Cadillac made its cheaper V-12 look almost identical to the flagship V-16 — the only giveaway was a tiny "12" badge on the headlight bar, and buyers noticed: it outsold the V-16 more than fifteen to one.
Median 60 hp across 106 similar cars
Lead trim: V-12 Series 370D 368 cu in V12 (1934) · up to 150 hp
Cadillac V-12 Series 3701931–1935
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Cadillac V-12 Series 370 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactCadillac made its cheaper V-12 look almost identical to the flagship V-16 — the only giveaway was a tiny "12" badge on the headlight bar, and buyers noticed: it outsold the V-16 more than fifteen to one.
The Cadillac V-12 was an exclusive V-12-powered luxury car manufactured by Cadillac from 1930 through 1937, below only the top-of-the-line V-16, powered by the 368 cu in (6.0 L) Cadillac V12 and furnished with similar custom Fisher and Fleetwood bodies in relatively small numbers: 10,903 in seven model years, the majority in the first; it was Cadillac's first, and to date only, standard production V-12 automobile. The V-12 was essentially a truncated V-16, designed by Owen Nacker, retaining the V-16's 4-inch stroke but bored out to 3.125 in from 3 in, with a 45-degree bank angle (less ideal than a 60-degree design) and overhead valves; it was less powerful than the V-16, generating 135 versus 175 horsepower. The 1931 Model 370A, introduced in October 1930 (a V-12 roadster paced the Indianapolis 500), had a 140 or 143 in wheelbase against the V-16's 148 in, a hood four inches shorter and smaller headlights and horns, and cost about $2,000 less per body style, starting at $3,795; it outsold the V-16 with 5,733 sold in 1931 against 363. The 1932 370B (a flared radiator shell, a stiffer frame, a Cuno oil filter and dual Detroit Lubricator carburetors) sold 1,740 in the Depression; the 1933 370C (V-shaped grille, skirts on the front and rear fenders and Fisher no-draft vent windows) sold 953; the 1934 370D was restyled on a completely new chassis with dual X-frame construction, "Knee-Action" front suspension and Hotchkiss steering, and the 1935 370E added the Fisher Turret Top and an increase in horsepower to 150 (only 1,098 sold over the two years). Dimensions: wheelbase 140.0 in (1931), 134.0 or 140.0 in (1932–33) and 146.0 in (1934–35); 209.0 in long in 1931 and 216.0 in in 1934–35; 73.6 in wide (77.0 in from 1932); 72.5, 71.5 and 69.5 in high; 5,200–6,200 lb.
Collectors Spotted in the Cadillac V-12 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Cadillac V-12 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V-12 Series 370A 368 cu in V12 (135 hp, 1931) | 1931–1931 | 6.0 L V12 | 135 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| V-12 Series 370D 368 cu in V12 (1934) | 1934–1934 | 6.0 L V12 | 135 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| V-12 Series 370E 368 cu in V12 (150 hp, 1935) | 1935–1935 | 6.0 L V12 | 150 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
This was Cadillac's only standard-production V-12 ever built — and by 1937 it was down to one model, selling just 478 before Cadillac killed it for good.
Cadillac made its cheaper V-12 look almost identical to the flagship V-16 — the only giveaway was a tiny "12" badge on the headlight bar, and buyers noticed: it outsold the V-16 more than fifteen to one.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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