1913 Cadillac Model 30

FROM THE DICK SHAPPY COLLECTION: The 1913 Cadillac Model 30 Touring Five-Passenger Phaeton

On the eve of WWI, Cadillac was a serious player in the high-end market dominated by Packard, Peerless, and Pierce-Arrow, with handsome styling and advanced engineering, including the revolutionary electric self-start launched in 1912 and electrically operated lights, courtesy of the innovative Delco electrical system. In 1913, Cadillac sales reached a new record with 15,018 cars delivered, and like the rest of the Cadillac model line, this Model 30 Five-Passenger Phaeton was promoted as the Standard of the World, with the launch of that famous and enduring advertising campaign in the fall of 1912.

The entire 1913 Cadillac model line benefited from more graceful, sweeping bodylines, thanks in part to [a] lengthened 120-inch wheelbase. Gone were the last remnants of the carriage era, replaced by bodies with a full cowl, flowing fenders, and fully enclosed driver controls. Power was provided by Cadillacs robust vertical, inline L-head 365.8-cubic-inch four-cylinder engine, and advancements for 1913 included a longer stroke, a chain-driven camshaft, enclosed valve stems, and a simpler, more compact starter and generator.

This fully restored Five-Passenger Phaeton earned Best in Class and Best of Show awards at the New England Region Cadillac-LaSalle show, held in Portsmouth, Rhode Island in 2008. It was also shown at Amelia Island in 2009 and at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan It features a very nice blue finish with black fenders and a black radiator shell, a beautifully fitted black folding top, nickel-plated brass components, rear-mounted spare tires, and artillery wheels with whitewall tires, as well as button-tufted black leather upholstery. The engine, with its copper water jackets, is particularly striking. Offered in show and tour-ready condition, this 1913 Cadillac is a wonderful example of refined Brass Era luxury and engineering.
-RM Sothebys

No expense was spared in this professional, body-off, show-quality restoration. It sports a 365 cubic-inch L-head vertical inline four-cylinder engine with a float-feed carburetor, and the oil pump is tagged Type AG Manzel Brothers Co. of Buffalo, NY. The transmission is a three-speed manual sliding gear. The brake horsepower reaches between 40 and 50 with rear-wheel mechanical brakes, a solid front axle, and a full-floating rear axle, both with semi-elliptic leaf springs. The wheelbase is 120, and the wheels have been carefully pinstriped. The radiator temperature can be gauged from a Cadillac-branded Boyce MotoMeter on the hood. To complete the advanced engineering, the dashboard sports a Polesco Keyless Eight Day Clock, Warner Instrument Company Auto-Meter Speedometer & Trip Keeper, Hans Gasoline Gauge, and a Delco Oil Gauge.


CHASSIS NO.: 76511

ENGINE: 365.8 cu. in. L-head Vertical Inline Four-Cylinder

CARBURETOR: Float-Feed

TRANSMISSION: Three-Speed Selective Sliding Gear

SUSPENSION: Solid Front Axle with Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs, Full Flating Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs

BHP: 40/50 Rear-Wheel Mechanical

WHEELBASE: 120"

DOCUMENTATION: US Title