Although Cadillac had been building four-cylinder cars since 1905, the single-cylinder line was not abandoned until 1909. That year the four-cylinder car was made the sole offering and given a new nomenclature, Model 30, for its horsepower rating. A refinement of the 1907-08 Model G, it had a longer wheelbase but was offered only in open body styles. Selling for about two-thirds the price of the G, the new 30 sold nearly six times as many cars as all 1908 Cadillacs combined.

Three body styles were offered: a Roadster, a Tourer and a Demi-Tonneau. The latter had a detachable tonneau and could be converted to a runabout. The Roadster and Demi-Tonneau had a sweeping cowl that presaged “torpedo” styling. When a windshield was ordered, it was affixed to a wood dashboard fitted over the cowl. In 1910, closed bodies, a Coupe and a Limousine, returned to the Cadillac line. By the time the Model 30 was replaced by the Type 51 V-8 in September 1914, nearly 67,000 had been built.

The factory build record for this Cadillac, a copy of which is on file, shows that it left the factory on 28 April 1911, bound for Boston, Massachusetts. It was apparently diverted from an earlier order, apparently canceled, from the Cadillac Company of Illinois in Chicago. The body color was blue, set off with cream wheels.

For more than two decades, this car was owned by Joseph and Helena Murchio, who operated the Murchio Antique Auto Museum in Greenwood Lake, New Jersey. During this period it is said to have appeared in the 1955 Columbia Pictures film The Long Gray Line, starring Tyrone Power and Maureen O’Hara. Sold from the Museum in 1970, it has had three subsequent owners and rolled up an extensive touring history. A regular fixture on Horseless Carriage Club “Brass is Beautiful” tours, it has been equipped for the road with electric starter, directional signals, halogen headlights, a new leather clutch and all-new whitewall tires. The carburetor has been replaced by a modern item, but the original is included with the car.

Cadillac four-cylinder engines are distinctive, with individually cast cylinders encased in copper water jackets. This car’s engine compartment gleams when the hood is opened. The entire car presents extremely well, with dark blue body and cream wheels as ordered, and fenders striped in light blue and gray. The black buttoned leather upholstery is in excellent condition.

An ideal candidate for show, tour, or simple enjoyment, this Model 30 Cadillac Demi-Tonneau is ready to please a new owner.