Please forgive me for speaking from the excitement of the moment, but as I first unboxed this magnificent diecast, my initial thoughts were superficial. I was tempted to pontificate in this review that anyone who did not have this replica in their collection should question the validity of the collection itself. It should be considered that important of a release. It’s wrong of me, I know, to expect everyone to relish a classic such as this the way I might. So suffice it to say that I believe this totally new tool-up from the best minds in diecast today, the DM boys, is a phenomenal new issue. Talk about your stately classic automobiles; once thought to emanate only from early Franklin Mint, this DM masterpiece dutifully rocks my model world. The subject matter, excellence in build and the color choice is exceptionally exciting.

No doubt about it, the 452-B V-16 Caddy Roadster was a big car and it translates large into a 1:24th diecast. Pick it up; it is substantial. The 1:1 was effectively a rolling billboard; big but rare. Only 300 were made. Cadillac did not use a standardized serial number system. Instead, at this point in production engine numbers were stamped on the right bank of the crankcase. Numbers started with 1400001 and ended with 1400300. Just for your thought process, consider the vital dimensions:

• Sixteen cylinders. (Can we say, “Two straight eights glued together side by side?”) • Displacement: 452 cu. in. • Bore and stroke: 3.00 x 4.00 in. • Compression ratio: 5.36:1 (Standard); 5.00:1, 4.90:1 (Optional). • Brake horsepower: 165 @ 3400 RPM. • Main bearings: Five. • Valve Lifters: Mechanical with hydraulic silencer on rocker bushings. • Carburetor: Detroit lubricator type L-14. • Wheelbase: 149 in. • Front Tread: 59-7/8 in. • Rear Tread: 61 in. • Tires: 7.50 x 18

This was largely a custom-order car. These powerful, grandiose highway-going “automotive statements” could be had in nearly any color the buyer originally chose so long as his payment was substantially green. DM chose to paint the car a color that I had seen once before and fell head-over-heels in love with. Page 23 of Rob L. Wagner’s, “Classic Cars”. It is a photo of a 1929 341-B V-8 Cadillac Roadster. There are precious few color descriptives to name, much less describe the shade that this car and Danbury’s model wears so elegantly. My close friend at the Mint calls it a Cinnamon over Chestnut but I completely disagree.

Forget the photos; you MUST see this exquisite lady in person to fully appreciate the hue of her beauty itself. I’d term the color a Warm Sienna, with just a hint of fine Mandarin blended into the mix. The fenders, lightly immersed in metallic, are close to a toasted Nutmeg shade. Ok, I wax poetic but the model is suitably waxed to a gloss perfection in its own right. Add a beige soft top or top boot, wide whites and a russet interior and you have a rich, luxurious statement suitable for display in the finest museum. The fit of the model is precise and exact. The doors, on precision internal hinges close tightly. The rumble seat opens and the fit of top and boot is faultless. Believe it or not, the suspension articulates evenly while granting perfect stance.

You may open the golf bag door too. You will find the same care given to the enclosure’s carpeting as that given to the interior. And the engine bay is to die for! Open either side, the rewards await in spades! Just behind the exquisite Goddess radiator mascot beats the heart of this rare beast. DM built in all sorts of detail elements to please the most discerning collector. Back when I rated these models on a ten-scale, I could never fully apportion such a gorgeous creation. But a 13, this opulent lady certainly deserves.

-Tony F. Perrone