Just before the “roaring ’20s” gave way to the Great Depression, two sisters bought this 1929 Cadillac Close Coupled Sedan or “Town Sedan,” and the current owner bought it from their estate in 1970. Now it comes to market here on Craigslist with claimed original paint and mostly original everything-else! Thanks to NewCadillacDatabase for some details. The shortened body made room for a detachable trunk and aided parking and maneuverability for “city dwellers.” New fender-mounted parking lights and engine cover louvers not extending fully forward uniquely identify the ’29 Caddy. This Virginia City, Nevada classic can be yours for $39,900. Thanks to reader numskal for spotting this barn-kept beauty from just before “Black Tuesday.”
Steering wheel levers offer hand throttle (top) and lighting controls (bottom). Instruments include a lubrication reminder, gauges for oil, charging, and temperature, plus dash controls for carburetor heat and enrichment and ignition timing. Meanwhile my 2006 BMW 750Li doesn’t show engine temperature unless I enable a “secret menu,” and the BMW manual warns you not to drink the antifreeze. Is that progress?
While pictures of the V8 engine escaped this listing, Cadillac offered a fabulous V16 engine in 1929 for those who demanded the ultimate in one-upmanship at the club. This ’29 is missing its elegant “Flying Goddess” hood ornament, unless it was removed for safe keeping.
A comfy sofa to the rear makes this five-passenger town sedan perfect for a night on the town or a cross-country drive. The upholstery seems to have dodged the snacking of rodents and other ills of long-term storage.
Wooden spokes graced Cadillac for the last time in model year 1929, and these appear servicable, though please consult an expert before heading off toward the horizon. The seller offers a video of the engine running, so that’s encouraging indeed as I can’t recall the last time I heard someone at the local parts store saying, “I need some items for a ’29 Cadillac.”
Seat and door upholstery appears to match originals shown at NewCadillacDatabase. As the numbers of those who can remember a 1929 Cadillac as a “used car” and not a show-ready classic dwindle, owning a never-restored example in decent condition commands great respect. Let’s hope someone preserves this one and enjoys it after minimal refurbishment for safety. Have you seen a hoarded-away classic like this in your neighborhood?
That’s a lot of money, but if all you have to is a few minor repairs, clean it up and drive it,that’s a good deal..
Wow! Seeing this car reminds me of the way we found them
50-60 years ago. Seems like you or anyone you knew had some story, or stories about a neighbor that had an old car
squirreled away in their garage somewhere. For our younger readers or newbies to this site, this is a REAL barn find and a really good one too. Sometimes, you might find an old car at your Aunt Effie’s family reunion. And while the adults are reliving old memories, you and the rest of the kids would go poking around the barn to see what you can find. And if you were lucky, there was Uncle Elmer’s old Chevy parked in the corner.
It’s covered with dust but complete and you try the door and it opens! You climb inside and have a seat. And in your teen
age mind, you think what a great hot rod that Chevy would make. Such was life back then and still is today. As for this car, get it running, lose those wood spoke rims as they are quite dangerous when the spokes pop out when you take a corner and the wheel folds up like an accordion. Add some wire rims for safety, decent tires for more grip, and enjoy. Can’t wait for Rick W and Angel to comment on this one.
I hope it gets preserved, but…although I am not a hot rod guy, I think it would make a cool hot rod. I am expecting to get a lot of hate for that comment. To minimize the outrage: I do think a 472 or 500 inch Cadillac engine would be the ticket rather than a belly button LS
Still, no
A boy can dream, can’t he?
Please accept my measure of hate.
Hate accepted
Beautiful!!
Someone with a few $$$ burning a hole in their pocket needs to grab and properly preserve this neat Caddy to show what a real Cadilliac looked like once upon a time.
I did a double take when I read that two sisters had purchased this Caddy. My mother was born in September ’29 and she and my grandparents got a ride home from the hospital in a 29 Caddy. But that was in Illinois, and I never got to see the car as it was long gone by the time I came around in the 50s, it was long gone. Beautiful car, though.
Just love Todd’s line about the BMW warning not to drink the antifreeze. I wonder how much money BMW paid some legal firm to advise them that this was a necessary inclusion in the owners manual. This tells you all you need to know about how far we have strayed from the days when people were expected to exercise common sense. So I am going to officially include this one in my fantasy garage. I would love to take this to cars and coffee. GLWTS.
As Cadillacs go, $40,000 for this is a steal in my opinion (and ya’ll know I have lots of opinions) this is in incredible shape for being 96 years old. The interior looks almost new. Was this car ever used? Or did they bring it home from the dealer two blocks away and park it in a garage until their estate sold it and the buyer parked it in another garage? Cars today have more wear and tear on them just driving home from the dealer.
I would have like to see the rear of this luxobarge with its “removable trunk” but if there’s a frontal view there is rarely a rear view or vice versa.
I hope is monument to motoring excellance goes to a good home or at the very least a museum for educational posterity.
I found out a little bit more about our giant friend here. Last night, I googled 1929 Cadillac Town Sedan looking for more pics of this car in order to make a print of this car. I scrolled down the list looking at the pics when lo and behold, our giant friend here was on another website with the seller being a bit more forthcoming about this car to others on the website. He was telling the people there how he came to own the car, and given what we know already, his story is indeed legit. Seems as though the car had been bought new by a wealthy family that year. After the parents passed away,
their two spinster daughters who drove the car until they passed away in 1949. The car remained with their estate until 1970, when the seller bought it. In closing, the seller told all who were there that he was moving to Mexico and couldn’t take the car with him. So now you know the rest of the story.
I have no desire to buy this car. As it just doesn’t appeal to me. HOWEVER, it is not too far away from me. So if anyone here would like me to inspect it for them. I can do that.
Seriously ????
Really cool to see that as a true survivor. I used to think it was sin modify an old car in such good condition but lets be honest unless you live in a small town its not safe to drive something that old. It should get a newer V8 modern brakes and like the man said new wheels and tires. Then the car can be driven and enjoyed and the public can enjoy it also.
What, no Tommy gun? Cue “The Untouchables”. Pretty close to Al Capones Caddy, his was a ’28, but you get the idea. When that green Caddy rolled through the Northwoods on his way to the hideout, everybody knew who was in town. A friends dad and brother, as young men, ran a fishing guide service, and claimed to have taken Capone and some cronies on fishing trips. His dad was no BSer, and of course, no pictures allowed, but I believed him.
So what happens to all these “full classics” just sitting collecting dust. You were once so proud, look at you now,,,
I’ll take this over an Escalade truck any day.
I could just see this car at Old Town in Kissimmee on one of their weekend cruises. Of course, the occupants would all be dressed as gangsters and carrying fake Tommy guns. What a a blast that would be. Or, play it for laughs as the Ant Hill Mob from the Wacky Races cartoon. No matter what you do with it, this old gal will steal the show wherever she goes. I’d love to see Angel try and drive this car even if for a little bit.
That way, I could see just what it was like for young ladies to
drive a car like this back then. Sorry folks, no synchros in the tranny, and you had to double clutch everything. Angel, you’d
look so dainty doing that! And as for Al Capone, he did indeed own a modest home in Bloomington IL where he hid out when Elliott Ness and the Untouchables were looking for
him. And if my cousin didn’t sell it, or it didn’t get torn down,
the house was located at 909 North Mason Street not far from a little Mom & Pop store my aunt and uncle would send us to for their cigarettes. On my last visit there in 2006, it looked like my cousin had maintained the house very well.
When I was younger, Mr. Crawford, who lived next door, told me stories of how Mr. Capone would come there twice a month to escape the Feds and visit with friends he made back then. It was said to blend in, Capone would drive a dark colored Chevy sedan so as not to attract so much attention to himself. Whoever you talked to in that neighborhood always had a story to tell about being Al Capone’s neighbor.