First world war Cadillac makes it on to National Register

The last remaining first world war Cadillac type 57 is to be placed on the Historic Vehicle Association's National Register later this month in recognition of its historic importance.

It was discovered in 2005 by Cadillac fanatic Marc Lassen, who told Hemmings Classic Car in 2012: "I knew in a second that this car was real - everything was exactly as it should be for an untouched survivor car. I had no idea how I could prove it was authentic, but I wanted to see if I could."

HVA Cadillac 1918
The 1918 Cadillac Type 57 is the last of its kind

Around 2,500 Type 57s were designed in 1918 to carry officers of the American Expeditionary Force. They were flat packed and shipped across to Europe before being reassembled.

Lassen managed to track down the original buyer of the Cadillac, a Dr John Hopkins Denison, who had bought it in 1917.  

He explained the reason for its rarity: "In the 1920s, nobody even wanted to think about the war, let alone see a vehicle from it, so there was no interest in saving them".  

"If any other cars did make it back, then we had the materials shortages of the Depression and World War II, so I imagine they'd have been scrapped during that time."

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