Introduced in late 1909, the Model 30 represented an important historical chapter for Cadillac—and indeed, the automotive industry as a whole.

Well-regarded upon its debut, the Model 30 would add an electric starter for 1912.

Like so many inventions, the so-called self-starter was a luxury feature at first.

By doing away with the tricky and potentially dangerous crank-starter, however, it would dramatically increase the accessibility and widespread appeal of the automobile.

The model was refined for 1913.

As this Five-Passenger Touring shows, the body was reworked; streamlining was years away from being a trend, but the fenders were made rounder, and the abrupt transition between hood and cowl was smoothed over somewhat.

Less immediately obvious were mechanical refinements.

The electrical system was improved and simplified, and the L-head inline-four engine’s displacement was increased to 365.8 cubic inches, among other improvements.

This was the first model year for which Cadi...