Cadillac Le Mans
Encyclopedia
The Cadillac Le Mans was a concept car developed by Cadillac
in 1953. It was named for the 24 Hours of Le Mans
race in France
, in which Cadillac competed in 1950. The design was a low-profile (51 inches (1,295.4 mm) to the windshield frame), two-seat, fiberglass
-bodied roadster. This concept showcased Cadillac's first wrap-around windshield. It was powered by a 250 hp version of Cadillac's 331 CI V-8, a power output not reached in production Cadillacs until 1955. The Le Mans overall length was 196 in (4,978 mm). Though 4 units were built, the model never went into production, and it would be nearly 50 years before Cadillac developed another vehicle with a similar design concept, the Cadillac XLR
. Of the four, one is documented as having been destroyed in a fire; the other three still exist with one of those currently in the Cadillac Historical Collection.http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/classic/112_0408_archive/
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
in 1953. It was named for the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
race in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, in which Cadillac competed in 1950. The design was a low-profile (51 inches (1,295.4 mm) to the windshield frame), two-seat, fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
-bodied roadster. This concept showcased Cadillac's first wrap-around windshield. It was powered by a 250 hp version of Cadillac's 331 CI V-8, a power output not reached in production Cadillacs until 1955. The Le Mans overall length was 196 in (4,978 mm). Though 4 units were built, the model never went into production, and it would be nearly 50 years before Cadillac developed another vehicle with a similar design concept, the Cadillac XLR
Cadillac XLR
The XLR was a retractable hardtop convertible marketed by the Cadillac division of General Motors, assembled in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Intended to be Cadillac's flagship sports car, the XLR was based on the Chevrolet Corvette's Y platform...
. Of the four, one is documented as having been destroyed in a fire; the other three still exist with one of those currently in the Cadillac Historical Collection.http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/classic/112_0408_archive/