Car Details

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    MPN
    TSM124313
    Brand
    TrueScale Miniatures
    Comments
    MSRP
    98.00
    Scale
    1:43
    Model Year
    1937
    Automaker
    Cadillac
    Model
    V-16 Hartmann Roadster
    Color
    Ltd Ed
    0
    Date Issued
    December 30, 2012
    Series
    TrueScale Miniatures
    Link to buy
    Find Cadillac at Legacy Diecast
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    Review

    Variety has become something expected from TSM, and the new 1937 Cadillac V-16 Hartmann Roadster accelerates that anticipation.

    In August 1937, near Lausanne, Switzerland, a young Philippe Barraud took possession of a new special-bodied 1937 Cadillac V-16 roadster. He wanted a car to compete with the Delahayes, Delages, Talbot-Lagos and other adult toys of the wealthy and started with the latest Cadillac V-16 engine and chassis, an incredible 154-inch wheel base. Then he contracted with the closest independent coach builder, Willy Hartmann. Hartmann drew a few sketches, and Philippe immediately chose a streamlined roadster proposal featuring fully enclosed fenders front and rear. The resulting roadster was some 22 feet long and the Swiss government initially insisted it was a truck. In not only size but also visual impact, Hartmann delivered a car to Philippe Barraud that was astonishing then and now.

    The complete story of the Hartmann Cadillac is best told by historian Yann Saunders in his Cadillac Database site (http://www.cadillacdatabase.org/Dbas_txt/16hrtm.htm) . <p>Through World War II, different owners, a period of neglect, and multiple revisions, restorations, and confusion both accidental and deliberate, in the late 1980’s this imposing Cadillac reached the stage which is reproduced in 1:43 scale by TrueScale.

    TrueScale’s model is just about as impressive on display with other 1:43 models as the original must have been on the Swiss lakefronts with its contemporaries. Dominated by the brilliant red finish and broad chrome accents of the 1980’s revisions and restoration, the roadster has detailed headlights (no black centers!), proper windshield wipers, the stand-alone taillights, and even the miniscule dashboard triangular marking that Mr. Saunders writes of in detail. Those great enveloped fenders obviously made driving the Alps a motoring adventure. For sheer visual impact, this V-16 Cadillac by Hartmann has earned a spot in my collection. For those who would prefer this roadster in earlier forms, investigate the EMC versions.

    The resin construction of the body of the model, as well as its purchaser-friendly price, result in no moving parts. The underside of this 1:43 scale work also demonstrates with its thick construction something that might have to some degree been true of the original- this is not a car for sharp turns and easy handling. But it is really magnificent in stature, whether at Pebble Beach or the collector’s display shelf. Well done, TrueScale.

    Reviewed by David Holcombe · December 11, 2013

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