1905 Cadillac

This 1905 Cadillac Model F is a four-passenger touring car that is said to have been delivered new to the Cadillac Motor Car Company showroom in New York City on October 18, 1905, and it underwent a refurbishment under previous ownership before it was purchased by the selling dealer in 2023. The car is finished in dark green with a cream-painted chassis and black fenders over black tufted leather upholstery, and power comes from a mid-mounted 98.2ci water-cooled single linked with a drive chain and a two-speed planetary-gear transmission. Equipment includes inboard rear mechanical brakes, 23″ wood-spoke wheels, Gray & Davis carriage lamps, brass trim, rear doors, and a tan soft top with detachable front and side curtains. This Model F is now offered with a clean Missouri title. Engineer Henry Leyland founded the Cadillac Automobile Company with financial support from William Murphy and Lemuel Bowen, investors behind the Henry Ford Company, which collapsed in 1902. Examples of its first models, the $750 Model A Tonneau and Runabout, were completed in October of that year and powered by the 98.2ci water-cooled single that was previously developed by Leyland and Alanson Partridge Brush for Oldsmobile but had been rejected due to tooling costs. In 1905, the automaker merged with engine builder Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing Company to become the Cadillac Motor Car Company. The Model F of 1905 was based on the Model A but featured a longer wheelbase, a louvered faux front hood, rear-hinged rear doors, and a non-detachable tonneau. It was offered with four-passenger touring or delivery bodywork. This example is said to have been repainted in its factory Brewster Green with cream pinstriping under previous ownership. Features include brass trim, Gray & Davis carriage lamps, black-painted fenders with front rubber mudguards, Cadillac-branded step plates, and a tan soft top with detachable front and side curtains. The 23″ wood-spoke wheels feature Cadillac Automobile Company-branded hub caps, and they are mounted with 30×3½ Firestone gray rubber bias-ply tires. The pressed steel frame is finished in cream paint with red accents, and it features a 76″ wheelbase with a transverse leaf spring up front and semi-elliptical units out back. Stopping power is provided by mechanical inboard brakes on the rear axle. The front barrelback seats and rear bench are trimmed in black tufted leather. A Cadillac-branded rubber floor mat is fitted up front, while the rear seating area features black carpets and patterned door panels. A Cadillac-LaSalle Club Senior prize plaque is mounted beneath the front seats along with a Selden patent plaque. The wood-rimmed steering wheel is mounted at the right side of the cabin and fronts column-mounted controls for throttle and spark advance as well as a brass bulb horn. The shift lever to the driver’s right engages reverse and high gear, while foot controls engage low gear and operate the brakes. No gauges are present, and mileage is unknown. The 98.2ci “Little Hercules” single is mounted beneath the front bench, and output was advertised at nine horsepower. A vertical radiator is equipped at the front of the car, and induction is handled by a single updraft carburetor. The car is titled by its engine number, 8261. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a drive chain and a two-speed planetary-gear transmission.