The phaeton is undoubtedly one of the most dashing body styles of the Classic Era, and Cadillac’s V-16 Sport Phaeton, style 4260, is among the finest examples of the genre. While typical “dual cowl” phaetons included a separate cowl and windscreen for rear-seat passengers, the Sport Phaeton featured a windshield mounted directly behind the front seat that raised and lowered via hand crank. The result was an uncluttered body of grand but elegant proportions—one that looked spectacular with the top up or down. Only 85 Sport Phaetons were built for the V-16 chassis in 1930 and 1931 combined.

THE “EUROPEAN TOUR” SPORT PHAETON

Cadillac V-16 number 701554 was mounted with Sport Phaeton body number 2, obviously one of the earliest produced. It was one of five consecutively produced V-16 models, each in a different body style, that were shipped in June 1930 to Copenhagen, Denmark, for a promotional tour that took the cars through nine different European countries. Following the European tour, the car was sold to a Mrs. Fritz von Opel. Later it was rebodied by the prominent French coachbuilder Saoutchik as a convertible sedan. This was not an uncommon scenario, as Cadillac was famously reticent to deliver V-16s as bare chassis, and the few custom bodies known to have been produced were often based on cars first delivered with Fleetwood’s coachwork.

Following several further European caretakers, the car was acquired in the mid-1980s by Fred Weber of St. Louis, at the time the most prolific collector of V-16 Cadillacs. Mr. Weber discovered that the Saoutchik body had retained the original Fleetwood firewall and major portions of the cowl, including the original instrument panel. Significantly, the cowl still bore the original body tag, with style number 4260 and body number 2, indicating this was indeed the “European Tour” Sport Phaeton. Thus, the Webers decided to return the car to its 1930 configuration, commissioning enthusiast and restorer Wayne Merriman to meticulously recreate the Sport Phaeton body around the original firewall and cowl.

The restoration was completed in the early 1990s in the care of a new owner, longtime V-16 specialist Steve Nannini of Arizona, with the body finished in a striking two-tone gray-green, accentuated by green leather upholstery, a tan cloth top, and painted wire wheels with polished spokes, as well as many period accessories. It was later sold to Dr. Joseph Murphy of New Hope, Pennsylvania, joining his small, carefully chosen collection of outstanding Full Classics, as recorded in the book In Search of Excellence by Dennis Adler.

Dr. Murphy eventually passed the car to another noted V-16 Cadillac collector, John Groendyke of Oklahoma, from whom the current owner’s late father acquired it some years ago. Well-kept by the family, it continued to be shown occasionally, most often in Classic Car Club of America competition, where it was accepted as a Full Classic and eventually achieved Premier status. Today it remains in very attractive condition, showing only minor signs of age and wear, and clearly displaying the excellent craftsmanship and quality of its long-lived restoration.

An exceptional and well-loved Sport Phaeton with perhaps the most fascinating known history of any survivor, this car beckons a new owner to welcome it into their fleet.