cover book, The First 75 Years of Transportation Products. Steve explains it’s also all over the Internet. “It’s been in TV shows, YouTube videos,” says Steve. “It’s one of the most significant GM vehicles ever produced. It has a massive 154-inch wheelbase and was the longest car ever produced up to that time. This car is so huge, it is 9 ft 2 inches from the horn button to the bumper.” It drew admiring stares in 1946 during New York City’s Victory Parade, one of the biggest ticker-tape parades that celebrated the end of the World War II. The 1934 Cadillac style 5885 series 452 D V16 5 passenger Victoria styled convertible coupe was one of the most powerful and smoothest riding vehicles of its time. For fifteen years, Steve Plunkett turned his love of cars into the Fleetwood Country Cruize-In, an event that supported local Charities and raised over $1.7 million. “Taking a passion that I love and creating an event that benefits so many people has been a blessing,” says Steve. The event attracted thousands of people and cars from across North America. When not at home on his estate on the outskirts of Riverbend, Steve tours invitational car events and shows across North America, showcasing his classic cars.
Forty Years Ahead of Its Time – The 1934 Cadillac That Stole the Show Steve Plunkett owned this one-of-one car for fifteen years and displayed it in his collection before selling it for an eye-popping $2 million. Only a handful of coupes from the 1934–1937 era survive today, but this one is special. The 1934 Cadillac style 5885 series 452 D V16 5 passenger Victoria styled convertible coupe may be gone but not forgotten in Steve’s collection as he points out key details. “Note the art deco styling,” says Steve, “concealed spoke wheels, radio and five settings for ride control on the fly, power brakes and energy-absorbing bumpers. This car was forty years ahead of its time.” It had plenty of storage with a built-in trunk and a truck rack. It featured a banjo steering wheel. The V16 engine was introduced just as the Depression sunk people’s finances in 1930. Only fifty-six V16 engines were produced in 1934, as they were never a big seller and expensive to produce. But to GM, it was about more than sales figures. The V16 was meant to elevate the Cadillac brand and show off its engineering know-how against competitors such as Deusenberg and Marmon. It had an original price tag of $8150., extremely expensive for the era. Its first owner, lumber fortune heir Hugh McLeod Fenwick, shipped the car to Paris several times so he could tour the French countryside in luxury. Fenwick kept the car for nearly four decades. After that, it passed through the hands and shops of several well-known collectors. In the 1980s, John Freeman oversaw a meticulous restoration that won several awards. Fleetwood primarily designed and built the chassis for V16s and customers could order a fully customized body or choose design elements from a catalogue. You can spot a Fleetwood body by its iconic V windshield. This particular car is the most famous of all V16 Cadillacs produced in the engine’s ten-year run. Among its credits, it was the vehicle chosen for the centrefold of the 1983 GM hard
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Riverbend Villager November 2025
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