Lot 256

Hershey 2011

1914 Cadillac Four-Passenger Phaeton

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$100,000 - $120,000 USD | Not Sold

United States | Hershey, Pennsylvania

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40-50 bhp, 366 cu. in. inline four-cylinder engine, three-speed manual transmission, solid front axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, full-floating two-speed rear axle, and two-wheel mechanical brakes. Wheelbase: 120"

- A 2009 body-off restoration following 30 years of museum display

- Two-speed rear axle

By 1913, slightly more than one decade after the first Cadillac was produced, Henry Leland’s company, which he founded after working for both Henry Ford and R.E. Olds, had already established itself as a builder of quality automobiles. At England’s Brooklands track in 1908, three of his Model Ks were dismantled and painstakingly reassembled after their parts were scrambled into one large pile, thereby proving the superiority of their interchangeable parts, and in so doing, Cadillac was the first American manufacturer to be awarded the prestigious Dewar Trophy.

Commercial success ensued and by 1911 Cadillac was pre-selling all seven of its models. Although 1911 was the third and final year for the Model 30, the 1912- through 1914-model Cadillacs were very similar to their predecessor, with the notable exception that the 1912 models marked the first year of the electric self-starter, ignition and lighting system. It was these cars that put an end to the hand crank, making Cadillac the manufacturer that did more than any other to establish the gasoline-powered internal combustion engine as the ideal powerplant for the automobile.

With its close-coupled open body, brass accessories and handsome presentation, this very fine example from 1914 was displayed in a museum for some 30 years in original condition, prior to receiving a complete body-off restoration in 2009. It features a hinged steering wheel and a two-speed rear axle, and period accents include wind wings, cowl lights and a rear-mounted spare tire. The original owners manual is included as well as a new set of brass cylinder jackets. Impressively finished and detailed throughout, this 1914 Cadillac is a wonderful Brass Era automobile from the pivotal prewar years when Cadillac firmly established its engineering leadership and truly earned the moniker “Standard of the World.”