Cadillac Automotive: The History of an American Classic

The history of the Cadillac dates back to August 22nd, 1902, when the Henry Ford Company was first dissolved. With the loss of Henry Ford and some key partners in the company, it was the idea of Ford's financial backers that the company assets be liquidated. In order to get a fair estimate on the value of the equipment and the manufacturing plant, they called in engineer, Henry Leland, to perform an assessment prior to the company being put to market. Instead of appraising the property, however, Henry Leland instead persuaded the two financial backers, Lemuel Bowen and William Murphy, to continue to produce cars, utilizing Leland's 1-cylinder engine. With Henry Ford no longer a part of the automotive company, the remnants of the Henry Ford business would become the Cadillac Automobile Company.

What's In a Name?

How did they choose the name "Cadillac," you may ask? The Cadillac car and company were named after a 17th century French explorer by the name of Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac. While this name might not ring any immediate bells, most see the relevance when it is said that this French explorer was the same man who founded the city of Detroit, Michigan (a.k.a. "Motor City"), back in 1701. In time, the name would become synonymous with style, luxury and dependability, and the company would be known for their innovative new ideas, always seeming to stay a step ahead of the competition.

The First Cars

The very first Cadillac was completed in October of 1902. This was the 10 hp (7 kW) model and it was very similar to the 1903 Ford Model A. The following January, this car would be shown at the New York Auto Show and would cause such a stir amongst the crowd that the company netted over 2,000 solid orders during this first show. Better-made than the competition, the Cadillac promised reliability amongst all its other perks; something which would prove a major selling point for the new car company.

Award Winning Style

From February to March 1908, three of the Model K style Cadillacs were released to compete in the yearly Royal Automobile Club's Standardization Test. Driven 25 miles to the Brookland's race track, they would then complete another 25 miles of driving time before being locked away. Then, on March 2nd, all 3 cars were disassembled and their parts were all piled together in one large scrambled heap.

Using only wrenches and screwdrivers to reassemble the cars, they were then put back together and driven an additional 500 miles to the next check point. At this stop, one of the cars would be locked away for several months, before participating in the 2,000-mile Reliability Trials. Not surprisingly, the Cadillac would emerge as the winner of the R.A.C. trophy, further proving that the cars were simple to work on and had interchangeable parts. Additionally, the Cadillac would also take the Dewar Trophy in 1908; a trophy that was awarded for the most important advancement made, for the year, in the automobile industry.

General Motors' Prestige Car

In 1909, the Cadillac Automobile Company was purchased by the General Motors company, where it would blaze new trails in the world of large luxury vehicles. Within General Motors, the Cadillac line would come to be the main part of the company's prestige division, but would also produce the "commercial chassis" for various vehicles, such as ambulances, hearses and limousines. It didn't matter if you wanted a professional commercial vehicle or wished to drive your family around in a luxury vehicle, Cadillac was the way to go.

Cadillac would become the first gasoline-powered internal combustion automobile to incorporate the electric starter, rather than the traditional crank. While this was originally marketed for the women driver, saving them from having to crank the engine over, the convenience of the electric starter would catch on and become a must-have in all the upcoming models. In addition to this, the Cadillac division of GM were also the first to mass produce the V8 engine for automotive use, as well as utilizing the first shatter resistant glass in their automobiles, and the first company to come out with the synchronized transmition, back in 1928. Consistently, Cadillac would produce cars that were not only more luxurious, but more convenient and safer.

A Rough Year For Cadillacs

Suffering from record low sales and charges being brought against the company for discrimination, closing down the Cadillac line was actually considered in 1932. Following a complaint that the legendary boxer, Joe Louis, had been turned away from dealerships because he was black, the Board of Directors met and finally allowed the Cadillac President, Nicholas Dreystadt, 18 months to show a drastic change in Cadillac and to produce significantly better results. By 1934, Cadillac was once again a profitable company and, even more surprising, it was in fact the only American automobile manufacturer who would continue to earn a profit even during the Great Depression. With sales rising more than 1,000% by 1940, the company was saved and left to continue creating these fabulous vehicles.

Some Classic Cadillac Names

It wasn't until the 1960's that the new Cadillacs began sporting names as luxurious as the cars themselves. While one should never forget the classic Cadillac series, here are a few Cadillac names that might ring a bell:

The Cadillac Allante
The Cadillac Brougham
The Cadillac DeVille
The Coupe de Ville
The Cadillac Eldorado
The Cadillac Fleetwood
The Cadillac Seville
The Cadillac Sixty Special

Today's Cadillac

The postwar Cadillac would be a rumbling work of art - sporting wraparound windshields, huge tail fins and stylish new shades, they would prove to be cars that would celebrate the prosperous future of the United States. In time, they would become monuments to better days, gone by, and a legend amongst classic cars. No collection would be complete without at least one beautiful Cadillac.

While the modern-day Cadillacs no longer sport huge fins, nor are they the size of ocean-liners, they are still known for their quality and remain one of the world's favorite luxury cars. Upholding their exquisite standards for 100 years, the Cadillac is a company that is sure to go on creating great cars well into the future.