1904 Cadillac
Model B

The Cadillac Automobile Company was born in Detroit in 1902, built on the precision-manufacturing reputation of Henry Leland, whose machine shop made engines and parts to tolerances few in the young industry could match.

The company took its name from Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who founded Detroit in 1701. Its earliest cars, including the 1904 Model B, were powered by a single-cylinder engine, and Cadillac quickly built a reputation for dependability. In 1908 the company won the Royal Automobile Club's Dewar Trophy for demonstrating the interchangeability of its parts.

Restoration

• The car was restored by Simon Butler in the UK. After the restoration, Butler had the car dated by the VCC, and has driven it in the Veteran Car Run several times.

Design & Engineering

• Power comes from a single horizontal cylinder of cast iron with a copper water jacket. Displacement is 98.2 cubic inches, and the factory rated the engine at 8.25 horsepower.
• The crankshaft rides in two main bearings, and lubrication is by a pressure-fed multiple oiler.
• The transmission is a planetary type with two forward speeds and reverse: a 3:1 low gear, reverse, and direct drive for high.
• Power reaches the rear axle by chain drive.
• The frame and axles are pressed steel, and the wheels are wood with 12 spokes.
• Brakes act on two wheels only.
• The car weighs about 1,420 pounds, and measures roughly 9.5 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 5 feet high.
• The factory price was $900.