Have you ever wondered what the world’s first V16 production car would have looked like as a LEGO kit? Well, you probably haven’t. In fact, not many of us have probably thought about the 1939 Cadillac V16 as a LEGO kit. However, someone on the LEGO Ideas website clearly has.
A fan designer who goes by the username Musstrafaccatrator has come up with a stunning LEGO kit idea, which first appeared on LEGO Ideas in May 2025. It is a brilliant reimagining of the Cadillac V16, with some of its most intricate details replicated.
This was the first production car in the world to be fitted with a V16 engine. Less than 5,000 of these cars, in various forms, were built during its production run, which lasted from 1930 to 1940. As such, they are incredibly rare and valuable in 2026.
This LEGO kit sadly does not appear to have the support it needs to become a proper kit. It needs 5,000 signatures to get onto the next stage, and 10,000 in total for LEGO to consider it. At the time of writing, however, it had just 2,000 people who had supported the idea.
This LEGO Cadillac Looks Incredibly Cool
The kit itself has been designed to a very high standard, and it does look very, very cool. The designer has given the Cadillac a completely black body, which flows smoothly and gives the kit quite an elegant feel. LEGO, by nature, is not known for being sleek and elegant, so this is a very impressive design.
Perhaps the coolest part of the design is the chrome. The user behind it has given it some great chrome features, notably at the front with the bumper, grille, and Cadillac badge. Even the wheel covers have a chrome effect, with all of this achieved by brightly colored plastic. These really give the illusion that there is actual chrome on the kit.
According to the design page, the front hood also opens. That allows us to look at a brilliant replica of the American car’s V16 engine. While it’s not that accurate compared to the real engine, it does a good enough job of creating the illusion. The fact that the designer has even gone to the trouble of making it is impressive. The car doors also open, and there are two foldable seats and a working steering wheel that lets you turn and pose the front wheels.
How Successful Was the Real Cadillac V16?
The real Cadillac V16 was launched in 1930, and it was Cadillac’s top-of-the-line model from January 1930 to 1940. It was the first production car in the world with a V16 under the hood and, unsurprisingly, it was incredibly expensive and exclusive. The Great Depression did not help sales, and in total, across 11 years, just 4,076 of these cars were built. The onset of the Second World War further impacted sales and led to Cadillac dropping it from its lineup.
Cadillac produced two generations, the first from 1930 to 1937, with the second from 1938 to 1940. The first generation of the car used a 7.4-liter V16 engine, with it slightly smaller in the second generation used a slightly smaller 7.1-liter engine. Various body forms were available, with every chassis custom-finished to order, and the cars featured incredible coachwork and bodywork.