THE
CUSTOM BODY ERA CIRCA 1900 - 1940 |
| During
the heydey of car building from the mid 1920s to 1940 you could order
your high-end car, e.g. Packard, Cadillac, Lincoln, Duesenberg, Peerless,
Imperial Etc. (etc) If you didn’t like any of the body styles
offered by the manufacturer, you could order a custom body installed
from the windshield back. There were so many body makers to choose
from. Lebaron, Brunn, Dietrich, Coachcraft, Walker-Lagrand, Murphy,
Willoughby, Hollander & Morriel, Judkins, Meteor, to name just
a few. Fisher and Fleetwood put bodies on numerous non GM cars like,
Peerless, Rolls, Ford etc.. To identify a car properly in this time
you had to give a whole list of info, e.g. 1930 Cadillac model 4375S
series 452 coachwork by Fleetwood. |
| In
1927 Cadillac offered 50 bodies and 500 colour combinations just with
Fleetwood and Fisher alone. In 1930 Lasalle offered 7 Fisher bodies
& 6 semi custom Fleetwoods totaling 13 bodies, 1930 Cadillac –
7 Fisher, 14 semi custom Fleetwood & 14 Fleetwood special custom
line – totaling 35 bodies. That’s 48 GM body styles for
Cadillac alone. |
| Slightly
different from today’s automotive choices! A rare example of
a Cadillac without a Fisher or Fleetwood body is the 38 red Brunn
Cadillac to your right. Cadillac’s front end but from the windshield
back is Brunn Coachwork from Buffalo New York. It was the great Harley
Earl at GM in 1927 who created the annual style changes we experience
today, and also the art and colour division. Prior to this, cars were
black. He created two tone exteriors with matching interiors which
added life to the appearance of cars. |
| |
THE
V16 STORY |
| The
announcement came from GM that the most fabulous Cadillac of all was
coming, the 16 cylinder series 452 starting in 1930. The totally new
ultra luxury car series has been under development for 3 years. The
new V16 would be direct competition for the top line Packard. Unveiled
at the New York & European auto shows, the intro was a smash hit,
the same impact as Cadillac inventing the first V8 in 1915. The motoring
public was blown away with the notion of a 16 cylinder car. Owen Nacker
designed the V16 and V12 engine. It was stylized beautifully with
chrome, gloss enamel, porcelainized exhaust & intake manifolds.
Upper rad hoses were fluted for style, plug wires were hidden under
a valley cover locked down with Cadillac knobs. 452 cu. in, bore 3”
45° cylinder banks. This over head valve engine had hydrolic valve
silencers and could do 80-100 MPH. Only the Duesenberg was faster. |
| The
V16 was a masterpiece of style and technological innovation coupled
with the Cadillac created syncromesh transmission circa 1927. It was
clear this was the highest achievement for Cadillac in the golden
age, however as the depression wore on, it took its toll on auto sales.
Only 4,403 V16s were built in 10 years. Many carmakers and custom
body companies closed their doors in this time. By 1940 all the custom
body companies were gone except GM’s Fisher and Fleetwood. |
V16
Production |
1930 |
2,887 |
1931 |
364 |
1932 |
296 |
1933 |
125 |
1934 |
56 |
1935 |
50 |
1936 |
52 |
1937 |
49 |
1938 |
311 |
1939 |
136 |
1940 |
61 |
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