William B. Ruger Jr. had a great appreciation for engineering and was deeply interested in how the automobiles of his collection compared with one another in their design. Accordingly, it was natural for the man who had V-8 and V-16 Cadillacs to eventually acquire a V-12, with the intention to road-test it against the company’s other Classic Era models. Thus, this fine 1936 Series 80 model with seductive Fleetwood convertible coupe coachwork became one of the last additions to the Ruger stable.

Build sheets for this car are not available from Cadillac Historical Services, being missing from their files. Mr. Ruger acquired it from William Burton of Encino, California, in whose ownership it had remained since 2005, having acquired it from Bennett Weiss of Pasadena. Extensive receipts are on file for work performed under the Burton ownership, and upon completion it was exhibited at the Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance in 2008. The restoration is high-quality and very well preserved, with a rich Oxblood Maroon metallic finish, tan button-tufted leather upholstery, and a tan cloth top, and remains in fine condition throughout. Desirable accessories include wire wheels with chrome covers and wide whitewall tires, bumper guards, dual side-mounted spares with covers and mirrors, and a Goddess radiator mascot. At the time of cataloguing, the odometer recorded 38,671 miles.

This is a wonderful Cadillac for both touring and displaying, from a treasured home with a great enthusiast.