1918 Cadillac Roadster Type 57

• Complete seven-year, body-off professional restoration with no expense spared
• Complete meticulous engine rebuild using all new parts
• Collapsible “fat man wheel”
• New wooden exterior
• New royal blue paint
• New black leather upholstery
• Boyce MotoMeter
• Rumble Seat
• Waltham 8-Day Dash Clock
• Warner Odometer

The 1918 Roadster Type 57

“It is often forgotten that the 1918 Cadillac represented quite a significant step forward for the com­pany, as its first ever-so-subtle step towards a modern, and indeed, streamlined design. The restyled bodywork now featured a hood and cowl that formed a continuous line to the windshield, and both the hood louvers and windshield were inclined by six degrees, giving the car a bit sportier appearance. Cadillac audaciously offered their V-8-powered automobile in no fewer than 17 body styles, including five different limousine configurations alone. It was truly one of America’s best-engineered automobiles, and a great credit to its creators.

The most beautiful of the 1918 Cadillacs was undoubtedly the two-passenger roadster, of which the car offered here is a high-quality example. In the consignor’s ownership this car underwent a complete, body-off restoration, reportedly taking some seven years to complete, and including a full rebuild of the V-8 engine. The car’s build sheet indicates that this engine number was orig­inally mounted in a town landaulet, while the body shell is an orig­inal, likely from another example, rebuilt with new wood. The body was finished in a rich royal blue, with black leather interior to both the driver’s compartment and rumble seat, with accents of a black fabric top, blue wooden-spoke “artillery” wheels, and blackwall tires. Nickel accents throughout are few and subtle, including the headlamps, radiator gauge, and hubcaps, while the rear-mounted spare adds an appropriately jaunty and jazzy touch.

The meticulous restoration was completed in 2018, in time for the car’s 100th birthday, after which it was exhibited at a handful of East Coast events. It has otherwise been well-preserved within the owner’s distinguished collection of pre-war Cadillacs, with occasional exercise. Undoubtedly few 1918 Cadillacs have been restored to such a high standard of presentation and finish.

A striking example of a significant model within the history of the storied marque, this car is deserving of the greatest collection of “The Standard of the World.”

One of the most beautiful Cadillacs of its era

• Attractively presented full restoration
• Well-preserved since completion; a fine example
• Engine No.57H658”

-RM Sotheby’s, 2025


CADILLAC

In 1902, Henry Ford left the Henry Ford Com­pany with several of his key partners. With Henry M. Leland of Leland & Faulconer Manu­fact­uring Com­pany, they began manu­fact­uring automobiles with Leland’s single-cylinder engine. They named this venture Cadillac Automobile Com­pany after the French explorer who founded Detroit in 1701, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, and based the logo on his coat of arms. This made Cadillac among the first automotive brands in the world, and they immediately began producing 10 HP horseless carriages called Runabouts and Tonneaus that were almost identical to the Ford Model A. Because of their precision manu­fact­uring and reliability, Cadillac quickly accumulated orders and in 1905, merged with Leland to form the Cadillac Motor Com­pany. By 1906, they were the first volume manu­facturer of a fully enclosed car and gained international notice as the awards for interchangeability and reliability began to pile up.

It’s no wonder that General Motors took notice of America’s premier luxury car maker and pur­chased it in 1909. Together, they founded the mass production of automobiles and many innovations, including the first full electrical systems, Synchro-Mesh manual transmission, the first mass-produced auto­matic transmission, steel roofs, dual-plane crankshafts, and shatter-resistant glass. Of the three engines they developed, the V8 set the standard. They would go on to make more than large luxury vehicles, producing limousines, military vehicles, ambulances, and even hearses. In the midst of the Great Depression, they introduced the iconic V-16 engine, and sales bounced back and then some by 1940.

To this day, Cadillac automobiles, a pinnacle of GM’s 2.7 million vehicles sold in 2024, remain a global brand of luxury.

See the stages of this restoration in over 70 detailed photos.