History & Heritage

Must include references to discontinued vehicles

CADILLAC. THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS.

For over a century, Cadillac has stood for iconic design, artful engineering, and a love of innovation. It has been the automotive expression of the American dream, built for people who believe that it doesn’t matter where you came from, just how far you want to go, and how fast you want to get there.

1900
Cadillac is born in 1902, at the dawn of the twentieth century. Its founder, Henry Leland, a master mechanic and entrepreneur, names the new company after his ancestor, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the founder of Detroit. This is also the inspiration for the company's Crest, which is based on the Cadillac family's historic coat of arms. Within six years, Cadillac lays the foundation for modern mass production of automobiles by demonstrating the complete interchangeability of its precision parts. As a result, Cadillac is the first American car to win the prestigious Dewar Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club of England and adopts the slogan "Standard of the World."
1910
With its Model Thirty, Cadillac debuts "the car with no crank" - the first production car to feature an electric self-starter, ignition, and lighting. Not only does this open up the driving experience to women, it also brings the Dewar trophy back to Detroit, making Cadillac the only car manufacturer to claim the distinction twice. In 1915, Cadillac introduces the first mass-produced car with a V-type, water-cooled, eight-cylinder (V8) engine, which goes on to become a signature of the Cadillac brand.
1920
The roaring twenties mark a new phase in the relationship between form and function. In 1924, Cadillac pioneers the use of lacquer paint, offering customers over 500 color combinations to choose from at a time when most competitors offer a single shade of black. Then in 1926, the company recruits Harley Earl to design the 1927 LaSalle convertible coupe, making it the first American car designed by a stylist instead of an engineer. The result is elegant, flowing lines, chrome-plated fixtures, and an overarching design philosophy that ensures that, by the end of the decade, the name Cadillac is synonymous with beauty and luxury.
1930
In the height of the Depression, an undaunted Cadillac raises the bar yet again with the world's first V-type 16-cylinder engine in a passenger car, which becomes one of the first iconic vehicles in Cadillac history. In the words of a reviewer of the time, the V-16 was "so smooth and quiet throughout its range as to make it seem incredible that the car is actually being propelled by exploding gases." A V-12 version follows, providing an alternative between the signature V-8 and the new V-16. By mid-decade, Cadillac is manufacturing some 68 body styles. In 1937, a Cadillac-built V-8 proves its worth at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, breaking all previous stock car records. And in 1938, Cadillac makes the sunroof a part of the American vocabulary. Another first.
1940
Shortly after Pearl Harbor, Cadillac discontinues car production and devotes its resources to the war effort. V-8 engines, transmissions, and power units are successfully used in M-5 light tanks and M-8 Howitzer Motor Carriages, helping the company live up to its slogan "Famous in Peace - Distinguished in Battle!" After the war, Cadillac designer Harley Earl changes the profile of the American automobile once again, this time with the introduction of the tail fin. Modeled after the Lockheed P-38 "Lightening" fighter plane, the tail fin is destined to become an integral part of American automobile styling for almost 20 years. Now an industry staple, the first-ever Motor Trend Car of the Year award is presented to Cadillac in 1949, reaffirming the company's impact on the automotive industry.
1950
Cadillac embraces the post-war boom with open arms. In 1950 and 1951, car production exceeds 100,000 vehicles a year - nearly double that of prewar years. As an added bonus, V-8-powered Cadillacs finish third, tenth, and eleventh at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the most grueling races in the world. Setting the course for the rest of the decade, Cadillac becomes the first manufacturer to provide standard power steering on its entire fleet of automobiles. The company follows this up with a string of safety innovations, including an "autotronic eye" which dims headlamps automatically. With the Eldorado Convertible, tail fins reach their highest expression. By the end of the decade, they have secured their place as one of the definitive icons of the fifties.
1960
Cadillac continues to make technological and stylistic strides in the sixties. Self-adjusting brakes are adopted at the beginning of the decade. The Wreathed Crest, probably the most recognized Cadillac emblem of all, is reintroduced on the 1963 Eldorado. In 1964, the company redefines luxury with Comfort Control, the industry's first thermostatically regulated heating, venting, and air-conditioning system. Over the next few years, automatically-controlled headlamps, front seat belts, variable-ratio power steering, electric seat warmers, and stereo radio are introduced in rapid succession. In 1965, an American era comes to an end when tail fins are discontinued.
1970
Cadillac inaugurates the seventies by unveiling the 400 hp, 8.2L engine Eldorado. Its completely redesigned axle boasts the highest torque capacity of any passenger car available. In 1974, the company pioneers the use of air cushion restraints (air bags) for passenger safety and catalytic converters to lower emissions. Then in 1975, Cadillac becomes the first car manufacturer to provide electronically fuel-injected engines in U.S. production cars. And in 1978, the Seville ushers in the era of the computerized automobile with an onboard microprocessor in its digital display.
1980
Cadillac faces the dynamism of the eighties head on with the dramatic Seville Elegante. A modern interpretation of the classic car designs of the thirties and forties, its sleek, sports car physique and distinctive "bustle-back" style are widely imitated throughout the industry. On the innovation front, Cadillac becomes the first car manufacturer to use integrated microprocessors to control ignition, fuel injection, and vehicle diagnostics. The company also pioneers customer service practices, introducing standardized procedures for the delivery of newly purchased vehicles, such as inspections, ride-and-drive demonstrations, and walk-around tutorials. These efforts earn Cadillac recognition as J.D. Power rates the company number one in customer sales satisfaction.
1990
Cadillac kicks off the nineties introducing the first electronic traction control system in America, and offers it as a standard feature on the 1990 Cadillac Allante. That same year, the company goes on to win the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. In 1992, the 32-valve Northstar V8 engine introduces 16 patented advancements, such as a "limp home" feature that enables the engine to run without coolant for 50 miles, and a unique induction system for near-perfect fuel distribution. The '92 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan is Motor Trend's "Car of the Year", thanks to features such as all-electronically controlled powertrain, traction control, anti-lock brakes, and speed-sensitive suspension. This model reflects Cadillac's renewed global focus, with the Seville Touring Sedan being developed for export in more than 40 countries worldwide.
2000
Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Cadillac gives tangible proof of its commitment to push the boundaries of design and engineering. It starts off the decade with the award-winning Cien Concept, inspired by F-22 Stealth aircrafts. Then Cadillac takes the luxury SUV to new heights with the iconic Escalade, and garners international acclaim with the second generation CTS sedan, which earns the highly coveted 2008 Motor Trend Car of the Year award. Cadillac earns further recognition with the 2009 CTS-V, the fastest V8 production sedan in the world, which records a lap time of 7:59.32 on Germany's legendary Nürburgring. On the innovation front, Cadillac unveils the "Cadillac of electric vehicles:" the Converj Concept, a luxury coupe powered by the revolutionary Voltec electric propulsion technology. And as a culmination of this remarkable decade, the tradition of Cadillac limousines serving U.S. presidents enters a new chapter with the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama.