Living off the record was Al Capone’s modus operandi. So it’s no surprise that the ownership of the gangster’s bulletproof 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan was “never confirmed beyond reasonable doubt” until 2012 when auction house RM Sotheby’s sold it.
If you missed out back then, Capone’s menacing green and black Caddy is back on the market. Celebrity Cars in Las Vegas has listed the car for a cool $1 million.
As CBS News writes, this is a prime example of the development of the armored car, and while some of the original armor plating has since been removed, it still retains bulletproof glass and a drop-down rear window “allowing occupants to fire upon would-be pursuers.” If you can forgive the car’s history of organized crime, and promise not to use it for those purposes yourself — it does only have 1,111 miles according to the listing — it may seem like a tantalizing prospect for the right buyer.
What they fail to mention is that $1 million is, to put it lightly, an insane price to ask for this vehicle. When RM Sotheby’s sold it back in 2012, it only went for $341K. Inflation doesn’t account for a $659K price increase, and Celebrity Cars doesn’t mention any improvements that would account for it, either.
That said, the story behind Capone’s Cadillac might still be worth an arm and a leg. In the RM Sotheby’s listing, there are vivid details from people connected to the car, including Richard Capstran whose dad helped install armor plating. According to Capstran, when Capone’s men approached his father about doing the work, his dad said, “We don’t do that kind of work here.” In response, the henchmen said, “You do now.”
Sure, we don’t have a recording to actually prove that conversation took place, but you have to admit, that’s pretty great. The price, however, is still not, so this might be one to keep in your dream car collection.
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