In winning the prestigious Dewar Trophy for dependability in 1908, a mere five years after building its first automobile, Cadillac had cemented a reputation as the leader in rigorously engineered, meticulously manufactured automobiles.

This reputation led it to be acquired the following year by the newly formed General Motors Corporation as its prestige division, solely devoted to the production of luxury automobiles.

Recognizing the disappearing market for single-cylinder engines, Cadillac’s first move as a member of GM was to consolidate all models into one four-cylinder-powered car, the Model 30.

The trimmed-down production line enabled Cadillac to be more efficient and cut the Model 30’s list price by over 25 percent in 1909 from the previous year, while improving the engine and driveline at the same time.

Cadillac’s signature 3.7-liter, inline, four-cylinder engine produced 30 horsepower and was mated to a more refined three-speed, selective sliding gear transmission with two-...