Cadillac V16 Boattail Roadster

Vehicle Overview

This Cadillac V16 Boattail Roadster origin led PininFarina to seek inspiration in the dominant fashion on the other side of the Atlantic in sports roadsters. In styling terms the Cadillac V16 is a two-seater spider, but its huge dimensions made it possible to carve out two dickey seats with doors and an upper door that concealed the presence of seats and hood in the long tapering tail. The Cadillac V16 Pininfarina Boattail Roadster mudguards were separate and the rear ones contained embryo flanging (this was later to become universally accepted); suppression of the running-board was justified by the side member cover with its sloping dummy slits to slim down the line. Other features were the two segment, blade-type windscreen and the side part of the bonnet with its five ventilation ports on each side instead of the traditional slits. The albeit fresh reputation of PininFarina as a coachbuilder had already flown beyond the bounds of his native land and this Cadillac was one of the first concrete signs.