1904 Cadillac Model F

The Cadillac Automobile Company was formed in 1902 following the demise of the Henry Ford Company, formed by Henry Ford and investors William Murphy and Lemuel W. Bowen. Production primarily focused on racing cars, causing the investors to get worried about profitability. Following disputes, Henry Ford left, leaving the investors with factories and assets in need of liquidation. Henry Martyn Leland of Leland and Faulconer was tasked with performing assessments of assets. Prior to this, Leland and partner Robert C. Faulconer (the financier and visionary individual of the company) had been contracted to design a revised engine for the Oldsmobile Curved Dash Runabout. The designs were ultimately rejected because of the increased cost it presented for Oldsmobile to retool the necessary machinery. Olds production had already been delayed due to a factory fire in March 1901.

While performing the assessment, Leland persuaded the investors to remain in the automobile business using the engine he had designed for Olds. Thus, birthed the Cadillac Automobile Company, named for Le Sieur Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the French explorer who had discovered Detroit in the early eighteenth century. The first prototypes were completed by October of 1902 and the maiden test-driven followed soon after. The first test drive was performed by Alanson P. Brush, a 24-year-old engineer who had been instrumental in the car's design.

The Cadillac was shown at the New York Automobile Show in January of 1903 where sales manager William E. Metzger took orders for 2,286 cars. By mid-week, he had declared that Oldsmobile was 'sold out.'

The early Cadillac was offered as either a Runabout or without a Tonneau. A single-cylinder engine provided the power, rated at 6.5 horsepower but actually produced 10 horsepower from the 98 cubic-inch displacement engine. Approximately 2,497 examples were built and sold in 1903.

The one-cylinder Cadillac had a 72-inch wheelbase, rode on 28x3 single tube tires with 12 spoke wood wheels, had a two-speed planetary transmission, and mechanical brakes on two wheels. The tonneau was a $100 option, the leather top with side curtains and storm apron retailed for $50, and the rubber top with side curtains and apron was $30.

Production continued into 1904 with prices remaining the same for the runabout and tonneau, and a Delivery body joining the lineup. It had a price of $850, the same as the tonneau, and had seating for two individuals. The one-cylinder engine had a cast-iron cylinder, copper water jacket, two main bearings, mechanical valve lifters, and an updraft mixer carburetor manufactured by Cadillac. It was backed by the two-speed planetary transmission, with mechanical brakes that contracted on inboard drums.

A Model B was added in 1904, with the same body styles and wheelbase as the Model A (a 72-inch wheelbase platform except for the Delivery which measured 76 inches). The Model B was priced at $50 more than the Model A, with a Surrey body style being exclusive to the Model B, retailing for $900. The Model B had a pressed steel frame and axles, a single transverse half-elliptic front spring, and a safety device to prevent the crank from being inserted when the spark control level was in the advanced position.

Despite a fire at the factory in the spring of 1904 which stopped production for 45 days, Cadillac finished the year with more sales than any other manufacturer in the country. This was an impressive accomplishment considering the fire and 1,500 deposits were returned.

Cadillac soon introduced the new four-cylinder Model D. This mighty machine had a 30 horsepower engine driving the 100-inch wheelbase. The demand for single-cylinder cars remained high, so new Model E and F were introduced. The Model E was a runabout while the F was a four-passenger tourer or a delivery car. Both models had a radiator mounted at the front of an 'engine hood,' in the style of a front-engine car, although the engine remained under the seat.

Cadillac produced and sold 4,029 vehicles in 1905.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2020