A 1928 Cadillac V8 that used to belong to famous gangster Al Capone is on sale in the United States right now. The armored combat vehicle starts from $1,000,000, and no one has placed any bids so far.
Back in that year nearly a century ago, Cadillac managed to increase the displacement volume of its V8 from 5.1 to 5.6 liters. The transmission was three-speed manual. While not known for certain, it is likely that the crime lord asked for the engine to be boosted considerably to lose as little performance as possible because of the weight of the armor.
The car also received bulletproof rear dome glass, but retained its side window win-up-and-down functionality. The rear glass can be manually lifted for Capone’s bodyguards to shoot at pursuers.
Armor plating wrapped in fireproof asbestos was placed under the bodywork, making the car around 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilos) heavier, according to the listing. The job was performed by a small private shop, and rumor holds that the gangster paid double for the result. Since the shop had an open front, the car had to remain parked rear end first, so that no one from the street could see what kind of transformation it was undergoing.
Al Capone was arrested in 1929, his two most deluxe Cadillac V16 seized and the V8 not found on the spot. It was declared missing and later dropped from the public sight. Ten years ago, it was sold for $341,000, meaning the current owner wants three times the sum.
