Watch Jay Leno Bask in the Glory of Cadillac's V-16

Photo credit: Jay Leno's Garage - YouTube
Photo credit: Jay Leno's Garage - YouTube
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If you've ever wondered what a supercar from before World War II looks and sounds like, well, today's your lucky day. Jay Leno got the chance to drive what is perhaps the greatest Cadillac of all time, and we're endlessly jealous.

Cadillac's 1930 V-16 is the stuff of legends. Developed in secret by engineers, it was a massive technological achievement for the GM brand at the time. Essentially two Buick straight-eights fused together, it used overhead cams and made around 175 hp. While that couldn't match Duesenbergs of the time, it was still an aspirational car meant for bankers and Wall Street execs, says Leno.

What really made the V-16 Cadillacs great was the driving experience, though. The engine, as you'd expect, pulls like a freight train, with Leno comparing the torque to the type you'd feel in a modern electric car. The ride, too, is wonderfully cushy. Perhaps most surprising is Leno's comment about the sound. On video it seems we can hear the engine clearly, but Jay, halfway through his drive, claims he can barely hear it at all, even with the top down.

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