Cadillac V16 engine family 

Prince- when the doves cry

The 1930 and 1931 V-16s were one the absolute most elegant American cars EVER!!

Unusual short stroke for the time. More main bearings = better.

The ‘36 was gigantic. The’38 was gigantic. I love them all.

30 Caddy That red caddy is a real beauty. 40 Caddy The V16 era was the heyday for luxury cars. Big engines in big cars.

1: All of them. 2: All of them. Picking a favorite body style is like picking a favorite animal; it changes all the time.

I can see Sloan approving the first V-16. It was their halo brand and the twenties economy was on a tear. But to completely redesign the engine to make a cheap V-16 flatty for a consumer class with "generational wealth" seems crazy. Especially in light of most all the premium end competition being done and dusted by 1938. They only made 500 of them. If one were to amortize the sunk costs of design, development, durability testing, tooling, etc. - divided by 500 engines, it's like putting a stack of $100 bills in the glovebox of every V-16 car delivered. My dad was born in 1924 and related stories about those beautiful OHV engines when he was a teen. He eventually treated himself with a '69 model in his forties - dreadful bronze/brown tank I remember as a little kid. He was 6'6 and liked the spaciousness. But he really enjoyed the satisfaction of knowing he drove a Cadillac.

The original 452 V16 was a completely new design exclusive to Cadillac and designed by Cadillac engineers. It was also the first engine to ever be "designed" to be viewed, demonstrated, and admired for it's asthetic beauty.

Reading in the book "Cadillac the complete history by Maurice Hendry." he wrote about the V-16 that Cadillac started with Packard's straight 8 crankshaft design, and engineering it for 16 cylinders and casting a common crankcase, designed the cylinder banks as 2 straight 8's with the cylinders firing 22.5 degrees from each other-thus the smoothness. First pick the 34 V-16; the 2nd I would pick any 38-40 V-16 Cadillac's in the rare 2 door coupe body, my favorite body style. I am sure someone beat me guessing the tune "When doves cry."

Cadillac also toyed with a third-gen V-16 in the 1960's when they were experimenting with the Eldorado. The less radical Eldorado won out...

I'm an early 1930's Chrysler man myself, but if someone put a gun to my head, I would have to choose a 1932 Caddy V16 Coupe. A friend once owned a 1938 Caddy 16 [side valve] Limo. It was an ex US embassy car here in Australia. So SMOOOOOTH.

Since I have a working rear floor heater for the 1938 V16, I will go with that one.

Cadillac made light tank engines in WWII. Stuart I think. Maybe one of these. Ford made the best Sherman engine, a V 8. Chrysler made the multi bank Sherman engine which the British used.

Regarding the later v-16 design, by the mid 30's cars were beginning to get lower hoodlines and were lower overall, so the first v-16, due to the 45 degree bank angle was too tall. As for the switch to flathead, if you have ever heard a properly built STOCK Ford flathead run then one thing that is very noticeable is how quiet they are. Flatheads by any manufacturer with their simple valvetrains are inherently very quiet. Also, the later V-16 with it's 135 degree bank angle allowed for packaging the intake and exhaust manifolds between the cylinder banks, so those components were not competing for space with the newly developed independent front suspensions. The early 45 degree v-16 had no room in the Vee for the intake and exhaust manifolds. If they had developed cross flow cylinder heads (intake on one side, exhaust on the other) for the early engine it still would have made for an even taller engine with the intake manifold squeezed into that limited space.

The early V16 had nothing to do with the Buick straight 8 which did not come out until 1931. It was a stand alone design.

1300lbs! Sheesh! Still, I would mount one in my living room, and just drool at it.

The almost flat-16-Flat-head is the coolest engine ever. Imagine what it could be supped up to full potential with Audrin OHV and super charger.

1932 V16 1939-40 with updated dash. Like the 7 passenger sedans as well as club sedans ( only 20 of those made between 1938-40)

1930 Cadillac love a soft top ☺️ I've driven a 1st generation over head valve 👏👏👏👏 smoth as silk 🥰❤️ Never drove 2nd generation 😞 Useless Trivia 😂.. David Lee Roth is playing acoustic guitar on that song 😮.. he rarely played on Van Halen Albums 🤷🍦🧑‍💼 Enjoy your day and Happy Motoring 🤠✌️👋👋

There is a really good web site in India where a lot of exotic antiques get featured . One was a Caddy V16 still in the hands of its original family owners . Its all original and still runs like new . 😊

My first pick would be the 39 convertible, as I could drive it as I would a new car, and, it is an owner-driver model. The 31, 38, and 40 are chauffeur-driven models. Even if I could afford a chauffeur, I would still want to do my own driving. I like to drive, especially nice luxurious cars. My second choice would be the 34 convertible sedan. Who doesn't love convertible sedan? The 30 is gorgeous, but with no wind-up windows, not very practical.

WYR 1&2 3rd & 3rd Favorite body style is the convertible

My dad grew up during those years and always told me the V16's were not well regarded because they were problematic. The V12's were a much better engine and why they sold more. Personally, In the mid '40's he had a '37 Series 60 with a '38 engine. Apparently, Cadillac made some key changes to their engines for 1938, making them much more reliable.

This is a really nice engine for my proto type.

I love that you made this video, I had never heard of the later flat 16. My friend has a distributer cap for the early 16. He uses it as a pincle holder.

The 1929 Cadillac V16 is one of my favorite cars from the 1920s-1930s. Such beautiful limousines

As to question of which earlier or later Cadillac 16 I'd prefer, I'd go with the later series with hydraulic brakes. The early OHV engine had marvelous engineering, but overhead valves were not a necessity for a long-stroke, low RPM, high-torque engine. The later flathead engine would be more reliable, the cylinder breathing adequate considering it was also a low RPM, high-torque engine, moving a heavy luxury automobile.

3:50 FIVE main bearings for 16 cylinders? Dang, those must have been pretty far apart. There are V-8s with 5 main bearings.

My favorite cadillac v16 is the 1937 Hartmann roadster.

Would you rather - 1930 Cadillac, and 1939 Cadillac. Both seem more “stately” to my eye. Prince - When Doves Cry. Thanks as always!

My far and away favorite is the ‘39 convertible coop. I would take any of them, though. Please send me any spares you have.😊

The 27 Dobbel would blow this thing into the weeds. Choo choo!

Belleza de la mecanica

Hi Jay!: You know what I'm going to say. . .this is my favorite engine episode so far!! Like a lot of other folks, I had not known about that late 16 until sometime last year. While those CARS are not my favorite Caddy designs I LOVE that engine! Now the earlier sixteen was a really beautiful engine, but it is just not as interesting as that later one! WYR#1 Going to be the 1934! the 1934 LaSalle and Cadillac are really beautiful!! #2 Really doesn't make much difference as they were essentially the same car with only MINOR exterior and interior changes, but if I had a choice it's going to be 1940. Derham made a NICE sport coupe for one of the bigwigs at DuPont chemical, that was Maroon with a tan cloth top VERY similar to the color scheme of Walter Chrysler's Imperial that you featured recently. Probably one of the better body designs for the later V-16's

I always liked the '33 Caddy V16. You skipped right over it. Also Prince when Doves Cry.

Thank you for this wonderfully thorough history of the legendary Cadillac V-16 Engine!! After watching, I immediately sibscribed to your channel!! Seeing how many videos you currently have posted on automobile history, I have a feeling I am going to be spending a lot of time watching to play catch-up!!! It amazes me that you are a millennial and that you have such passion for the history of the automobile. It is proof positive that the old car hobby knows no age boundaries!!

Dad worked at garage in 1947 approx. he saw a caddy where they swapped in a ford v8.

I'd go for the '34 V16 and the '38 V16. I especially like the '34.

Great job on this. I do think that the cylinder head shown at 2:39 is for a V12 and not a V16. The head shown at 2:39 has 12 valves . . . . . 6 intakes and 6 exhausts . . . . 6 cylinders, 1/2 of the V12. Minor glitch. Keep up the great work!

The 1930 Cadillac was one of their last classically styled cars, with aerodynamics creeping in. The 1932's, to me, started that mafioso look, which continued well into the 40's. The 1934 is the coolest of the early aerodynamic Cadillacs. The 1939 is cool because it is a convertible.

Just amazing these beasts only turned out the horsepower they did... sad... 1) The '34! 2) Def the '39 cabrio!

What a treat

Nice engine v 16.

Great vid!!

That compression ratio...i wonder how much power it would make with modern fuel and 8 to 1 compression...

Can you do a what it’s like for a 72 Gran Torino? I just got my hands on a formal top gts and would love to see that

Hello 👋 good buddy now that is a big motor I have often wondered why in later years Cadillac took the little circles from atop of the emblem Cadillac crest they were seven little circles. Well I just found out you can sing 🎶 too..

I'm afraid my owen is knackered after the party last night.

Straight 8 are nice.

Ps I don't know his thereabouts but In bergenfield NJ. Garaged At foster village he had a Packard Caribbean cvt 2 32 -to 4 cads one a cvt . A Franklin he was a teacher he rented all the garages there the only cars I saw he showed locally

Id like a 32 and a 40 v-16 thank you very much

A dime can't be balanced on it's edge, a nickel can and was used for these demonstrations

As a bit of useless trivia, George Harrison had a hot rod with a V16 in it. I don’t remember what brand.

I have no clue which one in either case.

Had a 66 baby blue caddy eldorado convertible was the ultimate cats meow was an OMG❤ . Guy I knew had a 16 had trouble getting a disr.cap for it 30yrs ago probably was a 32,cad.

1930 Cadillac 2 seater cabriolet convertible V16 .

My favorite would probably be a 31 or 32

1939 Cadillac V-16 convertible for me.

The 39 v16

1934 1939 Favorite 1937 V16 limo

The second generation al.ost looks like a boxer engine

Prince, When Doves Cry

The 34 v16

Prince when the doves cry

Prince When Doves Cry

The engine probably weighed over 1000 pounds. More mass = smoother.

For WYR: 1930 or 1932 Cadillac v16

1938 v 16 Fleetwood limousine

1934 Cadillacs have fragile "biplane" bumpers. That's a '35.

Cadillac should have gone back to 16 cylinders years ago and then if anything gone to 12.

Why would Cadillac design an all new V16 during the Depression when not long before, GM threatened to kill them off in addition to LaSalle? Here in town, we went from all GM cars having their own fancy separate dealerships to just two--Chevrolet and everything else. By 1934, Pontiac, Olds, Buick, LaSalle and Cadillac had all been consolidated into one tiny garage on a side street with no showroom space. This continued until 1939 when Oldsmobile and Cadillac moved into a newly rented, shared building.

34- 40

So where are the spark plug wires going off of the distributor on the first engine (the 1933 one)? It looks like they are they going under the valley cover into the spark plugs which, I think, are facing into the engine under the cover. Am I right on that? (I have a model kit of the car and I am trying to figure this out.)

1931 v16 Convertible

when doves cry/prince

1932 and 1938

That's Prince ,,, when doves cry .. why do we scream at each other . This is what it sounds like when doves cry. The beat moves anyone and the vocal is unmatched in today's society. People loved each other back than.

Cadillac always good but never real fond of V-16

A couple of glaring errors in your presentation: Firstly, you have several slide of engines which were obviously V-12 mixed in with your V-16 photos. These are easy to catch; just count the valve springs on the shots with the valve covers removed and you'll find them quickly. Secondly, at 5:10, you state "it almost looks like a FLATHEAD V-16". No, it IS a flathead V-16, no 'almost' about it..

Lol... don't quit your day job !

The gangsta cars are the best looking. Maybe custom bodies. The factory product is boring looking.

5.3 to 1 compression? LOL

Others had tried making a reliable V8 Ford was Not the V8 it was the first mass produced V8 at an affordable price to everyone! The Cadillac V16 was Never intended for max power, they wanted a reliable Long Life SMOOTH engine, with todays fuel price ONLY Arab Oil Sheikhs could afford to run one, modern 2ltr engines make more power smooth good economy BUT they are DULL sleep inducingly BORING man EVs are NOTHING more than a appliance on wheels A to B transport NOTHING MORE than!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reading your slides is one of the most basic presenter mistakes.

I'VE GOT A V-64 IN MY CAR!!