The mighty 16-cylinder Cadillac requires little introduction to the studied Full Classic enthusiast: its smoothness and power were without parallel, literally, as at the time of its introduction there was no other V-16 on the market, and only Marmon and Peerless would ever attempt to challenge it. It could be had in an utterly dazzling roster of catalogued bodies, including Fleetwood’s style number 4302, the two-passenger roadster. This was the least-costly factory body, and also the lightest—a happy coincidence for those buyers who appreciated its neatly hewn, tightly packaged lines and the speed that it wrung out of the V-16 engine.

About 100 examples were made in 1930 and into 1931, and even in their era they were held in the same esteem among Cadillac devotees that Duesenberg men held the Murphy “disappearing top” convertible—the most desirable body on the greatest chassis.

According to V-16 historian Alan Merkel, the chassis and engine of this car, engine number 702891, were originally mounted with a sedan body and delivered in Minneapolis, as supported by the original build sheet, a copy of which is on file. The chassis and engine were sold around 1958 or 1959 by a Minnesota-based owner to Roy Shelso, a V-16 enthusiast from California. Shelso sold the Cadillac to Don Davidson, who commissioned John Hunt of San Diego to install an original roadster body removed from a V-8 model, necessitating construction of a new cowl.

Later the car was acquired by a European enthusiast and spent some years on display in a West Coast museum, before being purchased by prominent Nevada telecommunications magnate Jim Rogers for his Sunbelt Collection in Las Vegas. The car was the centerpiece of the Sunbelt Collection until 2014, and joined its present owner’s distinguished collection the following year. For a decade it has resided alongside several other fine V-16s. Its restoration is still attractive in its two-tone rich red, with a natural leather interior and khaki cloth top.

Ideal for carefree driving enjoyment on tours, where its performance can truly be savored, or as an eye-catching addition to another Cadillac enthusiast’s stable, this is a beautiful automobile with good history and a fine presentation to recommend it.