HAYNES DESCRIPTION:

In 1929 the president of Cadillac Motor car Company, Lawrence P. Fisher, announced the most fabulous Cadillac of all, the 16 cylinder series 452. The announcement of the new V16 created a sensation in the motoring world in much the same way as Cadillac’s pioneering V8 some 15 years before. The Owen Naker designed V16 was a mechanical and artistic masterpiece and was the first automobile engine to bear the mark of a stylist. It was a handsome creation of chrome and polished aluminum, porcelain and gleaming black enamel, with no trace of unsightly wires or hoses, everything was placed tidily out of sight or under covers. The 452A series of 1931 was virtually unchanged from that of the 1930 452 series and utilized a 148 inch wheelbase chassis. Customers could choose from a bewildering array of semi-fleetwood body styles, some 54 in all, ranging from sporty roadsters to formal limousines. At $9,700 each they were at the very top of the price range. Including in this array of styles was a limited production series of four door sedans which bore the intriguing designation “Madame X”. The ‘Madame X’ body style was designed G.M.’s Harley End and the story of its naming is intriguing. Madame X is the central character of a play which showing at the Fisher Theatre, across the street from the old GM building in down town Detroit. Harvey saw the show and afterwards went back stage to meet the cast members. There he met Ruth Chatterton who had played the lead roll. He was so enchanted her, he promised to name the next Cadillac body style after her. He could have named the car ‘Cadillac Ruth’ or ‘Cadillac Chatterton’ but I suspect that G.M. Would not agree to that. Instead they settled with the name of the character she played: ‘Madame X’.