Lot No: 229 | Capone's 1930 Armored Cadillac Imperial Sedan

In Bonhams Quail Lodge Automotive sale in August, an honest piece of history is being put up for auction – Al Capone’s and “The Outfit”’s (aka the Chicago Mob) 1930 Cadillac Series 452 V-16 Armored Imperial Sedan.  According to Bonhams, Lot 229 with an estimate of $250,000 – 300,000 is “something truly special” …

Its modifications mark it as something truly special. Based on a seven-passenger Imperial Sedan by Fleetwood its doors are reinforced with ¼” steel armor. All the glass is 5-ply laminated. The side windows have round ports cut in them, and they’re not for ventilation. A police band radio nestles under the dashboard conveniently above the front seat passenger’s feet. It might be a good guy’s car, except that the good guys in the Thirties couldn’t afford such luxury, performance and protection. Neither did they have much fear of assault by heavy weapons. It was the bad guys who needed this level of protection, but even at that few sought such an ostentatious and easily spotted mobile fortress. One who demanded this level of luxury, who needed this level of protection, who could afford it and who was not concerned with notoriety, being the most infamous man in Chicago if not in the world, was Al Capone, head of the legendary gang known as “The Outfit”.

And, this car has some additional history … despite being owned by him, it is likely that Capone rarely used the vehicle because in 1929, he was convicted of a weapons charge and jailed for nine months. Then, in 1931, he was convicted of income tax evasion and jailed.  The car was then lost and not found until the 1960′s …

It was discovered in the 1960’s by Paul R. Eakins of Sikeston, Missouri who recognized its unique features and began a long term cosmetic restoration. In 1975 it was authenticated by Morris “Red” Rudensky, who had been Capone’s cellmate at the Atlanta Penitentiary in 1932 before the mob boss became one of the first inmates to experience the newly-built maximum security prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay (a recording of Rudensky verifying the car as Capone’s to Paul Eakins can be heard here; a further recording of Rudensky describing his experiences with the car can be heard here). After touring the country with it for several years Eakins sold it to the Imperial Palace Auto Collection. Repainted and the engine compartment cleaned up many years ago, it has subsequently been maintained and preserved in largely original configuration, a time capsule commemorating America’s most infamous gangster.

To complete the history buff’s dream, the car comes with a life-sized wax Al Capone wielding a baseball bat!

Just one of the amazing vehicles for sale in August … for the whole cataloge, click here.