1933 Cadillac Fleetwood V–16 Aero Dynamic Coupe
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 a model name) was the first Cadillac show car. It was created under the direction of GM design legend Harley Earl for the 1933 Chicago Century of Progress Exposition, where it graced the General Motors exhibit.
The car’s 154-inch wheelbase, the longest ever used on a Cadillac production car, made it quite big, especially for a coupe.
While it certainly doesn’t look particularly slippery by today’s standards, the Aero-Dynamic did introduce the fastback styling that would become commonplace in the 1940s. The coupe’s designers also relocated the spare tire inside the trunk - unusual in an era when spare tires were typically mounted outside vehicle bodies.
Other unique aesthetic touches are the twin fishtail-style exhaust outlets located below the rear bumper, which were shaped to enhance the V-16’s exhaust sound.
The V-16 engine itself was made to be visually appealing, with hidden wires and plated fuel lines dressing up the massive lump; a firewall concealed wiring and plumbing. Writers of the time indicated that the car could idle along at 2 mph while in top gear and then, with a tip of the throttle, quietly thrust away to high speeds because of the flexibility of this remarkable engine.
After the World’s Fair the Aero-Dynamic was offered for sale. Of 20 bodies built only 8 were known to have been equipped with the V-16 through 1937, making this car very rare indeed.
Cadillac Fleetwood V–16 Aero-Dynamic Coupe Specifications
Engine : 45-degree V-16
Transmission : Three-speed manual selective synchromesh
Engine weight : 900 lbs/408 kg
Weight : 6,000 lbs/2,721 kg
Interior : Five-passenger