Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
LOT 26P
1930 Cadillac Series 452 V-16 Roadster Coachwork by Fleetwood Chassis no. 7-1924 Engine no. 01761 Body no. 51
Estimate: US$1,000,000 - US$1,200,000
Lot 26P
The ex-John Moir
1930 Cadillac Series 452 V-16 Roadster
1930 Cadillac Series 452 V-16 Roadster
1930 Cadillac Series 452 V-16 Roadster
Coachwork by Fleetwood
Chassis no. 7-1924
Engine no. 01761
Body no. 51
Coachwork by Fleetwood
Chassis no. 7-1924
Engine no. 01761
Body no. 51
452 Cubic Inch Overhead-Valve 60-degree V-16 engine
Twin Updraft Cadillac Carburetors
165bhp at 3,400rpm
3-Speed Manual Gearbox
Solid Axle Front, Live Axle Rear, Semi-Elliptic Springs
4-Wheel Mechanically Operated Drum Brakes
*One of the finest surviving V-16 roadsters
*Single-family ownership from 1933-2014
*Retains its original engine, chassis, and Fleetwood body
*Finished in its as-delivered colors of "Boone Brown" with "Thorn Maroon" trim
*A Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) Full Classic®
THE MOIR FAMILY V-16 CADILLAC
In 1933 a young Massachusetts man named John Moir, Sr. visited his local Lincoln dealer, Baker Ford Company of Brookline, where he discovered an intriguing motorcar that had been recently traded in. Moir Sr. was a man of means, as his family recently sold their Chase & Sanborn Coffee Company to General Mills for a considerable sum. So, it may seem unusual for a wealthy young family man of this sort to be after a used car. But this was no ordinary time, as 1933 was during the height of the Great Depression, and this was no ordinary used car – it was the finest car America had to offer – a mighty Cadillac Series 452 V-16 fitted with Fleetwood's sportiest body, the 2/4-passenger rumble-seat roadster.
The car, engine number 701761, was just three years old at the time. It had been delivered to Fitzhenry Cadillac Company of Worcester, Massachusetts for Matthew Whittall Jr., the son of a prominent local mill owner. The Whittall's owned "Juniper Hall", a sprawling 100-acre estate in nearby Shrewsbury which served as their summer cottage. The Cadillac V-16 would not have been out of place on the estate, and it is believed to have shared the carriage house with a chauffeur-driven V-16 limousine.
Factory records show the V-16 Roadster left the factory in Boone Brown with Thorn Maroon for the moldings, wheels, and rear deck. Rich Maroon leather featured on the seats and trim panels. Early V-16 roadsters used higher speed rear axle ratios (4.07:1 in this case), which, combined with the lightweight Fleetwood body, ensured 100mph performance. The solid axles, mechanical brakes, and 30's era roads meant that sort of speed required a robust disposition, which Mr. Whittall reportedly did not possess. After a brief tenure, he became a bit spooked by the Cadillac's performance and traded it in for a new, and rather more sedate, Lincoln K.
It is also possible that the financial pressure of the Great Depression—or the social pressure to avoid being seen driving such an extravagant conveyance—may have also forced the sale. As John Moir, Jr., wrote in his handwritten recollections, "in 1933 big, gas guzzling cars were hard to sell, so Dad got a bargain." The elder Moir reportedly paid $500 for what was a nearly new automobile, which he drove until World War II when fuel rationing made such transportation impractical for anyone.
After the War, Moir Sr. gifted the Cadillac to John Moir, Jr., who used it while at school at Harvard College for 3 1/2 years, then to commute to his office at the Museum of Science in Boston. In 1950, his father insisted that he upgrade to a more suitable car for a young man to drive in Boston traffic, so he ordered a new AC 2-Liter Buckland tourer. However, the Moirs were a family that seldom parted with their possessions, and the Cadillac proved no exception.
The $500, onetime college car was stored and carefully preserved original condition until the early 1990s, when John Jr. sent it to Curt Hardee of Hooksett, New Hampshire, for restoration in "the only colors it has ever worn." It was dressed up with a radiator stone guard, but otherwise remained astoundingly authentic, retaining every original component save only the radiator "Goddess," whose pot metal crumbled, and the mirrors on the side-mount spares, replacing the long-lost originals.
While it scored 98.25 points and received its CCCA Primary First Prize in 1997, the V-16 roadster seldom made public appearances outside of Moir's Chocorua, New Hampshire home. His love of the 2-liter Buckland tourer that replaced the V-16 in the '50s led him to become a preeminent expert in AC cars, and a passion for automobiles of all sorts inspired him to assemble the famous "A to Z" collection, with one automobile for every letter of the alphabet. The V-16 not only represented the letter "C", but also served as the flagship.
In 2014, John Jr.'s advancing age led to the dispersal of his entire collection, including the V-16 roadster, which had by that point been in single-family ownership longer than almost any other—81 years!
Since changing hands, the roadster continues to present beautifully, with its handsome and correct livery, and the interior in excellent condition. Both the undercarriage and engine compartments are tidy and attractive, reflective of Mr. Hardee's sympathetic restoration.
The Moir V-16 is quite simply one of very finest examples of the most sought after and sportiest Pre-War Cadillac, a car beloved and respected by many, perhaps none more than the Moir family, who cherished it for so long.
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