From tourist car to a museum piece, this Caddy has lived a long 86 years

​Chances are most cars that have managed to survive 86 years would probably be in a sad and sorry state. A few though have defied the odds, and when patina meets provenance a true survivor is born.  

The prestigious Cadillac marque was steadily gaining a reputation for solid, reliable and luxurious cars in the '20s and the 1929 model was no exception. Styling was courtesy of Harley Earl who founded the General Motors Art and Colour design section in 1927. New features for the 1929 model were chrome plating and security safety glass. 

From the original signage painted on the door, the faded paint and the well-worn interior all give this Caddy plenty of patina.

These were the first cars in the automobile industry to have 'Synchro-Mesh', meaning that the driver didn't have to double clutch when changing gears. The standard 341cid L-head V8 engine developed 68kW.

During this time America was suffering from 'The Great Depression' which started when stock prices began to fall on September 4th 1929. Luxury car brands were hit hard and between 1928-1933, sales of Cadillacs dropped by 84 per cent. Some 18,000 Caddys were produced during 1929.  

The Cadillac featured here is from Joseph (Sid) Siedlecky's collection of early motor vehicles. Sid started his Blue Mountains Tours business in 1919 and was later advertised as Sid Siedlecky's Taxi and Tourist Services. As a trail blazer Sid was the first person to drive a Cadillac down into the Megalong Valley in NSW. He used a Cadillac due to its high road clearance, durability and reliability. The 1929 Cadillac was used as a tour car in the Blue Mountains operating out of Blackheath, 120km west of Sydney, for 25 years.

The Cadillac featured here is from Joseph (Sid) Siedlecky's collection of early motor vehicles.

In 1957 the Cadillac was purchased by John Cowan and stored for 13 years at Hamilton, NSW. In 1970, John sent a letter to General Motors Head Office requesting technical literature for the Cadillac so he could repair the engine. Unfortunately General Motors could not assist. From the receipts, it appears that John attempted to have the engine restored by someone else but with mixed success. When John Cowan passed away in 1970, the vehicle was sold by his estate to David Hayes who also stored the Cadillac for many years. 

In 2013, Mike Mundy from Road Side Relics stumbled across the Cadillac when he was visiting David to purchase some period petrol bowsers. Mike purchased the Cadillac and put the word out that he had found an interesting Caddy. Noel Klower, a keen collector of Cadillacs was made aware of Mike's find and contacted him. Noel struck a deal and bought the Cadillac over the phone sight unseen!

Robert Beardslee, an expert Cadillac restorer, was given the task to correctly assemble the engine (which was a mess) and install a new radiator. The V8 was now running as it should and was shipped to Noel to be displayed in his private collection. Noel has since fitted six white wall tyres to it.

The standard Cadillac 341cid L-head V8 engine developed 68kW.

Noel's love affair with all things automotive began with a red Studebaker truck. His uncle Cecil (CB Hanrahan) bought it new and used it as his farm hack. The truck was found many years later under a tree on the family farm and Noel decided to restore it. "I remember Uncle Cecil driving like a maniac in that truck as we went off fighting bush fires. As teenagers, we held onto the back wood planks for dear life!" Noel recalls.

From the original signage painted on the door, the faded paint and the well-worn interior all give this Caddy plenty of patina. Its a credit to previous owners and Noel, who have chosen to not go down the restoration path. The Cadillac represents the romantic bygone era of 1930s Australian tourism when people would journey by train to the Blue Mountains from Sydney and then book a tour in a relatively new contraption called a motor car. The Cadillac tours bought tourists no end of pleasure, the scenery was spectacular and the fun and novelty of being driven around in a car, which very few Australians could afford at that stage, all made for an unforgettable experience.

Story from Survivor Car Australia

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