The spectacular Cadillac V16 first stunned audiences at the New York Auto Show in 1930.

The order books filled quickly, but after initially strong sales, production had dwindled as the American economy faltered on the cusp of the Great Depression.

As the 1930s wore on, such lavish motorcars were frowned upon by even the wealthiest of buyers who preferred discretion over flash.

Despite the dire economic conditions, the V16 soldiered on as GM’s halo model, and it stood proudly as a symbol of Cadillac’s unrivaled engineering excellence.

For the 1938 model year, Cadillac completely redesigned the car with an all-new engine and body design.

The new V16 replaced Owen Nacker’s exotic and costly overhead valve design, which Cadillac was said to have lost money on every one built.

Displacing 431 cubic inches, the new V16 was a more conventional design based on that of the V8, with a simple side-valve configuration and unusually wide 135-degree cylinder bank angle.

The engine produced 185...