1931 Cadillac V-16 Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton Model 452A, Style 4260 by Fleetwood
Inventory Number: 3138
$875,000
This 1931 Cadillac has a genuine sport phaeton body, one of 85 built with known history dating back to 1935. Phaetons,
derived from light and open four-wheeled carriages, were open-air automobiles without any fixed weather protection. They
were popular from the 1900s until the 1930s when closed vehicles and convertibles became more widely
available. The Cadillac Sport Phaeton, however, was more than just a means of transportation; it was a status
symbol filled with luxury options. The Sport Phaeton lacked roll-up windows, unlike its counterpart, the All Weather
Phaeton or Convertible Sedan, but the model is a much rarer vehicle.
The car was purchased just after World War II by Colonel George Van Deusen, commanding officer of the Air Force base in Tucson, Arizona, who enjoyed ownership until 1968, when it was sold in 1968 to V-16 car enthusiast Paul Schinner, who dubbed it “a forty-year project” of restoration. The restoration was finally completed in November 2024 with complete new leather upholstery, rugs, top irons, oak bows, and a new fabric top. Many correct parts were located and fitted to the completed project car, which included engine pans, side mount wheel covers, wind wings, trumpet horns, trunk rack, correct bumper hardware, and a completely rebuilt and restored V-16 engine.
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.
Click here to see 13 minute video.
- Engine# 702743
- Chassis# 7-2577
- Body# 50
- Model: 452A
- Style: 4260
- Body By Fleetwood
The car was purchased just after World War II by Colonel George Van Deusen, commanding officer of the Air Force base in Tucson, Arizona, who enjoyed ownership until 1968, when it was sold in 1968 to V-16 car enthusiast Paul Schinner, who dubbed it “a forty-year project” of restoration. The restoration was finally completed in November 2024 with complete new leather upholstery, rugs, top irons, oak bows, and a new fabric top. Many correct parts were located and fitted to the completed project car, which included engine pans, side mount wheel covers, wind wings, trumpet horns, trunk rack, correct bumper hardware, and a completely rebuilt and restored V-16 engine.
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.
Click here to see 13 minute video.