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A Cadillac for Christmas?
This intriguing picture spent ages in our files so it’s about time to share it - now that Christmas presents may well be becoming an issue? We ourselves absolutely love it, and not just for that street sweeper with his well-used shovel.
That cool little Cadillac is a miniature built by UK Cadillac dealer Frederick Bennett in 1912 or 1913 for Prince Chula Chakrabongse – a cousin of Birabongse Bhanudej, who made a name in the UK (and International) racing circles as Prince Bira. The 1:3 scale Cadillac is believed to have been built in a series of four, with the first two thought to have gone to little Prince Olaf of Norway (who found it a bit too small and had a slightly roomier example made) and one for Cadillac-heir Wilfred Leland, who received his as a fifth birthday present.
The ‘Baby Cadillac’ weighed just over 180 kilos and could reach a 15mph top speed on battery power. The slightly larger Prince (later King) Olaf’s car is still owned by the Norwegian royal family today, who’ve loaned it to the Norsk Teknisk Museum in Oslo. There is some beautiful film footage of it being driven through London traffic, which can be seen here. The Prince Chula car is also believed to still be owned by his descendants, while the whereabouts of the Wilfred Leland car is unknown.
Words by Jeroen Booij.
Pubblicato:
lunedì novembre 30th, 2020
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The photo here shows the car, with Mona, Tom and a “Buck Chimpanzee in the dickey seat”, outside the Islington works of Messrs. J. Lockwood & Co., Motor Car Body Builders of the Liverpool Works, Brooksby-street, Liverpool-road, N, London, with the craftsmen who had rushed to complete it in time for Paris.
It was electrically powered using a three-purpose - starting, ignition set and lighting - installation and battery from the full size car. Otherwise, it was made wholly in the UK by Lockwood. It was described as two-fifths scale, having a wheelbase of four feet, to be geared down to seven miles per hour although capable of 12-16 and to weigh three and a half hundredweight. It had shaft drive to a live rear axle and a quadrant speed control. The wheels had specially made 15x2 inch Dunlop tyres and it was fitted with a genuine but miniature Klaxon horn.
Several replicas went around UK local car shows and distributor dealerships during 1913. One was bought for six year old Charlie Peare of Waterford, son of Mr. W. F. Peare one of the earliest motorist and motor traders in Ireland.
The film of the miniature at Marble Arch was made for showing at an American dinner party and it had consequences. Ralph Campbell, of the Cadillac Motor Car Company, Shaftesbury Avenue was summoned to appear at Marylebone Police Court in May 1913 for employing a boy of 16 to drive the car, knowing he was too young to be licensed. He was defended by the A.A’s solicitor, W. Taylor-Parkes. The British and Colonial Film Company had been unable find a small enough driver, so Campbell used his office boy. The judge considered it a deliberate breach of the law for the purpose of obtaining a cinematograph film and fined Campbell 40s, with 2s costs.