Cadillac Model K Runabout
Car producer :  |
Cadillac |
---|---|
Model: |
Model K Runabout |
Year: |
1906-1907 |
Type: |
Runabout |
The first Cadillac automobiles were built in the last quarter, 1902; they were 2-seater "horseless carriages" powered by a reliable and sturdy 10HP (7 kW) single-cylinder engine developed by Henry Martyn Leland and built by Leland and Faulconer Manufacturing Company of Detroit, of which Henry Leland was founder, vice-president and general manager.
Reformed as the Cadillac Automobile Company in August 1902, it began manufacturing the runabouts and named them "Cadillac" after the city's founder Antoine Laumet, the self-styled Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac. This early "letter model" naming system was used from late 1902 (often considered 1903s) to 1908.
All single-cylinder Cadillacs share many parts in common. In fact, the Models E, F, K, M, S, and T are essentially the same vehicle with different bodies.
The Models A, B, C, E, and F shared a single-cylinder 98.2 in³ (1.6 L) engine rated from 6.5 to around 9HP (7 kW) depending on model. The cylinder was horizontal, pointing rearward, and was cast from iron with a copper water jacket. Bore and stroke were square at 5 in (127 mm).
The engine employed a patented variable-lift intake valve licensed from Alanson P. Brush. The restrictions of this design led the company to develop their own four-cylinder engine for the later Models D, L, G, and H.
Cadillac's single-cylinder line-up was consolidated into two models for 1906, the short wheelbase Model K and long wheelbase Model M. Priced at $750 for the Model K or $950 for the Model M, 3,650 units were sold that year. The K and M were essentially similar to the Models E and F from 1905 but with updated bodies.
Production and sale of the Models K and M continued in 1907.
The Model M continued as a commercial delivery vehicle for 1908, priced at $950.