Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
LOT 291
1907 Cadillac Model K 10HP Tulip Roadster Chassis no. 24306
Sold for US$44,800 inc. premium
Lot 291
1907 Cadillac Model K 10HP Tulip Roadster
1907 Cadillac Model K 10HP Tulip Roadster
Chassis no. 24306
Chassis no. 24306
98.2ci L-Head 1-Cylinder Engine
Single Updraft Carburetor, 10bhp
2-Speed Planetary Transmission
Leaf Spring Suspension
2-Wheel Mechanical Brakes
*Offered from long term private ownership
*Formerly in the renowned Protsman Collection
*Older restoration, now mellowed
THE CADILLAC
Founded by Henry Leland and Robert Faulconer, the Cadillac Automobile Company of Detroit, Michigan completed its first car in October 1902, and the firm's superior manufacturing technology - precision gear cutting was Leland and Faulconer's first specialty - soon established it as the foremost builder of quality cars in the USA. Cadillac's first automobile was a simple runabout powered by a single-cylinder engine - known as 'Little Hercules' - that was an exemplary performer by the standards of its day. Horizontally positioned and driving through a two-speed planetary transmission, the Cadillac could maneuver itself with ease through good and bad roads alike. Rated at 10 bhp, the powerplant was a tough rugged motor that could deliver 25-35 MPH, top speed and faster downhill. Additionally, spark advance could be controlled from the steering wheel, a feature that appeared in 1905.
The 'Tulip' body styles proposed by Cadillac Motor Company of Detroit Michigan were the most elegant of all their coachwork offerings. Stylishly designed, the two and four-seater bodies were the ultimate touring coachwork that any manufactured could offer. Their curvaceous lines accented the simple yet practical mechanics that propelled it along. Almost all European manufacturers offered similar designs and Henry Leyland was quick to incorporate this design into his already successful lineup.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
The current owner had long been an admirer of these Tulip bodied Cadillacs. While visiting the C.T. Protsman Collection on display at the Antique Auto and Music Museum in Stone Mountain Memorial Park in Virginia, he was asked which car he might be most interested in purchasing, and this was an immediate target of his affections. In acquiring Mr. Protsman's Cadillac Roadster he bought a particularly nice example, with a known history that stretched back many years.
The Cadillac had been discovered by Protsman in the late 1940s in a tired condition but complete with original bodywork in place. Photos of the find exist on file. A typically thorough restoration ensued, and it seems that the car was back on the road by 1952 when it is registered again. Photos from this period show the car fresh from restoration, and there is even a period holiday card from the Protsmans featuring the husband and wife aboard the car!
The Cadillac has been carefully displayed in a private collection where it was routinely checked over and occasionally run for a number of years. Equipped with its 'buggy' top and accessories such as E & J headlamps, this car looks every bit the catalog model of the day. Latterly its use has been more limited, leading to the decision to sell.
Always appreciated for their reliability and quality of build, more than 110 years on these early Cadillacs continue to provide usable mounts for Horseless Carriage Club Tours and other such events. After a number of static years, it has recently been recommissioned and will no doubt be welcomed back to those circles.
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