1915 Cadillac V8

We want to learn something about the first V8 engine. No, not the first attempts of Rolls-Royce, three copies, only one of which was sold, and some only about 50 years later. Not even the huge racing version of Darracq from the same year. Rather more about the V8 of DeDion Bouton from the year 1910, in bigger series built.

However, DeDion had its best time behind it, quite in contrast to the company Cadillac, which built at that time and long afterwards with great success vehicles with four-cylinder engines. In wise foresight and with a view to the many-existing six-cylinder in-line, Henry Leland, the boss of Cadillac, was planning to offer future V8 engines.

It came in 1915 and was probably based on the DeDion engine. It was obviously not yet, as later Henry Ford, able to cast a complete V8 cylinder block, but was satisfied with two V4, by the way, initially still with cylinder head in one part. Nevertheless, there was already the advantageously short crankshaft, but with all the crankings in a plane, today rather unusual for normal passenger cars.

Although there were soon competitors who offered a crankshaft with cranking in two planes and counterweights at the V8, at Cadillac it takes until 1924. The normal cylinder angle of 90° was quickly undercut by the newly founded Lincoln Motor Company by 30°.

So far the similarities with the DeDion engine, because Cadillac developed the system with thermosiphon cooling further for two coolant pumps, including thermostats, battery ignition and better exhaust gas routing. Above you see a V8 of 1918 for officers with 61 kW (83 SAE-PS). It already has a (for fat man) adjustable steering system, a compressor for filling the tires and a mechanical headlight range adjust system from the driver's seat. 06/17

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