About This Cadillac
1928 Cadillac Town Sedan Al Capone's Bulletproof Sedan
| Condition | Used Clear Title |
| Miles | 1,111 |
| Engine | V-8 |
| Transmission | 4 Spd Manual |
| Drivetrain | Rear Wheel Drive |
| Exterior Color | Black/Green |
| Interior | Tan Cloth |
| Stock # | 306449 |
| VIN # | 306449 |
| Warranty | As-Is |
Some of our used vehicles may be subject to unrepaired safety recalls. Check for a vehicle’s unrepaired recalls by VIN at https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/?vin=306449
Vehicle Overview
See description for 80+ photos and video1928 Cadillac Series 341-A Town Sedan - Al Capone's Armored Car
Celebrity Cars is privileged to offer one of the most significant surviving artifacts of Prohibition-era America: the armored 1928 Cadillac built for Alphonse "Al" Capone. Its ownership history is continuous and documented from 1932 to the present, corroborated by contemporary newspaper accounts, federal Bureau of Internal Revenue files, the descendants of the second known owner, and - remarkably - a living eyewitness to the armoring work itself.
Specifications
- Series 341-A Town Sedan
- 341 cu. in. L-head V-8, 90 bhp
- Three-speed manual transmission
- Beam front axle; full-floating rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs
- Four-wheel mechanical drum brakes
- 140-inch wheelbase
- Approximately 3,000 lbs. of armor plating as originally built
- Bulletproof glass approaching one inch in thickness
Emil Denemark ran one of the largest Cadillac dealerships on Chicago's south side and was related to Capone by marriage. His ties to the underworld were neither casual nor secret. His home and business were bombed in early 1927 - an incident he publicly dismissed as a political attack. In 1942 he was charged with selling cars without the required gasoline ration stickers. As late as 1950, his name surfaced in federal testimony before the Senate committee investigating organized crime in interstate commerce, where an investigator described Denemark as the dealer of choice for a succession of Chicago syndicate figures, noting that one of them had broken the pattern only once by buying elsewhere.
Denemark's most famous customer was Capone himself. On December 22, 1931, the Milwaukee Sentinel ran a story reporting that one of Capone's two Cadillac V-16s had been used to chauffeur Warden David Moneypenny of the Cook County jail, under a headline flatly calling it Capone's car and a subhead noting that explanations of the Chicago-Springfield trip conflicted. Denemark told the paper he had sold Capone both V-16s and that neither still belonged to him, as both had been repossessed for non-payment.
An Associated Press reporter working the same story that day traced the plates and found the car still registered to Mrs. Mae Capone. Pressed on the discrepancy, Denemark offered that the plates simply had not been removed yet - which, he suggested, explained the confusion. Given his standing with the syndicate and Capone's reputation, the more plausible reading, and evidently the one the reporters favored, is that Denemark was covering for his customer.
A third account, in the Muscatine Journal & News Tribune, noted that federal restrictions on visitors to the jailed gang chief had briefly kept his creditors at bay, but that at least one had obtained permission from federal authorities to see him: Denemark, described as a politician and dealer in expensive automobiles, who said he wished to discuss the balance owed on two cars. That a car dealer could secure federal clearance to sit down with Al Capone in the Cook County jail suggests business rather more substantial than an outstanding invoice.
Timing Is Everything
The sequence of events matters. Capone was convicted on October 18, 1931, sentenced in November, denied a rehearing of his appeal in March 1932, and began serving his sentence at the Atlanta U.S. Penitentiary on May 4, 1932.
A lengthy report to the Intelligence Unit Chief of the Bureau of Internal Revenue records that in October 1931 Capone was caught attempting to liquidate assets - his Florida home, two yachts, and other property - for $150,000 in cash. One of the V-16s appears on the inventory of vehicles. The older armored 341-A does not. While the two flashy sixteens were making headlines and drawing federal attention, the sedan sat quietly in a Chicago garage and was overlooked.
That is precisely when it moved. In the spring of 1932, the car was placed with an agent in Chicago - almost certainly Denemark, and almost certainly at Capone's direction.
The First Documented Sale
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Moore, then working the summer season with a traveling carnival, bought the Cadillac from that Chicago agent in the spring of 1932. Their surviving daughter, Mrs. Pat Denning, discussed her parents' brief ownership in recent years and confirmed they understood the car had been placed with the agent by Capone.
The Moores owned the car for roughly a year, exhibiting it with the carnival through a full summer season. Their intention was to run it as a standalone paid exhibit through the winter off-season as well; when that plan failed to produce, they sold it. Mrs. Denning noted that her parents had no permanent address in this period - the Rockville, Connecticut address on the paperwork was in fact her aunt's - and that the car almost certainly never traveled to Connecticut and would not have been registered there. It moved on a covered trailer, protecting the finish and, just as importantly, keeping it out of sight until patrons had paid to look at it. That account squares with Harry LaBreque's own later statement that he bought the car in Chicago, in May 1933.
The Eyewitness
In 2008, Richard "Cappy" Capstran mentioned to a friend, almost in passing, that as a boy he had helped his father install armor plating on Al Capone's Cadillac. A short search established that the car still existed. Capstran, 93 at the time, sat for a recorded interview and recalled the job in extraordinary detail.
Ernest Capstran's body shop had recently completed a high-quality repair on another Capone syndicate vehicle. Shortly afterward, a brand-new 1928 Cadillac arrived. When the scope of the work was explained, the elder Capstran objected that his shop did not do that kind of work. The reply, as his son remembered it: "you do now."
Capone's men instructed that the car be backed into the shop so no one on the street could see what was being done to it. Capstran described the process of cutting open the rear of the body to install the asbestos-wrapped steel plate, which arrived at the shop with lead still embedded in it from proving tests.
Capone came in person to settle the bill and paid double the asking price. Walking around the finished car, he noticed ten-year-old Richard and asked who he was. Told the boy had done the sanding between coats of lacquer - and done it well - Capone handed him a ten-dollar bill, a small fortune for a child in 1928. The family never discussed the job outside the household for decades.
Reunited with the Cadillac at the O'Quinn Collection after seventy years, Capstran was unequivocal: this was the same car that came through his father's shop.
How It Was Built
Setting the notoriety aside, this is among the earliest surviving armored passenger vehicles anywhere - a direct ancestor of the modern armored sedan.
The glass runs nearly an inch thick, and the car carried close to 3,000 pounds of plating. Heavy spring lifts were fitted so the side windows could still be raised and lowered by hand against the weight of the glass. The rear window was rigged to drop away instantly, allowing occupants to return fire on a pursuing car. The side windows were modified so the glass could be raised an additional inch beyond its normal stop, exposing a circular cutout sized to accept the muzzle of a machine gun.
Capstran was specific that when the car reached his father's shop in the summer of 1928, the doors and windows had already been bulletproofed elsewhere; his father's shop handled the rear of the body. He also noted that the triangular tow bar visible above the rear bumper in 1933 photographs had not yet been fitted during his father's work.
Ownership History
- Spring 1932 - Purchased from a Chicago agent by Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Moore; exhibited with a traveling carnival.
- May 1933 - Sold in Chicago to Harry LaBreque.
- 1930s-1950s - Shipped to New York, then to England. Displayed at Southend-on-Sea and later at the Blackpool Pleasure Beach fun fair. In a letter to the editor of Esquire, a later owner recounted that in 1939 the U.S. government asked British authorities to intervene and pull the car from display over the poor public relations of advertising American gangsterism abroad.
- February 1958 - Bought at auction for $510 by dance hall owner Tony Stuart, who sold it within months.
- 1958 - Acquired by Harley Nielson, a businessman and collector from Todmorden, Ontario, who carried out a comprehensive restoration. Most of the heavy plating was removed in the process; the bulletproof glass and the drop-down rear window were retained.
- Mid-1960s - Sold to the Niagara Falls Antique Auto Museum.
- Late 1971 - Sold and displayed at Cars of the Greats, the Niagara Falls, Ontario museum co-owned by Peter Stranges.
- Early 1979 - Acquired by B.H. Atchley for the Smoky Mountain Car Museum in Tennessee. Atchley freshened the restoration; the original glass, by then heavily crazed and deeply yellowed, was replaced by a specialist with glass of identical size and thickness.
- 2006 - Entered the O'Quinn Collection.
The Cadillac presents in excellent cosmetic condition and is in running order.
With provenance established continuously since 1932 and an unusually deep body of supporting documentation, this car is both a silent witness to the bloodiest chapter in American organized crime and a genuine milestone in the development of the armored automobile.
A $20,000 deposit is required before we will discuss price. The vehicle will be sold on a bill of sale.
Celebrity Cars Las Vegas * 7770 Dean Martin Dr., Suite 301, Las Vegas, NV 89139 * 702-818-1031 * celebritycars.com
VIDEO
Al Capone's 1928 Bulletproof Cadillac - YouTube
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Financing Information
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Warranty Information
This Vehicle is Being Sold "As-Is." No extended warranty available for this vehicle.
Contact Us at 702-818-1031
Celebrity Cars Las Vegas
7770 Dean Martin Dr Suite 301
Las Vegas, NV 89139
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Call Us About This Vehicle: 702-818-1031
702-818-1031| Monday: | 9 am to 6 pm |
| Tuesday: | 9 am to 6 pm |
| Wednesday: | 9 am to 6 pm |
| Thursday: | 9 am to 6 pm |
| Friday: | 9 am to 6 pm |
| Saturday: | 10 am to 3 pm |
| Sunday: | Closed |
Warranty
- As-Is - Not covered by a warranty. Contact seller for details.
Condition Report
- Good Interior
- Good Carpets
- Good Seats
- Good Dashboard
- Good Panels / Headliner
- Good Exterior
- Good Paint
- Good Trim Condition
- Good Glass Condition
- No Visible Dents
- No Visible Rust
- No Known Accidents
- No Known Bodywork
- Fully Detailed
We reserve the right to end this listing at anytime should the vehicle no longer be available for sale. The following terms of sale apply to all of our listings.
Payment Terms: Celebrity Cars will accept a $500-$1000 non-refundable deposit to hold a vehicle and giving them up to 7 days to complete the purchase (plus applicable fees and taxes) All financial transactions must be completed before delivery of the vehicle.
Payment Methods: Cash (In Person), bank transfer, or 3rd-party financing. NO PAYPAL- Deposit via credit card Fees and Taxes:
PAYMENT METHODS: Cash/cashiers checks in person and bank to bank wire transfers are the only acceptable form of payment unless otherwise specified by an authorized representative. Please have all funds available for payment in full within a 7 day period and/or have financing arranged. If another form of payment is accepted by an authorized representative, the vehicle will only be released for delivery and/or shipping upon proof of valid and cleared funds.
DEPOSITS: NO PAYPAL- Paypal is not accepted. We take a credit card over the phone or via credit card form. All vehicles remain available for sale until full payment or agreed upon deposit is received by Celebrity Cars Las Vegas When a deposit is received, the vehicle is taken off the market/held and other buyers may be lost. All deposits are only refundable at the sellers discretion. Please do not place a deposit on any vehicle unless you intend to purchase the car. Deposits are generally only accepted if the seller deems it appropriate for the buyer to have additional time to arrange for funds availability, financing, inspection etc. We do not accept deposits to hold a car so the buyer can "think about it".
ADDITIONAL TAXES AND FEES: We do charge a $395.00 documentation fee on each retail sale which includes a temporary tag when applicable, motor vehicle documents and transfers and miscellaneous expenses including clerical fees, notary fees and Federal Express and US mail charges. This documentation fee also includes profit to the dealership. This fee will not be discounted or waived under any circumstance. Buyers are responsible for all state, county and local taxes and fees as well as any registration and title fees applicable in and required by the state in which the buyer will register and title the vehicle. Buyer is responsible for any expenses, tax and fees should they export the car outside of the US. In the event of an out of state sale the buyer is responsible for consulting with their state's DMV regarding the requirements for acquiring a temporary driving permit. Nevada law only allows for us to provide a 15 day drive away permit for out of state residents who physically pickup their vehicle. Vehicles shipped out of state will not be provided with a drive away permit. Vehicles sold with Nevada title over 10 years old may show EXEMPT status on the title and will not have the mileage of the vehicle. SHIPPING: Celebrity Cars Las Vegas will be happy to assist buyer with transportation arrangements within the US borders when necessary to take advantage of our volume discounts. The buyer is responsible for all shipping charges and are generally paid COD when the car arrives directly to the transporter. Celebrity Cars Las Vegas assumes no responsibility for damages incurred after the vehicle leaves our premises. Celebrity Cars Las Vegas cannot be held responsible for any delays in shipping as it is beyond our control. We will do our best in estimating shipping dates and times to make the delivery as timely and smooth as possible. Celebrity Cars Las Vegas in no way represents or implies as to any vehicles legal ability to be exported outside of the US. Should you decide to come to our showroom for delivery, we would be happy to help with your transportation arrangements and also arrange to pick you up from the airport here in Las Vegas. Contact us for arrangements.
WARRANTY: This vehicle is being sold as is, where is, with no warranty, expressed written or implied. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, authenticity, genuineness, or defects herein, and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, imperfection, defect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle, and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to purchase based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer's request prior to the close of sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any oral statements about the vehicle. Seller makes no guarantee or warranty, expressed, written or implied of the vehicles ability to pass any state emissions inspection. In the event a vehicle fails state emissions inspection, Celebrity Cars Las Vegas. bears no responsibility whatsoever. Remaining manufacturers warranty if applicable may apply.
VEHICLE INSPECTION: Celebrity Cars Las Vegas and its representatives have made every effort to accurately and fairly describe the vehicle to you and disclose any known information regarding the vehicle. We will never describe a car as "perfect" and buyer should have expectations of "typical" dings and or chips and scratches that are consistent with the year and mileage on the vehicle. Buyers are provided with all additional items that were provided to us with the vehicle. Buyers are to expect that NOT all used vehicles will be provided with full sets of keys, books, CD magazines, Navigation Discs, floor mats or the like, NOR will all cars be accompanied by detailed service records etc. Celebrity Cars Las Vegas will not be held responsible to provide any additional items other than represented as with the car unless detailed in writing by an authorized representative. We welcome an independent inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase. All costs and arrangements for such inspections are the responsibility of the buyer. All inspections are to be performed on premises or to be arranged at an outside facility on the approval of Celebrity Cars Las Vegas. Please call if you need recommendations of inspection services available in Las Vegas. We will review any issues or concerns that develop as a result of an inspection and will make repairs, adjustments, or concessions at our sole discretion. Out of state buyers are responsible for all state, county, city taxes and fees, as well as title/registration fees in the state that the vehicle will be registered.
Payment Terms: Celebrity Cars will accept a $500-$1000 non-refundable deposit to hold a vehicle and giving them up to 7 days to complete the purchase (plus applicable fees and taxes) All financial transactions must be completed before delivery of the vehicle.
Payment Methods: Cash (In Person), bank transfer, or 3rd-party financing. NO PAYPAL- Deposit via credit card Fees and Taxes:
PAYMENT METHODS: Cash/cashiers checks in person and bank to bank wire transfers are the only acceptable form of payment unless otherwise specified by an authorized representative. Please have all funds available for payment in full within a 7 day period and/or have financing arranged. If another form of payment is accepted by an authorized representative, the vehicle will only be released for delivery and/or shipping upon proof of valid and cleared funds.
DEPOSITS: NO PAYPAL- Paypal is not accepted. We take a credit card over the phone or via credit card form. All vehicles remain available for sale until full payment or agreed upon deposit is received by Celebrity Cars Las Vegas When a deposit is received, the vehicle is taken off the market/held and other buyers may be lost. All deposits are only refundable at the sellers discretion. Please do not place a deposit on any vehicle unless you intend to purchase the car. Deposits are generally only accepted if the seller deems it appropriate for the buyer to have additional time to arrange for funds availability, financing, inspection etc. We do not accept deposits to hold a car so the buyer can "think about it".
ADDITIONAL TAXES AND FEES: We do charge a $395.00 documentation fee on each retail sale which includes a temporary tag when applicable, motor vehicle documents and transfers and miscellaneous expenses including clerical fees, notary fees and Federal Express and US mail charges. This documentation fee also includes profit to the dealership. This fee will not be discounted or waived under any circumstance. Buyers are responsible for all state, county and local taxes and fees as well as any registration and title fees applicable in and required by the state in which the buyer will register and title the vehicle. Buyer is responsible for any expenses, tax and fees should they export the car outside of the US. In the event of an out of state sale the buyer is responsible for consulting with their state's DMV regarding the requirements for acquiring a temporary driving permit. Nevada law only allows for us to provide a 15 day drive away permit for out of state residents who physically pickup their vehicle. Vehicles shipped out of state will not be provided with a drive away permit. Vehicles sold with Nevada title over 10 years old may show EXEMPT status on the title and will not have the mileage of the vehicle. SHIPPING: Celebrity Cars Las Vegas will be happy to assist buyer with transportation arrangements within the US borders when necessary to take advantage of our volume discounts. The buyer is responsible for all shipping charges and are generally paid COD when the car arrives directly to the transporter. Celebrity Cars Las Vegas assumes no responsibility for damages incurred after the vehicle leaves our premises. Celebrity Cars Las Vegas cannot be held responsible for any delays in shipping as it is beyond our control. We will do our best in estimating shipping dates and times to make the delivery as timely and smooth as possible. Celebrity Cars Las Vegas in no way represents or implies as to any vehicles legal ability to be exported outside of the US. Should you decide to come to our showroom for delivery, we would be happy to help with your transportation arrangements and also arrange to pick you up from the airport here in Las Vegas. Contact us for arrangements.
WARRANTY: This vehicle is being sold as is, where is, with no warranty, expressed written or implied. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, authenticity, genuineness, or defects herein, and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, imperfection, defect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle, and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to purchase based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer's request prior to the close of sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any oral statements about the vehicle. Seller makes no guarantee or warranty, expressed, written or implied of the vehicles ability to pass any state emissions inspection. In the event a vehicle fails state emissions inspection, Celebrity Cars Las Vegas. bears no responsibility whatsoever. Remaining manufacturers warranty if applicable may apply.
VEHICLE INSPECTION: Celebrity Cars Las Vegas and its representatives have made every effort to accurately and fairly describe the vehicle to you and disclose any known information regarding the vehicle. We will never describe a car as "perfect" and buyer should have expectations of "typical" dings and or chips and scratches that are consistent with the year and mileage on the vehicle. Buyers are provided with all additional items that were provided to us with the vehicle. Buyers are to expect that NOT all used vehicles will be provided with full sets of keys, books, CD magazines, Navigation Discs, floor mats or the like, NOR will all cars be accompanied by detailed service records etc. Celebrity Cars Las Vegas will not be held responsible to provide any additional items other than represented as with the car unless detailed in writing by an authorized representative. We welcome an independent inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase. All costs and arrangements for such inspections are the responsibility of the buyer. All inspections are to be performed on premises or to be arranged at an outside facility on the approval of Celebrity Cars Las Vegas. Please call if you need recommendations of inspection services available in Las Vegas. We will review any issues or concerns that develop as a result of an inspection and will make repairs, adjustments, or concessions at our sole discretion. Out of state buyers are responsible for all state, county, city taxes and fees, as well as title/registration fees in the state that the vehicle will be registered.
