1929 Cadillac Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton

1929 Cadillac Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton, Sully Historic Site, Chantilly, Virginia

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1929 Cadillac Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton

In the last post we took a look at the 1936 Cadillac Fleetwood V-12.  Today we are going to look at an earlier classic from the same stable.  The 1929 Cadillacs were among the first examples of the prestigious marque to feature styling developed under the direction of Harley Earl, who founded the pioneering General Motors Art & Color design section in mid-1927.

The 1929 341B Cadillac Sport Phaeton sat on a 140-inch wheelbase, weighed 5,160 pounds and listed for $3,950.  One of the prettiest body styles available on the Cadillac chassis – and there were many – was the Fisher-bodied Sport Phaeton, as seen here.  The dual cowl phaeton was distinguished from other (less expensive) open Cadillacs by its flip-up tonneau cowl, which carried a folding windshield for the comfort of the rear-seat passengers.

1929 Cadillac Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton, Sully Historic Site, Chantilly, Virginia

–  Click on the image to enlarge or purchase  –

New features found on all 1929 Cadillacs included chrome plating and security-plate safety glass.  The 1929s were the first cars in the industry to have a synchronized three-speed transmission which eliminated the need to double-clutch when shifting gears.  They also featured mechanically actuated brakes.  An L-head V8 engine with a 341 cubic-inch displacement was standard.  It made 95 horsepower with the optional high-compression heads.

1929 Cadillac Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton, Sully Historic Site, Chantilly, Virginia

–  Click on the image to enlarge or purchase  –

Even though these cars contained the cutting edge technology of the day, they also kept to some of the details of their predecessors.  Wire wheels, with the spare tire held in place by leather straps, and column mounted spot lights on the running boards helped make the 1929 Cadillac Phaeton a true classic.

Summary

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1929 Cadillac Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton

Description

The 1929 Cadillac Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton was one of the first of the prestigious marque featuring styling by Harley Earl and his team

Author

Mark Summerfield

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Mark Summerfield

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