1932 Cadillac V16 452B V16

1932 Cadillac V16 452B Fleetwood Limousine Description

- Chassis/Body # 32-16-213
- Engine # 1400071
- GM's Montreal Show Stand Car
- Excellent Older Restoration Featuring An Untouched Original Interior
- Offered In Original Colors Per Build Sheet
- A Capable & Important Event Eligible Automobile For The Serious Collector
The example on offer here, Chassis/Engine #1400071 is a 1932 Cadillac V16 Fleetwood Imperial series 452B. The engine number indicates that it was the 70th V16 Cadillac built for the 1932 model year. The exterior of the car was refinished in 2000 in the correct Aiken Green, Kalida Green trim, and color matched painted disc wheel covers which is the same as when it left the Fleetwood body factory in 1932. The car retains an untouched original interior and is finished in Black Leather in the front drivers area and tan (called Wiese on the build sheet) suede cloth in the rear limousine portion. The original engine, transmission, and drivetrain are all still in place and the car and the stampings located on them match with the provided build sheet. To see a list of significant parts and their correct stampings, please see the “view documents” button above. The history behind this car is very unique in that it was originally delivered to GM of Canada to be used as their show car for 1932. It was ordered with some very unique options such as white wall tire delete, full wheel discs which were a rarely chosen option, as well as using a lighter color on the chassis and darker color on the body. Most of these options were fitted in order to provide the car with a more European look, in hopes of swaying Canadian buyers to the American brand. On the included build sheet it shows that this car was shipped on January 10, 1932 to Montreal Auto Show where it was first displayed. The car was equipped with special hooks in the interior to be able to show off different interior fabric samples as it travelled to different auto shows in Canada. Given the original nature of the interior the hooks are still in place and the fabric samples are included in the sale. The history after 1932 is a bit unknown but the car remained in Canada until around the year 2000 when the current owner, a partner in the Canton Classic Car Museum acquired the car. Upon acquisition, the car was in an entirely original state but it was determined that the paint on the exterior was too far gone so a full exterior cosmetic restoration was undertaken. The car was expertly repainted in the proper colors, some of the chrome was replated, and new tires were put on, among many other things, but the interior was left in excellent original condition. Some minor mechanical work was done but nothing major was needed as the car was in good running order upon acquisition. After its thorough exterior cosmetic restoration, the car was put on display at the Canton Classic Car Museum where it was enjoyed by guests until the owner decided to find a new home for it earlier this year. As it sits now, the car has no obvious needs. The interior retains its excellent original condition, the professionally completed exterior restoration is still in excellent condition, and the car runs and drives exactly as it should. Given the interesting history of this car it would make for a wonderful addition to any collection focusing on important American built cars. This 1932 Cadillac V16 Fleetwood Limousine represents a very unique opportunity to enter the collecting world of V16 Cadillacs at much more reachable price point than many of its counterparts. Included with the sale of this vehicle are a copy of the original build sheet and the original interior fabric samples.
EXTERIOR
Body And Paint
This car had a thorough exterior cosmetic restoration performed when the current owner purchased the car in 2000. The work was performed to a high quality and the exterior of the car still remains in very nice condition. The paint has excellent color and a smooth and consistent finish throughout the entirety of the vehicle. Striping and detail work is clean and straight. The body itself is very straight with no signs of any issues or improper fixes. Body panel gaps and fitment are all straight and within tolerance which stands as a testament to the clean and original nature of the car when it was purchased by the current owner. Minor imperfections can be found upon inspection in the form of minor scratches and paint flaws.
Glass And Trim
The glass on V16’s cabin is all in good condition with very minimal scratching. The headlight lenses are clean and clear and the lights work as they should. The chrome throughout the car is in good condition, with nice shine and appearance but displaying signs of age and originality in many places such as soft scratching and minor pitting. It does appear that the radiator shroud and possibly the bumpers were re-chromed during the cosmetic restoration of the exterior as the condition is certainly a bit better than most of the other chrome on the car.
Wheels
The painted disc wheels on this car are a somewhat rare option as most owners opted for wire wheels. The paint remains in great condition with the exception of a few minor chips here and there. The center chrome spin off caps do appear to be original and as such show some patina but retain good shine and color.
INTERIOR
Seats And Surfaces
The interior of the car remains in original and as delivered condition. Due to its original nature it does display some patina and imperfections. The front drivers area is trimmed in Black Leather and the seats do show some minor cracking and wear around the bolster area as well as one significantly sized separation on passenger side seat. The wooden trim around the doors and the dash remains in excellent condition with rich color and a beautiful grain pattern to it. The leather trimmed door cards also show a bit of patina and there are a few splits in high wear areas on the driver side. The black painted dash retains nice color and smooth finish. The black leather floor mats in the front compartment show a bit of wear in high traffic areas but are beautiful original condition. Moving to the rear passenger compartment, the interior is again in very nicely preserved original condition. There is some staining, small imperfections, and moth damage in the light colored suede finish and carpets but everything is perfectly inline with the excellent original condition. There is some significant separation where the cloth meets the body of the car right on inside of the passenger side rear door. The wood trim throughout the rear of the cabin remains in great condition with a rich and smooth finish to it. The headliner throughout the car does display some staining. Perhaps the most unique portion of this car are the metal hooks which were originally installed in order to display the various cloth finishing options available on this car when new. This hook system still remains in place and the complementing fabric samples are included with the car.
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