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It’s no secret to those of us in the hobby that Jay Leno is a car aficionado. His collection contains a little bit of everything. The comedian and Late Night host also has a popular YouTube series, Leno’s Garage where he often showcases something cool from his collection, and often a bit of car history as well.
Having spent it's entire life in southern California, this nearly 100 year old Cadillac is well preserved, right down to it's original paint job.
On the most recent installment of Leno’s Garage, Jay show’s off his 1918 Cadillac Type 57 Victoria. This car is safe to say probably ninety five to ninety nine percent original. But it would appear the tires have probably been updated to a more modern compound for cruising reliability.
We would think that wear parts such as belts and brake linings would also have to have been replaced at some point. As Leno quickly points out someone also added some green accents to the headlamps at some point in time. However the rest of the car is original and intact, right down to it’s wood spoke wheels.
Jay explaining that Cadillac's take on vehicle problems was that they were usually the owner's fault.
Leno goes over the car in detail during the segment. We found his take on the owner’s manual especially comedic. He points out several cool features of this old time ride, including the “Fat Man” steering wheel, designed for the more robust owners.
Another innovative feature is the engine driven air compressor. We’re uncertain if this was standard equipment or an option, but much like a PTO system the engine can drive an air compressor which will allow the operator to fill the car’s tires. Impressive idea for so long ago.
Leno takes the car out for a drive as well in the video, demonstrating the control systems, which with the exception of a throttle lever on the wheel and a pressurizing pump on the dash for the fuel system, are laid out very much like today’s modern cars. He also goes on to talk about how even today this car is such a great driver.
Left: The 1918 Cadillac features one of the first mass produced American V8s. This car's engine has never been dismantled or rebuilt. Right: The car still rides on it's original wood spoke wheels.
For a very long time Cadillac was truly the standard of the world in the car business. The company offered superior craftsmanship that rivaled some of highest end coach builders. In fact you’d probably pay twice as much to find a car any nicer in most cases. Competing with the best from Europe and America, the company was an innovator in many areas of the automotive world. It’s great to see this piece of automotive history being both preserved and enjoyed.
