The mid-1920s were a heady time for the American automotive industry.

Year over year, it seemed the internal combustion engine itself was being reinvented.

When just a few years earlier most cars sported four-cylinder engines, offerings from some manufacturers numbered up to 16 cylinders.

Not to be outdone, Cadillac, arguably America’s most opulent and exclusive manufacturer, premiered its own 12- and 16-cylinder designs in 1930.

The V-12 engine was reported as being identical to the V-16 except for having four fewer cylinders.

It featured a cast iron and aluminum crankcase, four main bearings, and mechanical valve lifters with hydraulic silencers.

The engine’s displacement measured 368 cubic-inches and was rated at 135 horsepower and 285 pound-feet of torque.

It could propel the “Standard of the World” to a claimed 80 mph, placing it among the fastest automobiles of its day.

All V-12s were equipped with a selective synchromesh three-speed manual transmission which negated the ...