Cadillac

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For other uses, see Cadillac (disambiguation).
Cadillac

Type Division
Industry Automotive
Predecessor(s) Henry Ford Company
Founded August 22, 1902
Founder(s) Henry M. Leland, founder
Henry Ford, original founder
Headquarters Warren, Michigan, U.S.
[1]

Area served Worldwide
Products Automobiles
Owner(s) General Motors Company
Website Official sites
(select by country)
Cadillac /kdlk/ is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors(GM). Cadillac currently
sells vehicles in 37 countries, with its primary market being North America.
[2]
In 2012, Cadillac's U.S. sales
were 149,782.
[3]
Globally, Cadillac's next largest market is China. The SRX crossover has been Cadillac's best
selling model since 2010.
Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and
is among the oldest automobile brands in the world. Depending on how one chooses to measure, Cadillac is
arguably older than Buick. Cadillac was founded in 1902 by Henry Leland,
[4]
a master mechanic and
entrepreneur, who named the company after Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, the founder of the
city of Detroit. The company's crest is based on a coat of arms that Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac had created at
the time of his marriage in Quebec in 1687. General Motors purchased the company in 1909 and within six
years, Cadillac had laid the foundation for the modernmass production of automobiles by demonstrating the
complete interchangeability of its precision parts while simultaneously establishing itself as America's
premier luxury car. Cadillac introduced technological advances, including full electrical systems, the clashless
manual transmission and the steel roof. The brand developed three engines, one of which (the V8 engine) set
the standard for the American automotive industry. Cadillac is the first American car to win the prestigious
Dewar Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club of England, having successfully demonstrated the
interchangeability of its component parts during a reliability test in 1908; this spawned the firm's slogan
"Standard of the World." It won that trophy a second time, in 1912, for incorporating electric starting and lighting
in a production automobile.
[5]

Contents
[hide]
1 Early history
o 1.1 Founding
o 1.2 General Motors
o 1.3 Post World War II
o 1.4 The Art and Science Era
2 In art and sculpture
3 Advertisements
4 Motorsport
5 See also
6 Footnotes
7 References
8 External links
o 8.1 Official links
o 8.2 Other
[edit]Early history


1903 Cadillac


1903 Cadillac Model A
[edit]Founding
Cadillac was formed from the remnants of the Henry Ford Company when Henry Ford departed along with
several of his key partners and the company was dissolved. With the intent of liquidating the firm's assets,
Ford's financial backers William Murphy and Lemuel Bowen called in engineer Henry M. Leland of Leland &
Faulconer Manufacturing Company to appraise the plant and equipment before selling them.
Instead, Leland persuaded them to continue the automobile business using Leland's proven single-cylinder
engine. The company needed a new name after Henry Ford left. On 22 August 1902 the company reformed as
the Cadillac Automobile Company. Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing and the Cadillac Automobile Company
merged in 1905.
[6]

The Cadillac automobile was named after the 17th-century French explorer Antoine Laumet de la Mothe, Sieur
de Cadillac, who founded Detroit in 1701.
[7][8]

Cadillac's first automobiles, the Runabout and Tonneau, were completed in October 1902. They were two-
seater horseless carriages powered by a 10 hp (7 kW) single-cylinder engine. They were practically identical to
the 1903 Ford Model A. Many sources say the first car rolled out of the factory on 17 October; in the
book Henry Leland Master of Precision, the date is 20 October; another reliable source shows car number 3
to have been built on 16 October. In any case, the new Cadillac was shown at the New York Auto Show the
following January, where it impressed the crowds enough to gather over 2,000 firm orders. The Cadillac's
biggest selling point was precision manufacturing, and therefore, reliability; it was simply a better-made vehicle
than its competitors. Cadillac participated in an interchangeability test in the United Kingdom 1908, when it was
awarded the Dewar Trophy for the most important advancement of the year in the automobile industry.
From its earliest years Cadillac aimed for precision engineering and stylish luxury finish, causing its cars to be
ranked amongst the finest in the US. Utilization of interchangeable parts was an important innovation in 1908.
Cadillac was the first volume manufacturer of a fully enclosed car in 1906, and in 1912 was first to incorporate
an electrical system enabling starting, ignition, and lighting.
[9][10]

[edit]General Motors
Cadillac becomes part of General Motors

1910 Cadillac Model S

1921 Cadillac Suburban

1929 Cadillac

1929 Cadillac Fleetwood

1931 Cadillac Phaeton

1940 Cadillac 90 Town Car
Cadillac was purchased by the General Motors (GM) conglomerate in 1909.
[11]
Cadillac became General
Motors' prestige division, devoted to the production of large luxury vehicles. The Cadillac line was also GM's
default marque for "commercial chassis" institutional vehicles, such as limousines, ambulances, hearses and
funeral home flower cars, the last three of which were custom-built by aftermarket manufacturers. Cadillac does
not produce any such vehicles in their factory.
In July 1917, the United States Army needed a dependable staff car and chose the Cadillac Type 55 Touring
Model after exhaustive tests on the Mexican border. 2,350 of the cars were supplied for use in France by
officers of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I.
[12]
General Motors of Canada built Cadillac
1923 to 1936 and saved it from A. P. Sloan from his wanting to stop the build. Pre-World War II Cadillacs were
well-built, powerful, mass-produced luxury cars aimed at an upper class market. In the 1930s, Cadillac added
cars with V12 and V16 engines to their range, many of which were fitted with custom coach-built bodies.
[13]

In 1915 it introduced a 90-degree flathead V8 engine with 70 horsepower (52 kW) at 2400 rpm and 180 pound-
feet (240 Nm) of torque, allowing its cars to attain 65 miles per hour.
[10]
This was faster than most roads could
accommodate at this time. Cadillac pioneered the dual-plane V8 crankshaft in 1918. In 1928 Cadillac
introduced the first clashless Synchro-Mesh manual transmission, utilizing constant mesh gears. In 1930
Cadillac implemented the first V-16 engine, with a 45-degree overhead valve, 452 cubic inches, and 165
horsepower (123 kW), one of the most powerful and quietest engines in the United States. The development
and introduction of the V8, V16 and V-12 helped to make Cadillac the "Standard of the World."
[10]
A later model
of the V8 engine, known as the overhead valve, set the standard for the entire American automotive industry in
1949.
[10]

In 1926, Cadillac recruited automobile stylist Harley Earl in a one-time consulting capacity, but his employment
lasted considerably longer: by 1928, Earl was the head of the new Art and Color division and he would
ultimately work for GM until he retired, over 30 years later.
[14]
The first car he designed was the LaSalle, a new,
smaller "companion marque" car, named after another French explorer, Ren Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La
Salle. That marque remained in production until 1940.
[15]

Cadillac introduced designer-styled bodywork (as opposed to auto-engineered) in 1927. It installed shatter-
resistant glass in 1926. Cadillac also introduced the 'turret top,' the first all-steel roof on a passenger
car.
[10]
Previously, car roofs were constructed of fabric-covered wood.
The Great Depression sapped the auto industry generally, with the luxury market declining more steeply;
between 19281933, Cadillac sales had declined by 84%, to 6,736 vehicles.
[16]
Exacerbating sales
performance for the Cadillac brand was a policy, reflective of the times, which discouraged sales to African
Americans.
[17]
Nick Dreystadt, mechanic and national head of Cadillac service, urged a committee set up to
decide whether the Cadillac brand would live on to revoke that policy. After the policy was eliminated, brand
sales increased by 70% in 1934 and Dreystadt was promoted to lead the entire Cadillac Division.
[17]

By 1940, Cadillac sales had risen tenfold compared to 1934.
[13]
In 1936, Dreystadt released the Series 60 as
Cadillac's entry into the mid-priced vehicle market. It was replaced by the Series 61 in 1939, but a popular
model that was derived from it, the Sixty Special, continued through 1993. Another factor helped boost Cadillac
growth over the next few years: a revolution in assembly line technology. In 1934, Henry F. Phillips introduced
the Phillips screw and driver to the market. He entered into talks with General Motors and convinced the
Cadillac group that his new screws would speed assembly times and therefore increase profits. Cadillac was
the first automaker to use the Phillips technology in 1937, which was widely adopted in 1940.
[18]
For the first
time in many years all cars built by the company shared the same basic engine and drivetrain in 1941.
[19]
1941
also saw introduction of optional Hydra-Matic, the first mass-produced fully automatic transmission.
[edit]Post World War II
Cadillac in the Postwar years

1948 Cadillac

1954 Cadillac Eldorado

1968 Cadillac Deville

1967-70 Cadillac Eldorado

1972 Cadillac Deville
Postwar Cadillac vehicles, incorporating the ideas of General Motors styling chief Harley J. Earl, innovated
many of the styling features that came to be synonymous with the classic (late-1940s and 1950s) American
automobile, including tailfins, wraparound windshields, and extensive exterior and interior bright-work (chrome
and polished stainless steel). Fledgling automotive magazine Motor Trendawarded its first "Car of the Year" to
Cadillac in 1949; the company turned it down.
[20]
On 25 November 1949, Cadillac produced its one millionth
car, a 1950 Coupe de Ville.
[21]
It also set a record for annual production of over 100,000 cars,
[21]
a record it
repeated in 1950 and 1951.
[22]
Cadillac's first tailfins, inspired by the twin rudders of the Lockheed P-38
Lightning, appeared in 1948; the 1959 Cadillac, designed by Peter Hodak, was the epitome of the tailfin craze,
with the most recognizable tailfins of any production automobile. From 1960 thru 1964, the fins decreased in
size each year and disappeared with the 1965 model year (except for the 1965 series 75 chassis which was a
carry over from 1964). The Cadillac tailfin did serve one practical purpose, however. From the inception of the
fin up to the 1958 model year, the driver's (left) side fin housed the gasoline filler neck under the taillight
assembly. To fill the car with fuel, the taillight had to be released and pivoted upward to access the gas cap.
This eliminated the unsightly gas filler door from the side of the vehicle, providing a smoother, cleaner
appearance.
Tailfins were added to body shape in 1948.
[10]
In 1953, the "Autronic Eye" was introduced. This feature would
automatically dim the high-beam headlamps for the safety of oncoming motorists.
[23]
The Eldorado
Brougham of 1957 offered a 'memory seat' function, allowing seat positions to be saved and recalled for
different drivers.
[24]

Cadillac's other distinctive styling attribute was its front-bumper designs which became known as Dagmar
bumpers or simply Dagmars. What had started out after the war as an artillery shell shaped bumper guard
became an increasingly important part of Cadillac's complicated front grille and bumper assembly.
[24]
As the
1950s wore on, the element was placed higher in the front-end design, negating their purpose as bumper
guards. They also became more pronounced and were likened to the bosom of 1950s television
personality Dagmar. In 1957 the bumpers gained black rubber tips which only heightened the relationship
between the styling element and a stylized, exaggerated bumper design. For 1958 the element was toned
down and then was completely absent from the 1959 models.
The first fully automatic heater/air conditioning system was introduced in 1964, allowing the driver to set a
desired temperature to be maintained by 'climate control'. From the late 1960s, Cadillac offered a fiber-optic
warning system to alert the driver to failed light bulbs. The use of extensive bright-work on the exterior and
interior also decreased each year after 1959. By the 1966 model year, even the rear bumpers ceased to be all
chrome large portions were painted, including the headlight bezels.
In 1966, Cadillac would mark up its best annual sales yet, over 192,000 units (142,190 of them de Villes),
[25]
an
increase of more than 60%.
[26]
This was exceeded in 1968, when Cadillac topped 200,000 units for the first
time.
[27]

The launch of the front-wheel drive Eldorado in 1967 as a personal luxury coupe, with its simple, elegant
design a far cry from the tail-fin and chrome excesses of the 1950s gave Cadillac a direct competitor for
the Lincoln and Imperial, and in 1970, Cadillac sales topped Chrysler's for the first time.
[28]
The new 472 cu in
(7.7 l) engine that debuted in the 1968 model year, designed for an ultimate capacity potential of 600 cu in
(9.8 l),
[29]
was increased to 500 cu in (8.2 l) for the 1970 Eldorado. It was adopted across the model range
beginning in 1975. Driver airbags were offered on some Cadillac models from 1974 to 1976.
The 1970s saw vehicles memorable for their luxury and dimensions. The 1972 Fleetwood was some 1.7 in
(43 mm) longer in wheelbase and 4 in (100 mm) overall, compared to the 1960 Series 75 Fleetwood; the entry-
level 1972 Calais was 2.4 in (61.0 mm) longer than the equivalent 1960 Series 62, on the same
wheelbase.
[30]
During this time, the Cadillac series gained a smoother ride while vehicle weight, standard
equipment, and engine displacement were all increased. Cadillac experienced record sales in 1973 and again
in the late 1970s.
[edit]The Art and Science Era
Cadillac in recent years

2008 Cadillac CTS - coupe, sedan, and wagon

2010 Cadillac SRX - crossover

2013 Cadillac ATS - sedan

2013 Cadillac XTS - sedan

2014 Cadillac ELR - electric coupe

Cadillac Ciel - concept
Cadillac has resisted the trend towards producing "retro" models such as the revived Ford Thunderbird or
the VW New Beetle. It has instead pressed ahead with a new design philosophy for the 21st century called "art
and science"
[31]
which it says "incorporates sharp, sheer forms and crisp edges a form vocabulary that
expresses bold, high-technology design and invokes the technology used to design it." This new design
language spread from the original CTS across the line all the way up to the XLR roadster. Cadillac's model
lineup mostly included rear- and all-wheel-drive sedans, roadsters, crossovers and SUVs. The only exceptions
were the front-wheel driveCadillac BLS (which was not sold in North America)
[32]
and the Cadillac DTS, neither
of which are still in production. Many of these actively compete with respected high-end luxury cars produced
by German and Japanese manufacturers. The performance flagship of these efforts is the second-generation
CTS-V, which is a direct competitor to the vaunted BMW M5.
[33]
An automatic version of the CTS-V lapped
the Nrburgring in 7:59.32, at the time a record for production sedans.
[34]

Despite Cadillac's re-invention, little work had been done with the Cadillac brand towards the end of the decade
due to GM's bankruptcy. A range topper based on the Cadillac Sixteen was cancelled along with the Northstar
engine replacement. With the STSand DTS ending production in 2011, Cadillac was left without a proper range
topper. However, Cadillac did commence with the second generation SRX in 2009. The SRX is now based on
the Theta Premium platform and is offered in either FWD or AWD. The SRX crossover has been Cadillac's best
selling model since 2010.
Reports suggested the Escalade would move the Lambda platform in 2014 but it has since been revealed the
Escalade will continue on its body-on-frame architecture with a redesign in 2013. A Lambda-based Cadillac will
join the line to complement the next Escalade, which could possibly cost more than the current model. Cadillac
showcased the XTS Platinum concept in 2010 and announced intentions to build the FWD/AWD sedan on
the Super Epsilon platform starting in 2012. Also, in late 2009, GM announced the upcoming 3-
Series competitor, the ATS, will go into production on the RWD/AWD Alpha platform in 2012. Reports have
surfaced that GM had green lighted not only a Zeta based 7-Series competitor, but another Zeta based full-size
based on the Sixteen concept. The reports suggest the latter will carry a price tag of as much as $125,000 and
will be positioned as Cadillac's halo. It has also been revealed the next CTS, scheduled for 2013 as a 2014
model, will move to a long-wheelbase version of the upcoming Alpha platform. It is expected to grow in size
and price and likely lose its coupe and wagon versions. GM also has also been working on a new roadster to
compete with the BMW Z4. With that said, this would leave Cadillac with a full range of vehicles by the mid
2010s.
[35][36]

[edit]In art and sculpture
Cadillac Ranch is a public art installation and sculpture in Amarillo, Texas. It was created in 1974 by Chip Lord,
Hudson Marquez, and Doug Michels, who were a part of the art group Ant Farm. The art installation consists of
older running Cadillac automobiles that were originally installed during 1974, and were either used or junk. It
represents a number of evolutions of the car line (most notably the introduction and discontinuation of the
defining feature of early Cadillacs, the tailfin) from 1949 to 1963, that are half-buried, nose-first in the ground at
an angle corresponding to that of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.
[37]
The piece is a statement about the
paradoxical simultaneous American fascinations with both a "sense of place" and roadside attractions, such
as The Ranch itself and the mobility and freedom of the automobile.
[38]

A tribute to the Cadillac Ranch was featured in the Walt Disney and Pixar film Cars. The fictional town
of Radiator Springs sits at the edge of an area referenced on a map as the "Cadillac Range", and throughout
the movie, rock formations shaped like the upended cars can be seen as a horizon backdrop.
[edit]Advertisements


A 1906 Cadillac
Advertisement August
1906


A 1911 Cadillac
Advertisement "Only
the Good Endures"
Syracuse Post-Standard,
31 January 1911


A 1917 Cadillac
Advertisement "Style,
Utility, Comfort"
Syracuse Herald, 30
September 1917


A 1919 Cadillac
Advertisement Phaeton,
4-passenger touring
Syracuse Herald, 30
September 1917


1921 Logo
[edit]Motorsport
Before the outbreak of World War II, Cadillac (like most manufacturers) participated in various types of
motorsport. Many Allardautomobiles used Cadillac engines.
In the 1950s, Cadillac (like all American manufacturers at the time) participated in the Grand National Stock
Car Series. The brand disappeared from the series by the 1960s.
Cadillac powered a Le Mans Prototype in the early years of the American Le Mans Series. When the prototype
proved unsuccessful, Cadillac withdrew from the series.
Cadillac's most successful venture into motorsport in recent years has been its use of the CTS-V in the SCCA
World Challenge Grand Touring class