“Pebble Beach of the North” is how the Concours d’Elegance at Cobble Beach on the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron, northwest of Toronto is described. It is well-known for its outstanding offerings of the finest historic cars of speed, sport and elegance. Cars with important provenance and owned by the rich and famous were the main theme of the 2013 event and the beautiful Series 37-90, Fleetwood-bodied, 154-inch wheelbase Cadillac being offered was the Class 4 (American Closed Classics 1925-1948) second prize-winning automobile.

The 1937 Cadillac V-16 Custom Imperial Cabriolet was ordered new by MGM Studios’ GM and Head of Publicity, Edgar “Eddie” Mannix. Mr. Mannix was known in Hollywood as the “fixer,” and had a reputation as someone who could take care of any potentially awkward, litigious or criminal activity that might embarrass the studio caused by recalcitrant employees or major stars during the golden age of the 1920s through the 1940s. With a complex web of contacts in every area, from reporters to doctors to corrupt police and district attorneys, Mannix covered up some of the most notorious crimes and scandals in Hollywood history, keeping stars out of jail and more importantly, their names out of the papers. Problems as diverse as the murder of Paul Bern (husband of MGMs biggest star, Jean Harlow), the studio-directed management of drug addictions of Judy Garland, the murder of The Three Stooges creator Ted Healy at the hands of Wallace Beery, and the arranging for an unmarried Loretta Young to adopt her own child; a child fathered by a married Clark Gable were handled by Eddie Mannix.

Mannix’ life has been the subject of a book; The Fixers” by E.J. Fleming and a motion picture, Hollywoodland, starring Ben Affleck and Diane Lane. It is suggested that the Coen brothers are working on an upcoming film that will star George Clooney as Eddie Mannix titled Hail, Caesar!

In December 1929, weeks after the advent of the Great Depression, Cadillac President Lawrence P. Fisher announced that Cadillac would build the ultimate luxury car, and introduced it to the world in 1930 as the V-16. It was to be the first car with underhood design considerations. Styled by Owen Nacker, the polished black enamel contrasting with brushed aluminum accents on the valve covers, pleated fuel lines, a false firewall to conceal necessary wiring and plumbing from view, and ignition wiring hidden under covers accented by colorful cloisonné knobs. Cadillac produced V-16’s from 1930 to 1939, albeit in very small numbers.

This 1937 Cadillac V-16 has a superbly balanced 45-degree, 452 cubic inch, overhead valve, 195 horsepower engine, three-speed synchromesh manual transmission, four-wheel power-assisted brakes and rides on a 154-inch wheelbase; the longest wheelbase for any American production car, eclipsing Duesenberg’s longest wheelbase by half an inch.

This car is one of 50 Cadillac V-16’s made in 1937, and one of only two Custom Imperial Cabriolets. The other was custom built for Joseph P. Kennedy, and used in London during his tenure as United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1937 through 1940.

The Mannix car was used as an MGM studio car for many of the days’ stars, including Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh while filming Gone with the Wind. Reportedly, Gable, a car enthusiast, preferred driving the car to being chauffeured in it. It features a blind rear quarter and rear privacy shade, padded leather roof, roll-up divider window, rear clock and jump-seats, heaters, intercom and rear seat radio. Further, it is the only known V-16 Cadillac to have warranted a Sterling Silver Goddess mascot. While the car retains most of its original interior, it benefits from a fresh bare metal repaint and re-chroming by RM Auto Restoration in 2012. Shown once since, this exceptional V-16 received the Best in Class and Most Elegant Closed Car awards at the 2012 Ault Park Concours in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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