1933 Cadillac Finds New Home

January 20, 2005

The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame unveiled its most recent acquisition January 13, 2005. A 1933 Cadillac V8 Coupe 2-door belonging to former Fort Worth newspaperman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Amon G. Carter, Sr. makes its new home at the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. The Cadillac is fully restored, complete with holster attached to the driver's seat.

Holt Hickman, Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame founder, felt that acquiring the car owned by a man who had such a strong influence in Fort Worth's history was a perfect fit for the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and Sterquell Wagon Collection located in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historical District.

Amon G. Carter was responsible for merging the Fort Worth Star newspaper and the Fort Worth Telegram, becoming the president and publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in 1923. He established WBAP, Fort Worth's first radio station in 1922 and was the youngest president of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. When oil was discovered in North Texas in the 1920's, Carter helped persuade oilmen to move to Fort Worth and encouraged construction of skyscrapers; he later served as director of the American Petroleum Institute. In 1911 he headed a committee that brought the first airplane to the Fort Worth area; by 1928 he was a director and part owner of the company that became American Airlines. Carter's philanthropy was fueled by wealth from the oil business. In 1945 the Amon G. Carter Foundation was established for cultural and educational purposes. Under the terms of his will and with the support of the Foundation, the Amon G. Carter Museum was established  in Fort Worth from his extensive collection of art by Remington and Russell.

Despite rough times, in 1933 Cadillac fielded and extensively revamped lineup of V-8's, V-12's, and V-16's. Most notably, the boxy look of the twenties began to give way to a more streamlined look. Featured were fully skirted, flowing fenders and a graceful "windsplit" v-d grill, which boasted a painted shell that blended in smoothly with the bodywork. The most significant change in body detail was the introduction of the no-draft Individually Controlled Ventilation (I.C.V.) and pivoting vent windows in the front doors and rear quarter or rear door windows. Many other changes were  made in the advancement of the Cadillac such as the implementation of Vacuum assist to all V-8 brake systems.

Carters 1933 Cadillac shows the progression from the horse drawn vehicles of the Sterquell Wagon Collection to today's gas powered automobiles. It also tells the story of a great Fort Worth man known for tagging Fort Worth as the place "where the West begins."