Cadillac facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cadillac

Logo used since 2021
Formerly	Cadillac Automobile Company
Type	Private (1902–09) Division (1909–present)
Industry	Automotive
Fate	Acquired by General Motors in 1909
Predecessor	Henry Ford Company
Founded	August 22, 1902; 122 years ago (1902-08-22) in Detroit, U.S.
Founder	William Murphy Lemuel Bowen Henry M. Leland
Headquarters	Detroit, Michigan , U.S.
Area served	United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Europe (excl. Russia and Belarus), Middle East (excl. Iran and Syria), China (excl. Hong Kong and Macau), South Korea, Japan
Key people	Steve Carlisle, President, Cadillac
Products	Luxury vehicles
Parent	General Motors

Cadillac is a famous American car brand. It is part of General Motors (GM). Cadillac makes and sells luxury vehicles. Its main markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac cars are also sold in 34 other countries.

For many years, Cadillac cars were seen as the best luxury cars in the U.S. But since the 2000s, European brands like BMW and Mercedes have sold more cars. In 2019, Cadillac sold a record 390,458 vehicles worldwide.

Cadillac is one of the oldest car brands in the world. It is the fourth oldest in the U.S. The brand is named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who founded Detroit, Michigan. The Cadillac logo is based on his family's coat of arms.

By 1909, when General Motors bought Cadillac, it was already a top luxury car maker. Cadillac was known for making parts that could be easily swapped. This helped create the idea of modern mass production for cars. Cadillac also led the way in new car technologies. These included full electrical systems and the steel roof. The brand also made powerful V8 engines. These engines set a high standard for the American car industry.

Cadillac was the first U.S. car to win the Dewar Trophy in the United Kingdom in 1908. This award was for showing that its parts were interchangeable. This led to their famous slogan, "Standard of the World." Cadillac won the trophy again in 1912. This time it was for adding electric starting and lighting to its cars.

Early History of Cadillac Cars

How Cadillac Started

Cadillac was created from what was left of the Henry Ford Company. In March 1902, Henry Ford left his company after a disagreement with investors. The investors, William Murphy and Lemuel Bowen, asked engineer Henry M. Leland to check the factory. Leland convinced them to keep making cars. He suggested using his own reliable single-cylinder engine.

A new company, the Cadillac Automobile Company, started on August 22, 1902. It used the old Henry Ford Company factory. The company was named after Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac. He was a French explorer who founded Detroit in 1701.

Cadillac's First Cars

Cadillac's first cars were the Runabout and Tonneau. They were finished in October 1902. These were two-seat cars without horses. They had a 10 hp (7 kW) single-cylinder engine. They looked very similar to the 1903 Ford Model A.

Many people say the first Cadillac car was made on October 17. Cadillac showed these new cars at the New York International Auto Show in January 1903. People were very impressed. Cadillac received over 2,000 orders. Cadillac's main strength was its precise manufacturing. This made their cars very reliable. They were simply better made than other cars at the time.

Runabout

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  1902

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  6½ HP 1904

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  1907

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  1907

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  1908 with dickey seat open

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  1908 Cadillac Model S

Rear-entrance tonneau

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  1903

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  6½ HP 1903

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  8¼ HP 1904

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  8¼ HP surrey-top 1904

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  10 HP 1904

Special bodies

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  Delivery 1903

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  8½ HP touring car 1904

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  8¼ HP detachable-top limousine 1904

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  9 HP limousine

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  Model M coupé 1907

Important Events: 1906–1912

In 1905, the Cadillac Automobile Company joined with Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing. They formed The Cadillac Motor Company. From the start, Cadillac focused on exact engineering and fancy finishes. This made its cars some of the best in the U.S. In 1906, Cadillac was the first large car maker to build a fully enclosed car.

Cadillac won the Dewar Trophy in 1908. This was for showing that its car parts could be easily swapped. On July 29, 1909, General Motors (GM) bought Cadillac. Cadillac became GM's top luxury brand. It made large, fancy cars. Cadillac also made special vehicles like limousines and ambulances. It was placed above other GM brands like Buick and Chevrolet.

In 1912, Cadillac was the first car maker to add a full electrical system. This system allowed for electric starting, ignition, and lighting.

Becoming the "Standard of the World" and the Great Depression: 1915–1941

1921 Cadillac logo

In 1915, Cadillac introduced a powerful V8 engine. It had 70 horsepower (52 kW) and could make cars go 65 miles per hour (105 km/h). This was very fast for roads at that time. Cadillac also created the first clashless manual transmission in 1928. In 1930, Cadillac made the first V-16 engine. It was one of the strongest and quietest engines in the U.S. These advanced engines helped Cadillac become the "Standard of the World." A later V8 engine, made in 1949, set the standard for the whole American car industry.

In July 1917, the United States Army needed a reliable car for officers. They chose the Cadillac Type 55 Touring Model. About 2,350 of these cars were used in France during World War I.

A 1921 Cadillac advertisement

Before World War II, Cadillac made strong, luxury cars for wealthy buyers. In the 1930s, Cadillac added cars with V12 and V16 engines. Many of these had special custom-built bodies.

In 1926, Cadillac hired car designer Harley Earl. He later became the head of GM's new Art and Color division. The first car he designed was the LaSalle. This was a smaller, new car brand from Cadillac. It was named after another French explorer, René Robert Cavelier.

Cadillac started using designer-styled car bodies in 1927. In 1926, they added shatter-resistant glass. Cadillac also introduced the "turret top." This was the first all-steel roof on a passenger car. Before this, car roofs were made of wood covered with fabric.

The Great Depression made car sales drop a lot. Luxury car sales fell even more. Between 1928 and 1933, Cadillac sales dropped by 84%. Nick Dreystadt, a Cadillac service manager, helped change this. He pushed to sell cars to all customers. After this change, Cadillac sales went up by 70% in 1934. Dreystadt was then promoted to lead the entire Cadillac Division.

By 1940, Cadillac sales were ten times higher than in 1934. In 1936, Dreystadt released the Series 60. This car was Cadillac's entry into the mid-priced car market. In 1937, Cadillac was the first car maker to use Phillips screws. These screws helped speed up assembly times. By 1941, all Cadillac cars used the same basic engine and parts.

Also in 1941, Cadillac offered the Hydra-Matic as an option. This was the first mass-produced fully automatic transmission. It had been offered on the Oldsmobile the year before.

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  1921 Cadillac Suburban

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  1929 Cadillac

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  1929 Cadillac towing a bus, Sydney, Australia, 1938

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  1929 Cadillac Fleetwood

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  1931 Cadillac phaeton

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  1932 Cadillac 355B V8 sedan

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  1936 Cadillac Series 70 four door convertible V8

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  1939 Cadillac Series 75 town car

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  1940 Cadillac 90 town car

After World War II and the Great Depression: 1945–1959

Top: Cadillac motor car logo, c. 1950s, being the coat of arms of Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac; 1948 Cadillac. Bottom: two images of the iconic large tail fins of the 1959 Cadillac

After World War II, Cadillac cars introduced many new styling features. These features became famous for American cars in the late 1940s and 1950s. These ideas came from General Motors' design chief, Harley J. Earl. They included tailfins, wraparound windshields, and lots of chrome. Tailfins first appeared in 1948 and were largest in 1959. They got smaller each year after 1960 and were gone by 1965.

Another special Cadillac design was its front bumper. What started as two artillery shell-shaped bumper guards after the war moved higher on the front of the car. They became known as Dagmar bumpers. They were made smaller in 1958 and disappeared the next year.

In 1956, Cadillac introduced the "Sedan de Ville." This was a four-door hardtop sedan without a middle pillar. A year later, this feature was on all standard Cadillacs. The car magazine Motor Trend gave its first "Motor Trend Car of the Year" award to Cadillac in 1949. This was for its new overhead valve V8 engine.

On November 25, 1949, Cadillac made its one-millionth car. It was a 1950 Coupe de Ville. Cadillac also sold 100,000 cars that year, a new record. This record was matched in 1950 and 1951. In 1949, Cadillac also introduced the first mass-produced hardtop coupe. This was a closed car without a "B" pillar. The Coupe de Ville became one of Cadillac's most popular models for many years.

In 1951, Cadillac started making the M41 Walker Bulldog army tank. This tank was used in the Korean and Vietnam wars.

In 1953, the "Autronic Eye" was added. This feature automatically dimmed the high-beam headlights for safety. In 1957, Cadillac tried to make an even fancier car. They created the handmade Series 70 Eldorado Brougham. It had a self-levelling suspension and a "memory seat" function. It also had the first all-transistor car radio. Only 904 of these cars were sold.

Luxury and Size Peaks: 1960–1976

Cadillac Eldorado Brougham all-transistor car radio (1957 dashboard)

Installing a transmission on a Cadillac in Detroit, Michigan, 1973

In 1962, Cadillac introduced a new brake system. It had separate front and rear hydraulic systems. This was six years before it was required by law. The first fully automatic heater and air conditioning system also appeared. The three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission was also introduced. This became a standard GM model for decades. Starting in the late 1960s, Cadillac offered a system to warn drivers about broken light bulbs. The use of shiny chrome on the outside and inside of cars also decreased after 1959.

In 1966, Cadillac had its best sales year yet, selling over 192,000 cars. This was a more than 60% increase. In 1968, Cadillac sold over 200,000 cars for the first time. The years 1967 and 1968 saw many new safety features. These included steering columns that absorbed energy and soft interior knobs.

The front-wheel drive Eldorado was launched in 1967. It set a new standard for luxury cars. Its simple design was very different from the tailfins and chrome of the 1950s. Cadillac's success grew against rivals like Lincoln. A new 472 cu in (7.7 L) engine came out in 1968. It was made even bigger to 500 cu in (8.2 L) for the 1970 Eldorado. This larger engine was used in all models starting in 1975.

Driver and front passenger airbags were offered on some Cadillac models in 1974. However, this option was not popular and was stopped after 1976. The pillarless Coupe deVille stopped being made in 1973. The Sedan deVille remained pillarless until 1976.

The 1970s saw cars become even more luxurious and larger. The 1972 Fleetwood was longer than the 1960 model. Models had a smoother ride. Car weight, standard features, and engine displacement all increased. Cadillac had record sales in 1973 and again in the late 1970s. In May 1975, the Seville was introduced. It was made to compete with growing luxury car imports. It was marketed as "international size."

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  1967–70 Cadillac Eldorado

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  1968 Cadillac DeVille

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  1972 Cadillac DeVille

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  1976 Cadillac DeVille

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  1976 Cadillac Eldorado

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  1976 Cadillac Seville

Smaller Cars and New Tech: 1977–1988

In 1977, Cadillac's large cars became smaller. This was part of a trend across GM. The Fleetwood Brougham and DeVille models were now shorter and lighter. They were powered by 425 cu in (7.0 L) V8 engines. These changes were made to improve fuel economy. This was due to new government rules about car fuel use.

The 1977 lineup included the two-door Coupe de Ville and the four-door Sedan de Ville. These new cars were more than nine inches shorter and half a ton lighter. But they had a bigger trunk and more space inside. Sales were very high, with 234,171 DeVilles sold.

With these smaller cars, fuel economy and handling got better. In 1979, Cadillac's top Eldorado coupe also became smaller. The 1980s saw more models get smaller, including the DeVille, Fleetwood, Eldorado, and Seville. In 1980, the Seville got a new design with a unique "bustle-back" rear end. It also moved to the same front-wheel-drive platform as the Eldorado.

In 1982, the Cimarron was introduced. It was Cadillac's first compact car. The Cimarron was not successful. It is often seen as a low point for Cadillac. It caused Cadillac's share of the U.S. market to drop.

For 1981, Cadillac changed its long-running slogan to "An American Standard of the World." In 1982, the slogan changed again to "Best of All ... It's A Cadillac." This slogan was used until 1986.

In 1984, both the rear-wheel-drive Coupe de Ville and Sedan de Ville were still sold. The new front-wheel-drive 1985 models arrived early in 1984. So, for a few months, both 1984 and 1985 models were being sold at the same time.

In 1985, the new front-wheel-drive DeVille and Fleetwood models were released. In 1987, the new Pininfarina-designed Allanté roadster came out. It had the HT-4100 V8 engine. Also in 1987, the Detroit Assembly plant, where Cadillacs had been made since 1921, was closed.

The 1980s also brought new high-tech luxury features. The memory seat option returned in 1980. In 1981, all models got standard digital heating and air conditioning controls. In 1983, the Delco/Bose stereo system became an option. Digital instruments became available for the new FWD DeVille and Fleetwood cars in 1985.

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  1978 Cadillac DeVille

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  1980 Cadillac Seville

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  1984 Cadillac DeVille

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  1984 Cadillac Eldorado

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  1987 Cadillac DeVille

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  1988 Cadillac Allanté

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  1988 Cadillac Brougham

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  1988 Cadillac Cimarron

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  1988 Cadillac Seville

New Models: 1989–1999

In 1991, Cadillac introduced the Northstar engine. This was a family of powerful V8 engines. They were made by General Motors until 2010. The Northstar System was Cadillac's name for a package of features. It included special engines, road-sensing suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes.

In 1992, the Seville was redesigned. It aimed to compete better with European luxury cars. It even made Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list that year. A year later, the Brougham model was stopped. It was replaced by the new rear-wheel-drive 1993 Fleetwood. The Coupe deVille was also stopped due to fewer people buying large coupes.

In 1994, the DeVille was redesigned. It shared a platform with the Seville. Production moved to Hamtramck, Michigan. All 1994 DeVille models included a driver-side front airbag. They also had digital instruments and a message center. This center showed important car information. A passenger-side front airbag became standard in 1996.

In 1997, the Catera mid-size sedan was introduced. It was Cadillac's new entry-level car. The Catera was a version of the Opel Omega B. It was made by Opel in Germany. The DeVille was also redesigned that year. In the late 1990s, Cadillac entered the growing SUV market. The Escalade, introduced in 1999, competed with the Lincoln Navigator.

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  1989 Cadillac Fleetwood

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  1991 Cadillac DeVille

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  1992 Cadillac Seville

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  1993 Cadillac Fleetwood

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  1994 Cadillac DeVille

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  1995 Cadillac Eldorado

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  1997 Cadillac Catera

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  1997 Cadillac DeVille

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  1999 Cadillac Escalade

The "Art and Science" Era: 2000–Present

Cadillac dealership in Bakersfield, CA in 2006

In 2000, Cadillac started a new design style called "Art and Science." This style uses sharp shapes and crisp edges. It shows a bold, high-tech design. This new look spread to cars like the CTS and the Cadillac XLR roadster. Cadillac's cars mostly became rear- and all-wheel-drive sedans, roadsters, crossovers, and SUVs.

The Cadillac BLS was a compact luxury car. It was not sold in North America. The BLS was a version of the Saab 9-3. It was made by Saab in Sweden. In 2005, the Cadillac STS was introduced. It replaced the Cadillac Seville. The STS had Cadillac's new Northstar System.

The STS was Cadillac's most expensive sedan. It was between the mid-size CTS and the full-size DTS. In 2006, the DeVille name was replaced by Cadillac DTS. The new name matched Cadillac's "Art and Science" naming style. The last DeVille was made on June 23, 2005.

The new second-generation CTS-V performance sedan came out in 2009. It competed directly with the BMW M5. This car was very fast. An automatic version of the CTS-V set a record for production sedans at the Nürburgring racetrack. The last DTS was made on May 27, 2011. It was replaced by the Cadillac XTS in 2012. The Cadillac ATS compact sedan also came out in 2012. A coupe version of the ATS was added two years later.

In 2016, the Cadillac CT6 was introduced. It was Cadillac's first full-size rear-wheel-drive sedan since 1996. In early 2017, Cadillac launched "Book By Cadillac." This was a car subscription service.

The Cadillac XT6, a new seven-seat luxury mid-size crossover SUV, was shown on January 12, 2019. It went on sale in late 2019. Other new Cadillac models for 2020 included the CT5 mid-size luxury sedan. It replaced the CTS. The CT4 compact sedan replaced the ATS. High-performance "V" versions of the CT4 and CT5 were also added for 2020.

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  2000 Cadillac DeVille

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  2005 Cadillac SRX

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  2006 Cadillac BLS

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  2006 Cadillac XLR

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  2007 Cadillac DTS

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  2008 Cadillac CTS

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  2009 Cadillac CTS-V

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  2010 Cadillac SRX

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  2010 Cadillac Escalade

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  2013 Cadillac ATS

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  2013 Cadillac XTS

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  2014 Cadillac CTS

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  2014 Cadillac ELR

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  2015 Cadillac ATS-L (China)

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  2016 Cadillac ATS-V

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  2016 Cadillac CTS-V

Cadillac Car Models

Current Models

• Escalade (1999–present)
  • Escalade
  • Escalade ESV
• CT6 (2016–present)
  • CT6
  • CT6-V
• XT5 (2017–present)
• XT4 (2019–present)
• CT4 (2020–present)
  • CT4
  • CT4-V
• CT5 (2020–present)
  • CT5
  • CT5-V
• XT6 (2020–present)
• Lyriq (2023–present)
• GT4 (2023–present)

Upcoming Models

• Optiq (2023–present)
• Celestiq (2024–)
• Escalade IQ (2025–)
• Vistiq (2026–)

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  Cadillac CT4

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  Cadillac CT5

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  Cadillac CT6

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  Cadillac Escalade

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  Cadillac Escalade ESV

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  Cadillac Lyriq

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  Cadillac GT4

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  Cadillac XT4

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  Cadillac XT5

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  Cadillac XT6

Where Cadillacs Are Made

• Lansing Grand River Assembly, Michigan, U.S.
  • Makes: Cadillac CT4, Cadillac CT5
• Arlington Assembly, Texas, U.S.
  • Makes: Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV
• Fairfax Assembly, Kansas, U.S.
  • Makes: Cadillac XT4
• Spring Hill Manufacturing, Tennessee, U.S.
  • Makes: Cadillac Lyriq, Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6
• Shanghai GM, China
  • Makes: Cadillac CT4, Cadillac CT5, Cadillac CT6, Cadillac Lyriq, Cadillac XT4, Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6

Cadillac Advertisements

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  1906

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  1907

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  Syracuse Herald, 30 September 1917

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  Syracuse Herald, 30 September 1917

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  1930

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  1954

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  1956

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  1965

Awards for Cadillac

Cadillac has won the Motor Trend Car of the Year award five times:

• 1949 Cadillac Motor Division—for new ideas in V8 engine design
• 1952 Cadillac Motor Division
• 1992 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan
• 2008 Cadillac CTS
• 2014 Cadillac CTS

Cadillac in Motorsports

Cadillac Racing logo

Cadillac DPi-V.R

Before World War II, Cadillac took part in different car races. Many Allard cars used Cadillac engines. In the 1950s, Cadillac raced in NASCAR. The brand left NASCAR by the 1960s.

Cadillac also powered the Cadillac Northstar LMP race car. This car raced in the American Le Mans Series from 2000 to 2002. Cadillac later returned to racing in 2017 with the Cadillac DPi-V.R. This car has been very successful.

In 2023, Cadillac entered its Cadillac V-Series.R into two major championships. These were the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship. They plan to race again in 2024.

Cadillac and Formula One

On January 5, 2023, General Motors announced that Cadillac wanted to join Formula One. They planned to work with Andretti Global. Cadillac hoped to make a Formula 1 engine for Andretti by 2028. However, on January 31, 2024, the Andretti F1 team was not allowed to join for 2025/2026. Formula 1 has not yet said no to them joining in 2028, if Cadillac's engine is ready.

See also

In Spanish: Cadillac para niños