and found a printout of the ad he had initially seen with the seller’s phone number. He called and spoke with the owner who had decided not to sell the car. Marini told the owner to keep his phone number if he changed his mind.
Several months went by and Marini called the owner again and asked if he could just see the car and went on to explain his long-time affection for the V16 models. Marini adds, “the owner declined once again, but I told him how serious I was about buying the car, if and when it would be for sale.” Then, about three months later, the owner called to say he was considering selling the car. Marini asked if he could come look at the car and the owner reluctantly agreed.
Upon catching sight of the car for the first time, he knew he wanted to own it. As the conversation about the car progressed, the owner told Marini the story behind this V16. It had been the owner’s father’s car, his pride and joy, which he had fully restored. The father had been a Cadillac parts dealer on the East Coast and had acquired two V16 Sport Phaetons and one V16 sedan. He took the best parts from each and merged them into the Sport Phaeton, which was the car he was now viewing. The owner told Marini that he had inherited it from his parents after they passed away. Marini thanked the owner for letting him see the car and once again expressed his interest in owning it.
A False Start
Six to seven months had now passed since Marini first made contact with the V16’s owner, but his patience was about to pay off…or so he thought at the time. He received a phone call from the car’s owner about one month after their last visit. The owner said he was ready to sell, so they made a date to meet. Over a cappuccino at the owner’s home, they talked about a selling price, but after some back and forth, they could not come to an agreement.
A few weeks go by and Marini decided to call the owner to see where things stood and after a short conversation, nothing was decided. A few more months go by and the owner called Marini, they agreed on a price and made arrangements to pick the car up. Arriving at the owner’s home with a check in hand, the owner said he just couldn’t sell the car. Another false start, but getting closer to actually acquiring the car.
More time goes by and Marini receives another call from the owner who says he is finally ready to sell the car. Once again they arranged to meet the following day, hand over the check and pick up the car. Everything went smoothly and the V16 finally had a new owner. After almost 18 months of phone calls, visits and false starts, Marini had his “Full Classic” safely parked in his garage at home…mission accomplished.
Marini spent the next three months fixing mechanical issues, cleaning and polishing everything that needed attention until he was satisfied with its performance and appearance. He showed the car first at the Blackhawk Auto Museum’s “Cars and Coffee” event, then in June, he displayed the car at the inaugural Alameda Point Concours, where he was approached by a representative of the Carmel Mission Classic and asked to enter his car in the event. Marini did so and was awarded Best in Show.
The Car
If you were to conjure up a mental image of the quintessential 1930s luxury car, befitting of a wealthy individual, you would look no further than this Cadillac Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton. It is an amazing example of engineering excellence combined with no-expenses-spared luxury features. Seeing the car for the first time in person, a viewer is struck by its overall size and all that chrome up front! A closer look reveals a plethora of expensive features and outstanding craftsmanship that make this series of cars so elegant and desirable. Besides the large main headlights, other features include dual “Pilot Ray” pivoting driving lights; dual side-mounted spare tires; sumptuous, full leather interior; chrome wire wheels; wind wings; chrome radiator stone guard; passenger seat dash with speedometer and clock; distinctive cloisonné V16 badges; rear-mounted trunk with a canvas cover matching the convertible top; and, to top it all off, the iconic Cadillac Goddess hood ornament.
The magnificent V16’s engine is an impressive piece of engineering and design with a single carburetor and fuel system for each bank of eight cylinders; hidden wiring; engine-turned firewall; chromed accessories; mechanically operated cooling louvers on the sides of the hood and thermostatically controlled louvers on the radiator.
As a final bit of interest, the license plate on the car simply reads “V16.” After acquiring the car, Marini went online to see if he could obtain personalized plates. He was shocked to find no one had applied for a “V16” plate so he snapped it up immediately. Further evidence to show just how rare these cars are.
Driving a V16
Marini often takes the car on short trips to his hometown for a meal, but has also taken the Cadillac on longer trips on the freeway. While the car weights in at approximately 6,000 pounds and is 18 and a half feet long, it is relatively easy to drive. Marini explains, “the engine develops almost 320-foot-pounds of torque so all you need to do is put it in gear, let out the clutch and off you go. Its like a locomotive and climbs hills with ease.” On one freeway trip, the car easily accelerated to 65 miles an hour and was still pulling when Marini decided to slow down due to the wind buffeting the canvas convertible top.
Taking the Cadillac for a spin is not quite the same as pulling your average family sedan out of the driveway for a trip to the local supermarket. Not many people pay attention to the family car of today, but this is certainly not the case with the stunning, classic Sport Phaeton. Marini’s 17-year-old son was perplexed why his dad didn’t own a modern sports car, like a Ferrari or McLaren instead of an 80-year-old classic. Marini replied, “One, I don’t fit in them and two, they don’t appeal to me. I buy what I like.” His son changed his feelings about the Cadillac after a trip to the local coffee shop in the car when all the teenaged girls they passed were yelling and waving to him as they drove by.
As you can imagine, wherever Marini takes the car, it draws a wave or a thumbs up from a passing motorist, or a crowd gathers to admire its grand appearance and make the usual inquiries, “What is it? What year was it built? How big is the engine? Why are the back seats separate from the front seats?” This is not the type of car anyone can just walk by without stopping to have a look.
Its stunning looks and size, the impressive interior and all that chrome come together to make this car a wonderful example of an era gone by, one that is not likely to be seen again.
