Cadillac V-16s Lost and Found
Tracing the Histories of the 1930s Classics
$39.95
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About the Book
For eleven years prior to World War II, Cadillac defied the norms of practicality and produced an extravagant supercar, a 16-cylinder luxury automobile that could be tailored to the customer’s every want. Big, thirsty and lavish, it cemented Cadillac’s place in the top tier of motoring magnificence. Each of the cars has its own colorful and fascinating story to tell. Driven by a life-long love of the V-16 and an interest in the history of his own car, the author has assembled more than 65 of these tales, gleaned from interviews, books, periodicals and documents, into a liberally illustrated book. Each story is shaped by the people a particular car touched, and the events they lived through together. All are an important part of our automotive and cultural history.
About the Author(s)
Bibliographic Details
Christopher W. Cummings
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 284
Bibliographic Info: 224 photos (22 in color), notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2014
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7570-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1239-3
Imprint: McFarland
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
1. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi 3
2. Kiwi Cadillac 3
3. A Ghost Appears Briefly 8
4. Ferdinand, the Gentle Bull 13
5. A Veteran Driver 21
6. Frozen in Time 26
7. Bound for Spain 28
8. Message in a Bottle 33
9. Destination Czech Republic 34
10. A Somewhat Shopworn Showgirl 37
11. A Surviving Twin 40
12. From Parts Car to Show Car 45
13. A Hybrid of a Different Sort 48
14. Dealer Demo Special? 53
15. A Tattered Town Car 59
16. A Very Clever Car 63
17. A West Coast Classic 67
18. The Head Chef’s Coach 70
19. California Dreamin’ 73
20. David Holtzman’s Car 78
21. A North Country Convertible 82
22. Brought Back from the Dead 86
23. Photographer’s Model 89
24. Raising Cane 90
25. Mysterious House Guest 96
26. The Banker and the Countess 101
27. Lone Star Legacy 106
28. Two for the Road 107
29. Old Red 111
Between pages 116 and 117 are 12 color plates containing 22 images
30. Paul’s Phaeton 117
31. Senator Glass’s Limousine 122
32. Bull 124
33. Mogul Mobiles 127
34. A Million-Dollar Cadillac 130
35. Rollston Convertible Coupe 133
36. Chariots for the Princes 137
37. The Baker’s Dozen 138
38. Charm City Convertible 142
39. A Coachbuilt Cadillac with a French Touch 145
40. Styled in Sweden 148
41. Restoration Interrupted 151
42. In the Land of the Rising Sun 155
43. Demolition Derby Veteran 158
44. A Latter-Day Hardtop Sedan 161
45. One-of-a-Kind Touring Car 165
46. We Just Take Care of Them 168
47. Dry Lakes Record Holder 174
48. Hot Rod Cadillac 180
49. The Carash Custom Roadster 184
50. A Chrysler Lion with the Heart of a Cadillac 190
51. A Visit with Cadillac Jim 194
52. Presidential Provenance 198
53. Old Money 203
54. A DuPont Convertible 206
55. Grace 210
56. Helen 214
57. A Very Long Sedan 219
58. Opposition Research 222
59. Let’s Make a Deal 227
60. Shiny, Streamlined and Sleek 230
61. 1938 Town Sedan 233
62. 1939 Limousine 237
63. And Power Everything 240
64. Dr. Brinkley’s Coupe 244
65. An Air Conditioned V-16 Limousine 247
66. The Last V-16 248
Epilogue 253
Chapter Notes 255
Bibliography 257
Index 259
Book Reviews & Awards
• “The future caretakers of these cars are fortunate that Christopher Cummings turned a labor of love into a very readable history of these magnificent Classics”—Antique Automobile
• “Intriguing reading that will entertain the student of Cadillacs and Classic cars, as well as anyone who just loves a good story about man and machine. Cummings’ entertaining writing ensures all will devour each word and each image”—Old Cars Weekly
• “There is much to be learned and enjoyed in this book”—Classiccars.com
• “Read Christopher Cummings’ two books for enjoyment. Then keep them to consult again due to the depth and breadth of information they contain”—SAH Journal
• “An entertaining read”—The Bulletin
• “Excellent reading and so packed with information you’ll find yourself returning to these pages to read again”—Speedreaders.info
