Identify car please

[TM]

Hello!

I wonder if any FL car fiends could identify this car? The time period of the photograph is 1925 - 1940 and the location is Palm Springs.

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Thanks for your help!

Tony

 

[Forgotten Man]

Well...

I think it's a '28-'29 Cadillac... take a hinge at this photo and see if they match, I think this is the car!

This is the same car pictured just with a single color. Also, note it's missing the visor and has wire spoke wheels instead of the wood spokes. Take a close look at the grill, bumpers, headlights and the V8 badge on the bar between the headlights. It also appears that the photo I supplied also hasn't the vent wings on the front windows. The photo of the car you posted also has an interesting single fog lamp on a bar mounting between the fenders... aftermarket I'm sure of.

You can safely say that this is a 1928 or 1929 Cadillac.

 

[up196]

I think you've got it

I believe you are right, FM. Definately a Cadillac. The '28s had the side lights on the cowl. They were moved to the fenders for the 1929 model year, as they are shown here. The 1930 models had, I think, doors in the sides of the hood, not the stamped louvers. If that is the case, then the car in question is a 1929 Cadillac 341-B five passenger coupe (style 8670). With the body built by Fisher on a 140" wheelbase, it sold for $3595.00 when introduced in August of 1928.

Source http://www.100megsfree4.com/cadillac/cad1920/cad29s.htm

The fog light appears to be a Pilot Ray light. You will note that it is turned to the left, as are the front wheels. Pilot Rays were connected via a linkage to the steering and illuminated turns. See picture #20 from the following:

Source http://imageevent.com/powerwagon/pilotray

 

[Flivver]

I'm a little late to the party here, but, yes, it's definetly a '29 Cadillac.

Prior to 1926, Cadillacs were well engineered but stodgy cars. Some minor re-styling was done for the 1926 and 1927 models, but it was the 1928 models that finally brought Cadillac up to the level of Packard and Lincoln.

The 1928-29 Cadillacs have long been favorites of mine. Their design is based on that of the highly successful 1927 LaSalle...Harley Earl's first for General Motors.

Isn't it amazing how much better the wire wheels (in the color photo) look than the artillery wheels (in the B&W photo). By 1929, those artillery wheels were beginning to look quite dated, in my opinion.

 

[TM]

Thank you all very much gentlemen! I didn't even notice that the fog light was linked to the steering - nice touch that.

Any ideas as to why a man, who could afford any car he wanted, would buy this one over a Lincoln or another luxury car of the time?

Thanks again!

Tony

 

[Flivver]

Key competitors for this '29 Cadillac would have been Packard and Lincoln.

Packard was the leading premium brand in the U.S. at this time and they did, indeed, outsell Cadillac. The Packard brand carried more prestige than the Cadillac brand, but the Cadillac's design was arguably more modern (hard to see today but more obvious then).

The Lincoln would have been priced a bit higher than the Cadillac. Also Lincoln was still using a version of the unbalanced Leland designed V8 that was designed for the original 1920 Lincoln. It exhibited a vibration problem at around 40 mph that was quite noticeable.

Cadillac's V8 was all new for 1928 and was based on the 1927 LaSalle V8 design. It was one of the most modern engines in the industry. Cadillac had pioneered the two plane crankshaft in 1924. This eliminated the vibration problem exhibited by all V8s prior to 1924, making the Cadillac V8 very smooth and flexible.

Packard's straight eight was all new in mid-1923. It was ultra smooth since a straight eight is an easily balanced design.

The Lincoln tended to be bought by older, more conservative customers while Packard sold to the younger luxury buyers. The 1928-29 Cadillac was aimed directly at Packard's younger buyers and it was quite successful in winning some of them over.

Personally, though, I'd have a hard time choosing between the three brands. Each had its own unique appeal.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Cadillac’s have always been a desirable car in America! Big Al also had a '28 Cadillac! It was slightly modified to be bullet proof though

 

[TM]

Thank you Flivver! A very well reasoned analysis.

I am always impressed by the depth of knowledge Lounges have - on all sorts of subjects!

Tony