Heart of Route 66
Auto Museum

13 Sahoma Lake Road
Sapulpa, OK 74066
(918) 216-1171

Tuesday – Saturday:
10am – 4pm

Sundays:
Noon – 4pm

Admission:
Adults – $6.50
Kids Under 12 – Free

1939 Cadillac Convertible Coupe

Oct 20, 2021 | Past Cars

V-16 Convertible Coupe by Fleetwood

  • Series 90 – Body Style 9067
  • 185 bhp, 431 cu. in.
  • L-head V-16 engine, three-speed selective synchromesh manual transmission, independent front suspension with coil-spring suspension, semi floating rear axle, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes
  • Wheelbase: 141.25 in.
  • An authentic V-16 convertible coupe with the original chassis, engine, and body
  • One of only seven examples built

For 1939, Cadillac introduced its second-generation V-16 engine. More conventional in design than the original, it featured a simple side-valve configuration packed in an unusual 135-degree-bank angle (nearly horizontally opposed!). But it offered comparable horsepower and torque while weighing a remarkable 250 pounds less and was less costly to build. It provided a win-win situation, both for V-16 enthusiasts and for Cadillac, which was facing decreasing sales as the U.S. struggled to recover from the Great Depression.

The new engine was mounted on a shortened chassis with the same 141.25” wheelbase as the eight-cylinder Series 75. This enabled the two series to share Fleetwood bodies and lower prices from 1937 cars by a wide margin.

Twelve body styles were catalogued for 1938 and1939, comprising a full range of possible configurations, all with beautiful styling directed by GM’s young emerging legend, Bill Mitchell, who borrowed design cues from his very modern Series 60 Special.