Cadillac History

The Cadillac brand of automobile has been around for over a century and has been considered America's premier luxury car ever since. Henry Leland founded the Cadillac brand in 1902. Leland named the company after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, one of his ancestors and the founder of Detroit, Michigan. The Cadillac crest is based on the Cadillac family coat of arms.

General Motors purchased Cadillac in 1909. Cadillac won the Dewar Trophy for standardizing automobile parts, which was one of Leland's concepts. Cadillac was the first American car company to win this award, and they are also the only company to win it twice. The second Dewar Trophy was won for the Delco electric system. This pioneer electric system was introduced in 1912 and laid the foundation of automobile electrical systems that we know today. With the electric starting of the Cadillac came the end to the winding of a crank to start your car.

Also in 1909, Cadillac introduced the world's first limousine and in 1915 launched the first fully armoured car. Cadillac became the standard of excellence in engineer and innovation with the development of thermostatically controlled water-cooling, standard windshield wiper and rear-view mirror. Other advancements include the use of fast drying Duco paint with over 500 color combinations.

While the Cadillac was marketed to the upper class as a powerful luxury car, the 1930s brought the Great Depression and with it, extremely low sales. Black customers were forced to send white friends to the dealerships just to purchase the pricey autos. Charges of racial discrimination from black customers almost brought the discontinuation of the entire Cadillac line. The president of Cadillac, Nicholas Dreystadt talked the General Motor board of directors into advertising to black customers as a method to smooth the issue and to increase sales. Also, in the 30s came the assembly line and Phillips screwdrivers and Cadillac was the first automobile manufacturer to use Phillips screws.

Cadillac is responsible for the first mass-produced V8 engine and the very first V-type 16 cylinder engine. In 1954, Cadillac began offering power steering as a standard feature and in 1957; the memory seat feature that offered six-way power seats that could be set and recalled for different drivers. Climate control came along in 1964 as well as the "twilight sentinel" option that sensed dusk and sunrise and turned the headlights on and off automatically.

The seventies brought even more innovations such as "track master", the computerized rear wheel skid-control brake system, air bags, electronic fuel injection, and the catalytic converter. In 1988, Cadillac pioneers another great safety feature - roadside assistance, offered 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

Cadillac has always been a trademark of the American dream. Today's Cadillac boasts the fastest sedan and groundbreaking design. The Cadillac is a part of American history and even has a monument to "The Car", called the Cadillac Ranch, just west of Amarillo, Texas. Ten vintage Cadillacs are buried nose down in the dirt - their tail fins angled out of the ground. What began as a sight gag in 1974, immediately turned into an iconic monument that has lasted over 30 years.