1913 Cadillac Model 30 Touring Five-Passenger Phaeton

• Chassis No: 76511
• ENGINE: 365.8 cu. in. L-head Vertical Inline Four-Cylinder
• CARBURETOR: Float-Feed
• TRANSMISSION: Three-Speed Selective Sliding Gear
• SUSPENSION: Solid Front Axle with Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs; Full Flating Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs
• BHP: 40/50 Rear-Wheel Mechanical
• WHEELBASE: 120 in.
• DOCUMENTATION: Missouri Title

“On the eve of WWI, Cadillac was a serious player in the high-end market dominated by Packard, Peerless, and Pierce-Arrow, with handsome styling and advanced engineering, including the revolutionary ‘electric self-start’ launched in 1912 and electrically operated lights, courtesy of the innovative Delco electrical system. In 1913, Cadillac sales reached a new record with 15,018 cars delivered, and like the rest of the Cadillac model line, this Model 30 Five-Passenger Phaeton was promoted as the ‘Standard of the World,’ with the launch of that famous and enduring advertising campaign in the fall of 1912.

The entire 1913 Cadillac model line benefited from more graceful, sweeping bodylines, thanks in part to a lengthened 120-inch wheelbase. Gone were the last remnants of the carriage era, replaced by bodies with a full cowl, flowing fenders, and fully enclosed driver controls. Power was provided by Cadillac’s robust vertical, inline L-head 365.8-cubic-inch four-cylinder engine, and advancements for 1913 included a longer stroke, a chain-driven camshaft, enclosed valve stems, and a simpler, more compact starter and generator.

This fully restored Five-Passenger Phaeton earned Best in Class and Best of Show awards at the New Eng­land Region Cadillac-LaSalle show, held in Ports­mouth, Rhode Island, in 2008. It was also shown at Amelia Island in 2009 and … at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan … It features a very nice blue finish with black fenders and a black radiator shell, a beautifully fitted black folding top, nickel-plated brass components, rear-mounted spare tires, and artillery wheels with whitewall tires, as well as button-tufted black leather upholstery. The engine, with its copper water jackets, is particularly striking. Offered in show and tour-ready condition, this 1913 Cadillac is a wonderful example of refined Brass Era luxury and engineering.” —RM Sotheby’s

No expense was spared in this professional, body-off, show-quality restoration. It sports a 365-cubic-inch L-head vertical inline four-cylinder engine with a float-feed carburetor, and the oil pump is tagged “Type AG Manzel Brothers Co. of Buffalo, NY.” The transmission is a three-speed manual sliding gear. The brake horsepower reaches between 40 and 50 with rear-wheel mechanical brakes, a solid front axle, and a full-floating rear axle, both with semi-elliptic leaf springs. The wheelbase is 120 in., and the wheels have been carefully pinstriped. The radiator temperature can be gauged from a Cadillac-branded Boyce Moto­Meter on the hood. To complete the advanced engineering, the dashboard sports a Polesco Keyless Eight-Day Clock, Warner Instrument Com­pany Auto-Meter Speed­ometer and Trip Keeper, Hans Gasoline Gauge, and a Delco Oil Gauge.

CADILLAC

In 1902, Henry Ford left the Henry Ford Com­pany with several of his key partners. With Henry M. Leland of Leland & Faulconer Manu­fact­uring Com­pany, they began manu­fact­uring automobiles with Leland’s single-cylinder engine. They named this venture Cadillac Automobile Com­pany after the French explorer who founded Detroit in 1701, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, and based the logo on his coat of arms. This made Cadillac among the first automotive brands in the world, and they immediately began producing 10 HP horseless carriages called Runabouts and Tonneaus that were almost identical to the Ford Model A. Because of their precision manu­fact­uring and reliability, Cadillac quickly accumulated orders and in 1905, merged with Leland to form the Cadillac Motor Com­pany. By 1906, they were the first volume manu­facturer of a fully enclosed car and gained international notice as the awards for interchangeability and reliability began to pile up.

It’s no wonder that General Motors took notice of America’s premier luxury car maker and pur­chased it in 1909. Together, they founded the mass production of automobiles and many innovations, including the first full electrical systems, Synchro-Mesh manual transmission, the first mass-produced auto­matic transmission, steel roofs, dual-plane crankshafts, and shatter-resistant glass. Of the three engines they developed, the V8 set the standard. They would go on to make more than large luxury vehicles, producing limousines, military vehicles, ambulances, and even hearses. In the midst of the Great Depression, they introduced the iconic V-16 engine, and sales bounced back and then some by 1940.

To this day, Cadillac automobiles, a pinnacle of GM’s 2.7 million vehicles sold in 2024, remain a global brand of luxury.

Please refer to our Projects page to see photos of this restoration.

This car won "Best of Show" and took 1st place in its class at the New England Cadillac LaSalle show held on June 15, 2008. See awards.