The 1918 Cadillac Type 57, with engine number 57A704, is currently on display in the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation's National Historic Vehicle Register exhibit, powered by the Hagerty Drivers Foundation.
DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The 1918 Cadillac Type 57, with engine number 57A704, is currently on display in the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation's National Historic Vehicle Register exhibit, powered by the Hagerty Drivers Foundation. On display until July 2024, this vehicle has a strong connection to America's involvement in World War I.
Known by its United States military designation U.S 1257X, the vehicle was the 257th passenger car to be registered and was used a support vehicle for the American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.) and Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) efforts.
The vehicle was used to support French and American troops at the front during the Second Battle of the Marne, the key turning point that led to the end of the war on Nov. 11, 1918. This date is known as Armistice Day, which we now celebrate as Veterans Day.
The 1918 Cadillac Type 57 was built in the summer of 1917 and delivered on July 31 to Cadillac distributor Inglis M. Uppercu of the Detroit Motor Car Company in New York City. The vehicle was purchased on August 9, 1917, by Rev. Dr. John H. Denison, a member of a wealthy Massachusetts family and a pastor. Rev. Denison gave the car to the YMCA, along with his services as a driver, to support the United States efforts in World War I. After the war, Denison served with the vehicle throughout France for two years until returning to New York in August 1919.
While in service for the YMCA, Rev. Denison chauffeured Eleanor Butler Roosevelt, the wife of Theodore Roosevelt III, who led women's involvement in war efforts. Eleanor Butler Roosevelt was essential in the formation of the leave system during the war.
The rotating exhibit is part of a partnership between The Henry Ford and the Hagerty Drivers Foundation to display cars from the National Historic Vehicle Register that tell the story of the automobile in American history. The Cadillac was the fourth vehicle added to the National Historic Vehicle Register and archived in the Library of Congress.
Media Contact
Megan Kusulas, The Henry Ford, 3132034395, [email protected], https://www.thehenryford.org/visit/henry-ford-museum/exhibits/national-historic-vehicle-register/
SOURCE The Henry Ford
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