The Cadillac V-63 is a large

luxury automobile A luxury car is a car that provides increased levels of comfort, equipment, amenities, quality, performance, and associated status compared to moderately priced cars. The term is subjective and reflects both the qualities of the car and the ...

that was introduced in September 1923 by

Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...

as a 1924

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the Plan_(drawing), plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a mea ...

, replacing the previous Type 61. It used the

GM C platform The C Platform, or C-body, name has been used twice by General Motors for its full-size car platform. * 1925-1984 GM C platform (RWD) * 1985-1996 GM C platform (FWD) The C-body was used for the Pontiac Series 24/29 Torpedo, Oldsmobile 90, th ...

and was replaced by the

Cadillac Series 355 The Cadillac V8 Series 355 was manufactured by Cadillac from 1931 until 1935. They were V8-cylinder cars, sold in several models: a 2-door coupe, club coupe, a 2-door convertible (car), convertible, 4-door convertible (car), convertible, a 4-door ...

in 1931. It retained the name Cadillac V8 introduced with the previous generation

Cadillac Type 51 The Cadillac V8, introduced as the Type 51, is a large, luxurious automobile that was introduced in September 1914 by Cadillac as a 1915 model. It was Cadillac's first V8 automobile, replacing the four-cylinder Model 30, and used the all new GM ...

. The V-63 used an improved version of the L-head V8 engine that made Cadillac famous. The main innovation was a cross-plane

crankshaft A crankshaft is a mechanical component used in a piston engine to convert the reciprocating motion into rotational motion. The crankshaft is a rotating shaft containing one or more crankpins, that are driven by the pistons via the connecting ...

which improved balance and smoothness. This design required complex mathematical analysis, and was simultaneously patented by

Peerless Peerless may refer to: Companies and organizations * Peerless Motor Company, an American automobile manufacturer. * Peerless Brewing Company, in Birkenhead, UK * Peerless Group, an insurance and financial services company in India * Peerless R ...

. Both companies agreed to share the innovation, which became a market distinction being able to exclusively offer a V8. For model year 1924, the

Packard Eight The Packard Eight was a luxury automobile produced by Packard between 1924 and 1936, and was an all new platform that took the top market position from the earlier Packard Twin Six which was first introduced in 1916. When it was introduced, it was ...

straight-eight was now a competitor due to its reduced vibration. The body style choices were expanded to 14 while commercial applications weren't offered. New innovations included the availability of

Balloon tire A bicycle tire is a tire that fits on the wheel of a bicycle or similar vehicle. These tires may also be used on tricycles, wheelchairs, and handcycles, frequently for racing. Bicycle tires provide an important source of suspension, generate ...

s mounted on either wire wheels or steel pressed discs, while wooden wheels made of

hickory Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Indochina, and India (Assam), as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in Mexi ...

were standard equipment along with the availability of front-wheel brakes. The most noticeable update for 1925 was the introduction of two classifications of body style choices. The "Standard" bodies was added for 1925 that offered a five-passenger Brougham, two passenger Coupe, four passenger Victoria, a five- and seven passenger Sedan and a seven-passenger Imperial limousine. A higher content "Custom" body styles offered a Roadster, Touring Car, Phaeton, five passenger Coupe and Sedan, seven passenger Suburban with the top level seven passenger Imperial limousine, while the mechanicals and chassis were otherwise largely unchanged. Coachwork continued to be offered by

Fisher Body Fisher Body was an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan. A division of General Motors for many years, in 1984 it was dissolved to form other General Motors divisions. Fisher & Company (originally Allo ...

who was the primary supplier of all GM products at this time, and

Duco Duco was a trade name assigned to a product line of automotive lacquer developed by the DuPont Company in the 1920s. Under the Duco brand, DuPont introduced the first quick drying multi-color line of nitrocellulose lacquers made especially for t ...

automotive lacquer paint, introduced by

DuPont DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in ...

was the first quick drying multi-color line of nitrocellulose lacquers made especially for the automotive industry. The introduction of lacquer paint afforded the clients with a choice of 24 matched color choices along with 10 different upholstery patterns. The retail prices listed started as low as US$2,995 ($ in dollars ) for the Brougham, while the top level Imperial limousine was listed at US$4,485 ($ in dollars ).

Series 314, 341 and 353 (1926-1930)

The naming convention was refreshed for 1926 as the Series 314 signifying the engine displacement, with a further enlargement to 341 in 1928. The previous "Custom" line used the 138" wheelbase while the "Standard" line remained with the 132" wheelbase. The New V8 was introduced as the "New Ninety Degree Cadillac" making note of engineering improvements while retaining the flathead architecture. The chassis, body and engineering was shared with the all-new LaSalle Series 303 and also used the V8 but with a engine displacement. The commercial chassis returned, offering both an ambulance and hearse while bodywork was now supplied by

Superior Superior may refer to: *Superior (hierarchy), something which is higher in a hierarchical structure of any kind Places *Superior (proposed U.S. state), an unsuccessful proposal for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to form a separate state *Lake ...

. 1926 was the year the

Chrysler Imperial The Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was Chrysler's top-of-the-line vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced with the Chrysler name until 1954, after which it became a standalone brand; and again from 1990 to 1993. The compan ...

was first introduced, and the rivalry continued for several decades. Cadillac identified all products built every year by engraving a number on the engine and all changes made during a model production were recorded by engine number, which affected parts for repair and correct paint number codes. Starting with the Series 314 a unit and car number was instituted which meant each car was assigned an engine number engraved on the engine block and a corresponding plate attached to the firewall to aid in vehicle registration. Cadillac also instituted marketing changes for its products to break away from industry established trends every year. Previously, cars were advertised with the model or series designation along with the name "Cadillac". With the introduction of the Series 314, it was simply advertised as "Cadillac" and every new model thereafter was introduced as "The New Cadillac" with series or model changes only mentioned when the vehicle needed service.

Fleetwood Metal Body Fleetwood Metal Body was an automobile coachbuilder formed on April 1, 1909. The company name was derived from Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, home of the company at the start, and lived on for decades in the form of the Cadillac Fleetwood and various ...

in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania began to supplement premium level coachwork in tandem with

beginning in 1927. Standard and Custom body style choices were supplied by Fisher, while

Brunn & Company Brunn & Company was an American coachbuilding business founded in 1908 by carriage designer Hermann A. Brunn (1874-1941) in Buffalo, New York. He was the father of Hermann C. (1908-1989) who initially worked for his father, then was employed by th ...

offered four choices, and

Willoughby Company Willoughby Company was a custom coachbuilding business in Utica, New York. The Willoughby family had been building carriages in Rome, New York for some generations but set up in Utica when they added town cars and limousines to their products. ...

offered a Town Cabriolet for US$4,800 ($ in dollars ). With the list of available customized coachwork choices continuing to expand, starting with fifty body style and types, five hundred color and upholstery combinations were available while utilizing a 132" wheelbase. 1927 was also the year the LaSalle Series 303 was introduced, allowing Cadillac to pursue ever increasing exclusivity of body style and luxurious appointments in competition with the

and the

Lincoln L series The Lincoln L series (also called the Lincoln Model L) is the first automobile that was produced by the Lincoln Motor Company. Introduced in 1920, the L series would continue to be produced after the bankruptcy of Lincoln in 1922 and its purchase ...

with their expanding list of coachbuilders. The first displacement upgrade to the Cadillac V8 was introduced in 1928, the first change since the engine was introduced in 1915, and while the internal designation was now known as the Series 341-A, the car was advertised simply as "The New Cadillac" along with the introduction of LaSalle junior companion brand and was the first time there were more than one product line from Cadillac. GM had successfully purchased

and

earlier in 1925, and provided the Cadillac customer 15 separate coachwork choices from Fisher on a 140" wheelbase, and a separate 25 individual choices from Fleetwood also on a 140" wheelbase. The most exclusive Fleetwood choice listed was the Touring Town Collapsible Cabriolet at US$6,200 ($ in dollars ) Ambulance and Hearse choices were on a 152" wheelbase provided by Superior. As before, visual, equipment and mechanical changes separated it from the previous year. A monogram plaque engraved with "V8" first appeared attached to a rod connecting the massive 12" headlights. Fleetwood bodies featured a "sweep panel" which was a styling flourish that started at the top of the hood next to the radiator and gradually progressed outward towards the

cowl A cowl is an item of clothing consisting of a long, hooded garment with wide sleeves, often worn by monks. Originally it may have referred simply to the hooded portion of a cloak. In contemporary usage, however, it is distinguished from a clo ...

then down the sides of the engine covers. Sometimes this trim device was used to separate different complementing colors if desired. One of the documented distinctions between the Series 314 and Series 341 is the positioning of the starter; 314's had it installed vertically while 341's were horizontally positioned. The 1929 Type 341-B continued the tradition of appearance, engineering and equipment available upgrades, introducing a synchromesh transmission, Security-Plate safety glass installed for all windows, and electrically powered windshield wipers. Fisher Body coachwork selections offered 12 choices, while Fleetwood offered 33 documented selections; the "sweep panel" introduced the previous year was now a standard feature on all Fleetwood products and some vehicles had two-tone paint appearances while others used a single color with the "sweep panel" used. The Cadillac hood ornament made its appearance as an extra cost option of US$12 ($ in dollars )for the "Herald" ,"Heron" or "Goddess", while a heater for occupants was US$32 ($ in dollars ) and a rear folding trunk rack was US$25 ($ in dollars ). September 1929 is when Cadillac introduced its all-new 1930 Series 353, one month before the

Cadillac V-12 The Cadillac V-12 is a top-of-the-line car that was manufactured by Cadillac from the 1931 through the 1937 model years. All were furnished with custom bodies, and the car was built in relatively small numbers. A total of 10,903 were made in the ...

and the

Wall Street Crash of 1929 The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange colla ...

. Luxury, optional equipment, interior and exterior choices and exclusivity had become expected of the order catalog for Cadillac products and the list was refined and expanded. All Fisher coachwork choices were now identified as "Fisher Custom" and reduced to seven closed bodies, while the more exclusive "Fleetwood Special Custom" choices were consolidated into 11 basic bodies with many variations. With the introduction of the wireless radio, all bodies were prewired for the optionally installed AM radio for US$175 ($ in dollars ) with the radio antenna concealed inside the roof. The Fleetwood catalog consisted of 37 distinct variations in an array of color and upholstery types, to include mohair, leather or any other choice desired with the most exclusive choice documented was the 4-door Collapsible Touring Limousine Brougham at US$5,945 ($ in dollars ). Model year sales were recorded at 14,995. File:1924 Cadillac Cabriolet V 63 .jpg, 1924 Cadillac V-63 Standard Touring Sedan File:Cadillac 1925 Type V-63 Custom Suburban for Seven Passengers.jpg, 1925 Cadillac V-63 Custom Suburban Sedan File:Cadillac Series 314 Touring 1927.jpg, 1926 Cadillac Series 314 Touring Sedan File:Bruxelles Autoworld Oldtimer 40.jpg, 1928 Cadillac Series 341-A Town Cabriolet by Fleetwood File:1929 Cadillac Sports Phaeton (Warbirds & Wheels museum).jpg, 1929 Cadillac Series 341-B Sports Phaeton File:Cadillac 341 Town Sedan 1930 (8940777553).jpg, 1930 Cadillac Series 353 Town Sedan

Bibliography

*Matt, Susan (2003). ''Keeping Up With the Joneses''. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. *(1923). "V-63 Cadillac Claimed Nearest to Perfection." ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

''. {{Cadillac timeline 63

Series 314, 341 and 353 (1926-1930)

See also

Bibliography