The Cadillac Type 51 became the first mass-produced automobile powered by a V8 engine when Cadillac introduced it in 1914.
Its 5.1-liter L-head V8 produced about 70 horsepower, a substantial output for the period. Cadillac offered the Type 51 in several body styles, including touring cars, roadsters, and limousines, helping make V8 power available beyond one-off or limited-production vehicles.
Cadillac’s achievement was not the invention of the V8 itself. V8 engines had appeared in experimental and limited applications earlier, including aircraft and luxury automobiles. The Type 51’s importance was combining the engine layout with series production and a recognizable passenger-car range.
The model also established Cadillac’s long association with high-performance V8 engines. It was replaced by the Cadillac Type 53 for the 1916 model year, which introduced a more modern control layout. The Type 51 is therefore best remembered as a production milestone rather than simply an early Cadillac model.