Cadillac-Inspired Custom Bikes Raise $500,000 For Charity

Two custom Cadillac motorcycle by American Chopper have been put on auction, and as it comes to end bids exceed $150,000. That will be added to the half a million Cadillac has helped raising and will benefit CureDuchenne, the national non-profit dedicated to finding a cure for Duchenne, the most progressive and lethal form of muscular dystrophy. Bidding continues until the auction closes at 5:50 p.m. EDT on July 31. Built by the world famous American Chopper TV stars, Cadillac bikes is handwork of father-and-son duo Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul Jr. in a contest to design and build the best Cadillac design-inspired chopper. “You guys captured all of the design cues we work so hard in the studio to create and you’ve put it together in a very expressive way,” GM Vice President of Global Product Design Ed Welburn said at the unveiling. “The fact that they both look very different but are both very obviously Cadillac-inspired is very cool because it shows the breadth of Cadillac design.” Cadillac’s partnership with CureDuchenne began in September 2010 in preparation for Super Bowl XLV. Cadillac donated ad space during the latter part of the NFL and college football seasons and auctioned Super Bowl tickets to raise nearly $500,000 to benefit CureDuchenne. That was followed by a Cadillac-sponsored auction and satellite radio ad campaign with Justin Bieber. “Cadillac’s support has been nothing short of incredible,” said Debra Miller, president and CEO of CureDuchenne. “They have put CureDuchenne on the national radar in this country and that has helped mobilize a volunteer base that all want the same thing as we do – to find a cure for this devastating disease.” Duchenne is the most prevalent form of muscular dystrophy, affecting one in every 3,500 male births around the world. Approximately 20,000 boys and young men are living with the disease in the United States, many of whom will not survive their teenage years. The CureDuchenne organization directs its resources to peer-reviewed research programs that have greatest potential to provide treatments and cures for the current generation of Duchenne boys. “Their organization has an entrepreneurial spirit that Cadillac is drawn to as a brand,” said Don Butler, vice president for Cadillac marketing.”They are not afraid to create their own path of innovation toward new solutions and technologies.” Paul Teutul Sr.’s Cadillac-inspired chopper features a 160-hp diamond-cut and polished S&S wedge motor, large Brembo brakes, an angular frame, handlebars and lighting, and a centered rear exhaust similar to the CTS Coupe. The bike also features other Cadillac design cues, including a V-Series mesh tank area (containing a nitrous-oxide system), V-series badges and a CTS clock on the center tank. “The wheels, lights, grilles are identical to the car,” Paul Sr. said during the unveiling. “Because the CTS-V has a 560-hp supercharged engine, we made the air cleaner into a ‘super-charged’ intake and added fuel injection.” By contrast, Paul Jr.’s chopper has a more fluid design, blending curves around angular chevron design accents, side pipes and black diamond paint with Cadillac V-Series insignia. It also has a Crazy Horse motor, air suspension, large yellow V-inspired brake calipers, and taillights and trunk badges from a CTS sedan on the wide rear fender. “When we were asked to build a bike for Cadillac, we immediately gravitated toward the CTS-V. It’s exactly what we do with motorcycles” said Paul Jr. “The CTS-V has the lines, the power, the looks, so a lot of our design cues were pulled from the CTS-V.” Paul Jr.’s cycle is the favorite among fans with more than 138,000 members joining his Facebook page and bids for his chopper topping $110,000. Bids for Paul Sr.’s chopper have topped $50,000 with almost 10,000 Facebook members.