Circa 1:43 scale

YAT MING, CHINA

   
Here is the 1932 V-16 sport phaeton mounted on a wooden base;
it is from Yatming, China and has a pull-back propulsion system
[ seen on e-Bay, 2001 ]

[ missing ]

Guisval, Portugal 1932 sport phaeton #17006 white/tan

   
These were in my own, former collection

K-LINE, USA

Another version of the same model, by K-Line

MOTOR MUSEUM, UK

Left:  1932  V-16 limouisne

Circa 1:40 scale

UNKNOWN, ASIA

Seen for sale on Ebay, June 2008, vendor did not know its provenance

1:27 scale

ANSON, THAILAND

This gift set contains six of these toys
Offered  by Anson in 1:27 scale, they are less well
made than as the 1:18 version ...and also much cheaper

   
This V-16 sedan is from the same maker; it is said to be in 1:32 scale

ARISTO, USA (?)

   
This one  features opening doors as well as pinstriping
[ Photo: © 2002, Yann Saunders - Bob Blake collection, AZ ]

Circa 1:32 scale

FRANKLIN MINT, USA

       
Seen on the Internet, this build kit is not done in the Mint's usual 1:25 scale

Circa 1:25 scale

MG, USA (?)

   
Seen on the Internet, this build kit of yet another 1932 Cadillac sport phaeton is from MG [details sought]

1:24 scale

DANBURY MINT, USA

    
The Danbury Mint version of the 1932 V-16 sport phaeton by the Fisher Body Corp [style 32-16-279]
is in the same price range as the Franklin Mint edition, i.e. very high ! But the quality is excellent

Re-issued model from the Danbury Mint (2003)

   
Apart from the fact that some of the photos are slightly blurred,
the detail is such that these could be snaps of a real, surviving hearse
[ Photos (above 2 rows): © 2005, Yann Saunders ]

New model from The Danbury Mint [Fall, 2003]
1932 Cadillac V-16 Sedan

       
Above six rows: one of the latest and finest creations from The Danbury Mint is this V-16 sedan for 5 passengers.
Actual V-16 production in 1932 was limited to 300 cars; of that number,   Fisher built just 29 of these luxurious sedans (to Fleetwood
design  #5130-S). The  base price was $5095, i.e. around $65K in today's dollars; however,  if Cadillac were to build 29
custom V-16s today (and they DO have already ONE complete running car !), I'm guessing that each one probably would
cost closer to $650K ! The Danbury Mint model is perfectly proportioned and detailed down to the tiny assist handles
on the "C" pillars and even the lull straps hanging from a minute chrome rail above the rear quarter windows ! Trim color
is authentic and the walnut wood trim garnish moldings are well done !  Even the plush carpeting looks and feels real.

       
More views of the same "toy"

       
The same replica in another color?

New model from The Franklin Mint [2002?]
1932 V-16 All-Weather Phaeton

       
Only thirteen units were built of this Fisher, style #32-16-273 all-weather phaeton for 5 passengers;
The text accompanying the ad for one such toy, on e-Bay, reads: Experience the thrill of owning a
sensational model of the car that Eliot Ness used in his crusade against the Capone syndicate
[I wonder who gave them THAT b/s!]. Every detail is captured in true-to-life accuracy -- from the
vintage Cadillac hood ornament to the exposed door hinges and running boards. Then there's
the intricately detailed re-creation of the powerful 16-cylinder engine under the hood. Working
features include doors and hood that open and close, steering and road wheels that turn, and a fully
functional suspension system. Complete with a scale-size accessory kit to evoke its role in Ness' crime-
fighting arsenal. There are scale-size confiscated bootleg barrels, a Tommy gun, hat and G-Man briefcase.

   

   

   
Here it is in another, more pleasing color

            
#778 is the latest in Danbury Mint offerings on the Cadillac chassis [2008];
it depicts an exquisite roadster powered by the mighty V-16 engine;
in reality, only three full-sized versions were ever built [Fisher style 32-16-155]

 

MONOGRAM, USA

   
These two versions in 1:24 scale are by Monogram (USA);
on the left, the plastic kit; on the right the metal kit.  Both are finely detailed

   
This is the Monogram plastic kit in assembled form, built in this case by Angel Cabrera, a keen
model  builder in the Canary Islands, Spain; Angel is also a regular visitor to the Cadillac Database
[ Photos: © 1999, Luciano Rodríguez, Tenerife Scale-Model Club ]

1:18 scale

ANSON, THAILAND



  
For the price, this version is by far the most desirable.  It is made by Anson in 1:18 scale

This diorama features a "rough but restorable" 1932 Cadillac V16 Sport Phaeton
[ it was on display at the Gilmore Museum in Kalamazoo, MI, when Gita and I visited there in June 2012 ]

       
Described as The State Limousine of Puyi the last emperor of China, this model by Sunstar features a miniature Cadillac V-16 engine.  Nothing else about the car resembles a Cadillac other than the general limousine body shape. The skirted front and rear fenders are more reminiscent of a 1933 model than one from 1932. The front grille looks like it came off a Ford and the front bumpers off a Duesenberg.   I certainly would like to hear from anyone who has seen or heard of the original car from which this 1:18 scale model is derived.  We must assume that the toy manufacturer had access to either the car itself or to some authentic documentation and photos of it. Another source asserts that the car was ordered from GM, in 1932, by the Maunchurian Government; the car was used for the ceremonies during which Pu Yi became puppet emperor of Manchuria. The hood mascot is the "Dragon Seal" of the emperor

       
The replica is available also in black, as seen here

   
The photo, above (with an enlargement, right) - courtesy of the Ford Motor Company - is from the magazine American Heritage for November 1996;
it is said to show the Emperor of Manchuria leaving his Imperial Palace aboard a Ford automobile; don't you think that car looks strangely like the toy illustrated
above? Could this be a Ford with a Cadillac V-16 engine, or is it a Cadillac V-16 on which the body of the Emperor's Ford has been mounted?

 

 

FAIRFIELD MINT (USA)

   
I saw this toy/replica  one offered for sale on Ebay in May, 2008
[ one more version of the rare, 1932 Cadillac sport phaeton on the V-16 chassis ]

 

WENGER, TERRY (USA)

This is a very nice, amateur-built model of Fisher style #32-16-252 town sedan
on V-16 chassis; the body carved from bass wood, by V-16 owner-enthusiast,
Terry Wenger,  on the  basis of factory catalog illustrations and drawings
[ Photos:  Self Starter, June 2006 ]

Here is another of Terry's finely-detailed scale models; this on depicts Fleetwood
style #5185 from the 1932 catalog offerings;  only one was ever built
and (I assume) this is the only 1/18 scale-model of it !
[ Photo:  Self Starter, June 2006 ]

 

1:43 scale

MATCHBOX, UK

This is a Matchbox (UK),  1933 town car on the V-16 chassis,
depicting a car bought by the actress Joan Crawford;
it is again the most bandied 1933 Cadillac in miniature;
note the erroneous, inverted landau bars!

Mounting the landau bows upside down seems to be quite a common mistake with model builders

MOTOR MUSEUM, UK

   
Left:  V-16 all-weather phaeton;  right: the ever-popular, V-16 town car (ex Joan Crawford)

Made by Matchbox (UK), this miniature replica depicts a fire engine built
on the Cadillac V-12 chassis, that was in actual service in Aarau, Switzerland,
for many years; it features the 4-bar bumpers of the 1933 V-16 cars;
this one is from the collection of my son, Philip

The second version (below) is vastly different although it is said to also represent  the above car,
but on the V-16 chassis, although it features the regular, horizontal hood vent doors of the
V-8 and V-12 models; this toy includes quite an array of   hoses as well as a ladder

       
Although it carries the 4-bar bumpers and front fender spears of the V-16 models of 1933, the hood side vent
doors are from a V-8 or V-12 model; the manufacturer may have been inspired by a custom 1934 Cadillac V-8
fire-wagon that was in use for many years by the local fire fighters of Affoltern, near Zürich, in Switzerland

UNIDENTIFIED, USA

  
I believe this is quite a recent toy, depicting in 1:43 scale
an imaginary Accident Prevention Bureau police van from Salt Lake City, UT

WESTERN MODELS, UK
A Rare 1933 Model...

   

   

   
This collector's replica from Western Models, England (1980), depicts a very rare
sixteen-cylinder Cadillac, dual-cowl,  sport phaeton;  it is Fleetwood style
#5559 of which only one unit  was ever built; the scale model is available also in tan-brown;
Reference numbers are: #28A (closed), #28B (open), #28C (open or closed and specially
assembled by the manufacturer), #28D (in kit form, either open or closed)

NATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM, UK

   
This "gold" toy depicting the 1933 V-16 town car
was available in 2005 from the National Motor Museum in UK

SIGNATURE MODELS, USA

I guess these are supposed to depict the 1933
Fleetwood convertible sedan style #5559
I believe this is quite a recent "Signature" series toy (2006-07)

1:24 scale

ITALERI, ITALY

This is a 1:24 scale construction kit by Italeri (Italy) of a special 1933
sixteen-cylinder convertible sedan, Fleetwood style #5579, of which only eight
units were built, one being purchased new  by Al Jolson, The Jazz Singer
[new reference number (2001) = #706]

TESTORS / WENGER, TERRY (USA)

   
This is an amateur-built model of Fleetwood styyle #5999 Aerodynamic coupe
on V-16 chassis, shown at the World's Fair in Chicago that year; it was built by
V-16 owner-enthusiast, Terry Wenger, on the basis of Testors' 1933 V-16 AWP (above)
[ Photos:  Self Starter, June 2006 ]

UNKNOWN

   
Possibly an over-mold of the Lesney 1:43 scale toy
[ Photo, left, by my son, Philip, at a toy swap meet in France, 2004 ]

1:16 scale

TESTORS, USA

   
Many kit manufacturers have offered this replica of another rare 1933 Cadillac V-16
town car (Fleetwood style #5525) of which only three units were built. One of them was
acquired by screen-star Joan Crawford [this one]; another may have been purchased by
Marlene Dietrich but there are no known photos of her with that car, which is currently
in the Keyaerts Cadillac Museum at Langeais, France. The Crawford car, used for the
model, was delivered to Hillcrest Motor Car Co. in Hollywood and was in their collection for
many years after Ms. Crawford had tired of it. 

          
The detail on this model is quite remarkable, down to the leather door retainers
and the wiring of the distributor cap (below, left and center)

   
This 1933 V-16 chassis in  1:16 scale was built
by modelist, Anthony Hazelaar of Holland
[ I can't wait to see the finished car ! ]

MINICRAFT, USA

ENTEX, USA

ITALERI, ITALY

Italeri (Italy), ref. #707

One built up kit

[ missing ]

Awaited from friend and model-builder, Angel Cabrera from the Canary Islands (Spain),
some photos of the scale-model he is building of  Ms. Crawford's town car

Circa 1:20 scale

BANDAI, JAPAN

       
Bandai (Japan) made this cute tinplate
toy of the 1933 V-8 roadster in approx. 1:20 scale

Circa 1:8 scale

FISHER BODY CRAFTSMAN'S GUILD, USA

Starting in 1932, the Fisher Body Corporation (Cadillac's official coach builder) sponsored the Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild competition in which some 245,000 American boys between the ages of 12 and 19 participated. Each of them had to build a replica of the Fisher coach [two examples of which may be seen, below]. These were based on a model completed by the Fisher craftsmen themselves.  Blueprints were non-existent and had to be drawn up. Frank Riess, former head of the industrial arts department of a Detroit high school, created the master plans. Walter Leuschner of Germany, a skilled coach-builder in the Fisher plant at Fleetwood, PA, built two prototype coaches from these plans; these were around 1:15 to 1:18 scale (1 inch = approx. 1' 3" to 1' 6")

    
The model on the left was up for auction at Scottsdale, AZ, in January 1999; I have no idea of the actual
sale price; the coach on the right is a family heirloom; it was built by the grandfather of Kendra Kroll,
a visitor to the Cadillac  Database, in July 2001, whom I should like to credit with this photo

Unknown scale and Manufacturer

Circa 1:87 scale

RICKO LIMITED, CHINA (HONG KONG)

Ricko Limited was incorporated in 2001 and manufactures finely detailed automobile models in 1:18 scale under the RickoRicko label.  It seems they have begun also to make diecast toys in 1:87 scale, like the magnificent V-16 aero coupe below.

       
Die-cast 1:87 scale model of ultra-rare 1934 V-16 aero coupe
Ricko makes the same model also in 1:18 scale; it is  SUPERB !

1:43 scale

BROOKLIN, UK

       
LaSalle, 2-pass. coupe

LaSalle’s streamlined 1934 coupe is one of the most pleasing automobile designs to emerge from the era. Priced at $1595, the Fleetwood-bodied
beauty was quite the car;  Brooklin Models chose a smoky dark blue metallic for its handbuilt white metal replica, issued in August 2000 (#BRK-84)
[ Photo courtesy  GM in Miniature, Veloce Publishing,  author, Randall Olson ]

DENT, USA


Made by Dent in the USA. this Tootsietoy lookalike 1934 La Salle coupe was seen on e-Bay
in February 2002; the minimum bid was to be $900; there were no bidders!

On these four rows are what is believed to be the full set of  La Salle-based models by Dent, USA;
[ Photo: © 2002, Yann Saunders -  Bob Blake collection, AZ ]

Underside view of the Dent truck

DURHAM, CANADA

   
LaSalle, 2-pass convertible coupe

   
LaSalle Indianapolis Pace car,  #30E

1934 LaSalle top up by Durham Classics Automotive Miniatures of Canada
handmade in white metal, #DC-30
[  Photo courtesy  GM in Miniature, Veloce Publishing, author, Randall Olson ]

TOOTSIETOY, USA

The poor quality of these two photos reflects my excitement at finding
in one place a full set of these pre-WW2 La Salle promotional toys;
I hope to get a better photo next time I am in Arizona!
[ Bob Blake collection, AZ ]

Dealer promotional set from 1934; the La Salle coupe and sedan

   
Close-up view of these two promotional models issued by the Chicago company, Tootsietoy Dowst
[ Above four rows of photos: © 2002, Yann Saunders - Bob Blake collection, AZ ]

       
Not sure if this one is authentic or a repro copy

       
This one, in rough shape, was offered for sale on Ebay in Jan., 2008

UNKNOWN

   
Comic strip car from The Adventures of Tintin (The Sceptre of Ottokar)

Circa 1:32 scale

Banthrico (?), USA

           
Die-cast brass bank in the shape of the 1934 La Salle coupe

Circa 1:18 scale

MATARAZZO, ARGENTINA

   
High quality tinplate, clockwork toy by Matarazzo, Argentina, built in the mid to late thirties;
Described as a 1932 vintage Cadillac sedan, in my opinion it more closely resembles a
Cadillac V16 of 1934 vintage on account of the bi-plane front bumper [no rear bumper is present],
the three horizontal hood louvers typical of V16 models from 1934-1940 and the split "V" windshield.
There are no markings, either on the box or the toy itself; however, the vendor said it had always been
known as the Matarazzo Cadillac toy.  It is a beauty, at 14" long, complete with tin "driver" figurine
[ BTW, this actual toy sold for $660, on e-Bay, in September, 2003 ]

RICKO LIMITED, CHINA (HONG KONG)

Ricko Limited was incorporated in 2001 and manufactures finely detailed automobile models in 1:18 scale under the RickoRicko label.   This one appears to be a replica of a surviving 1934 V-16 aerodynamic coupe that I photographed at a Barett Jackson auction in Scottsdale, AZ, circa 1998.

 
   

       

The Cadillac V-16 cars of the era 1934-1937 are among my all-time favorites;
I only wish Ricko would do the other 20 or so models in the same series

 

1:8 scale

AFRICAN SCULPTURE, IVORY COAST

       
Work in progress on a replica the 1934 Fleetwood V-16 style #5876 coupe; I  commissioned it in 2001
from my friend Philippe Ruel who has been helping to translate into French some
pages of  The (new) Cadillac Database; the model is being whittled by hand from iroko and ebony woods
by local artisan-sculptors in West Africa's Ivory Coast, from photos that I supplied of the original car

Still missing when this photo was taken are the solid ebony wheels

This is one of only two similar replicas hand carved   by craftsmen in Yamassoukro;
one unit is in the collection of my son, Philip, in France, and the other in the private collection of my
friend, Philippe Ruel, through whom I was able to obtain these replicas when he lived in the Ivory Coast
[ the Zippo lighter gives an idea of the size of  the model ! ]

The finished model is in my son's collection, in France


This is 1934 V-16 coupe #2 of two

GENERAL MOTORS - CADILLAC
Art & Color Section Models

   
The oval image was scanned in a GM brochure advertising the
1933 World's Fair, Century of Progress exhibition in Chicago;
from the size of the furniture [armchair in LH photo], I reckon the models
on display [right] e are 1:8 scale; I would love to see them for real !