Cadillac Fleetwood V–16

Aero-Dynamic Coupe

ixteen cylinders! The thought of such an engine is audacious

even today, and was just as much so in 1930 when Cadillac

introduced its V-16 to the world. It seems odd that the

existence of the massive 7.4-liter engine, produced from

1930 through 1940, coincided with the Great Depression,

but such was the strength of the Cadillac brand back when

it dubbed itself “the Standard of the World.” The Cadillac V-16

was the first such engine offered for passenger car use. This

engine featured overhead valves with hydraulic lash adjusters

and twin carburetors. It delivered 160 horsepower and even

more torque.

The Cadillac Fleetwood V-16 Aero-Dynamic Coupe (back

then Fleetwood was a coachbuilder for Cadillac, not simply

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