Cadillac facts for kids

For other uses, see Cadillac (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
Cadillac

Formerly	Cadillac Automobile Company
Type	Private (1902–1909) 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, Michigan, 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 brand of luxury vehicles made by the American company General Motors (GM). It is well-known in the United States, Canada, and China, and its cars are sold in many other countries too. For a long time, Cadillac cars were considered the best luxury cars in the U.S. In 2019, Cadillac sold more cars than ever before, with 390,458 vehicles sold worldwide.

Cadillac started in 1902, making it one of the oldest car brands in the world. It was named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who founded the city of Detroit, Michigan. The Cadillac logo is even based on his family's coat of arms.

When General Motors bought Cadillac in 1909, Cadillac was already a top luxury car maker. Cadillac helped create modern mass production for cars because its parts were made so precisely that they could be easily swapped. Cadillac also led the way with new technologies like full electrical systems, smooth-shifting manual transmissions, and steel roofs for cars. Its V8 engine design became a standard for the American car industry.

Cadillac was the first U.S. car to win the Dewar Trophy twice. It won in 1908 for showing that its car parts were interchangeable, which led to its slogan "Standard of the World." It won again in 1912 for adding electric starting and lighting to its cars.

History of Cadillac Cars
Cadillac Car Models
Where Cadillacs are Made
Cadillac Advertisements
Awards for Cadillac
Cadillac in Racing
- Cadillac and Formula One
See also

History of Cadillac Cars

How Cadillac Started

Cadillac was created from what was left of the Henry Ford Company. After some disagreements, Henry Ford left his company in March 1902. The investors, William Murphy and Lemuel Bowen, asked engineer Henry M. Leland to check the factory. Leland convinced them to keep making cars using his reliable single-cylinder engine. So, the Cadillac Automobile Company began on August 22, 1902. It used the old Henry Ford Company factory. The company was named after French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, who founded Detroit in 1701.

First Cadillac Cars

Cadillac's first cars, the Runabout and Tonneau, were finished in October 1902. These were two-seat cars that looked like horseless carriages. They had a 10-horsepower single-cylinder engine. They were very similar to the 1903 Ford Model A. Cadillac showed these new cars at the New York Auto Show in January 1903. People were so impressed that Cadillac received over 2,000 orders. Cadillac's main selling point was its precise manufacturing, which made its cars very reliable.

Runabout

1902
6½ HP 1904
1907
1907
1908 with dickey seat open
1908 Cadillac Model S

Rear-entrance tonneau

1903
6½ HP 1903
8¼ HP 1904
8¼ HP surrey-top 1904
10 HP 1904

Special bodies

Delivery 1903
8½ HP touring car 1904
8¼ HP detachable-top limousine 1904
9 HP limousine
Model M coupé 1907

Important Years: 1906–1912

The Cadillac Automobile Company joined with Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing in 1905 to form The Cadillac Motor Company. From the start, Cadillac focused on precise engineering and fancy luxury designs. This made its cars some of the best in the United States. In 1906, Cadillac was the first large car maker to produce a fully enclosed car. Cadillac also won the Dewar Trophy in 1908 for its important advancements in the car industry.

On July 29, 1909, General Motors (GM) bought Cadillac. Cadillac became GM's top luxury brand, making large, fancy cars. Cadillac cars were also used for special vehicles like limousines, ambulances, and hearses. Cadillac was placed at the very top of GM's car brands, above Buick, Oldsmobile, Oakland, and later, Chevrolet.

In 1912, Cadillac was the first car maker to include an electrical system. This system allowed for electric starting, ignition, and lighting in cars.

Becoming the "Standard of the World": 1915–1941

1921 Cadillac logo

In 1915, Cadillac introduced a powerful V8 engine with 70 horsepower. This allowed its cars to go up to 65 miles per hour, which was very fast for the time. Cadillac also created the first clashless manual transmission in 1928. In 1930, Cadillac launched its amazing V-16 engine. It had 165 horsepower and was one of the most powerful and quietest engines in the U.S. These advanced engines helped Cadillac become known as the "Standard of the World." A later V8 engine design from 1949 became the standard for the entire American car industry.

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

A 1921 Cadillac advertisement

Before World War II, Cadillac made strong, mass-produced luxury cars for wealthy customers. In the 1930s, Cadillac added cars with V12 and V16 engines. Many of these had 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 new, smaller "companion" car brand named after another French explorer, René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. LaSalle cars were made until 1940.

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

During the Great Depression, car sales dropped a lot, especially for luxury cars. Between 1928 and 1933, Cadillac sales fell by 84%. Nick Dreystadt, a Cadillac service manager, helped change a policy that limited sales to African Americans. After this policy was removed, Cadillac sales went up by 70% in 1934. Dreystadt was then promoted to lead the entire Cadillac Division.

By 1940, Cadillac sales had increased tenfold compared to 1934. In 1936, Dreystadt released the Series 60, a more affordable Cadillac. In 1937, Cadillac was the first carmaker to use the Phillips screw and screwdriver, which helped speed up assembly. By 1941, all Cadillac cars used the same basic engine and drivetrain. Also in 1941, Cadillac offered the Hydra-Matic, the first mass-produced fully automatic transmission.

1921 Cadillac Suburban
1929 Cadillac
1929 Cadillac towing a bus, Sydney, Australia, 1938
1929 Cadillac Fleetwood
1931 Cadillac phaeton
1932 Cadillac 355B V8 sedan
1936 Cadillac Series 70 four door convertible V8
1939 Cadillac Series 75 town car
1940 Cadillac 90 town car

After World War II: 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 included tailfins, wraparound windshields, and lots of chrome. Tailfins first appeared in 1948 and were largest in 1959. They became smaller each year until they disappeared in 1965. Cadillac also had unique front bumpers that were sometimes called Dagmar bumpers.

In 1956, Cadillac introduced the "Sedan de Ville," a four-door hardtop sedan without a middle pillar. The car magazine Motor Trend gave its first "Car of the Year" award to Cadillac in 1949 for its new overhead valve V8 engine. On November 25, 1949, Cadillac made its one-millionth car, a 1950 Coupe de Ville. Cadillac also sold 100,000 cars in a year for the first time in 1949.

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

In 1953, the "Autronic Eye" was added. This feature automatically dimmed the high-beam headlights for oncoming drivers. In 1957, Cadillac tried to make an even more luxurious car, the hand-built Series 70 Eldorado Brougham. It had special features like self-leveling suspension and a "memory seat" function.

Luxury and Size: 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 brake system with separate front and rear hydraulic systems, which became a federal requirement six years later. The first fully automatic heater and air conditioning system also appeared. The three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission became a standard for GM cars for decades. After 1959, Cadillac cars used less chrome on the outside and inside.

In 1966, Cadillac had its best sales year yet, selling over 192,000 cars. This record was broken in 1968, when Cadillac sold over 200,000 units for the first time. In 1967 and 1968, new safety features were added, like energy-absorbing steering wheels and shoulder belts.

The front-wheel drive Eldorado was launched in 1967. It had a simple, elegant design, very different from the tailfins and chrome of the 1950s. Cadillac's sales grew, beating rivals like Lincoln. The new 472 cubic inch engine, which debuted in 1968, was increased to 500 cubic inches for the 1970 Eldorado. It was used across all models starting in 1975. Driver and front passenger airbags were offered as an option on some Cadillac models in 1974, but this option was not very popular.

The 1970s saw cars become even more luxurious and larger. Cadillac had record sales in 1973 and again in the late 1970s. In May 1975, the Seville was introduced. It was designed to compete with luxury cars from other countries and was marketed as "international size."

1967–70 Cadillac Eldorado
1968 Cadillac DeVille
1972 Cadillac DeVille
1976 Cadillac DeVille
1976 Cadillac Eldorado
1976 Cadillac Seville

Smaller Cars and New Tech: 1977–1988

In 1977, Cadillac's large cars became smaller, just like other GM cars. The Fleetwood Brougham and de Ville models were now shorter and lighter. They were powered by 425 cubic inch V8 engines. This change was made to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.

For 1977, the de Ville models were redesigned. They were more than nine inches shorter and half a ton lighter than the previous year's models. But they had a larger trunk and more space inside. These were also the first de Villes without fender skirts over the rear wheels. Sales of de Ville models reached a record high of 234,171 cars in 1977.

With these smaller cars, fuel economy and handling improved. In 1979, the Eldorado coupe also became smaller. The 1980s saw many Cadillac models, including the de Ville, Fleetwood, Eldorado, and Seville, get smaller. In 1980, the Seville was redesigned with a unique "bustle-back" rear end. In 1982, the Cimarron was introduced as Cadillac's first compact car. However, the Cimarron was not successful and is often seen as a low point for Cadillac.

For the 1981 model year, Cadillac's famous "Standard of the World" slogan changed to "An American Standard of the World." In 1982, it changed again to "Best of All... It's A Cadillac."

In 1985, new front-wheel-drive de Ville and Fleetwood models were released. In 1987, the Pininfarina-designed Allanté roadster came out. Also in 1987, the Detroit Assembly plant, where Cadillacs had been made since 1921, closed.

The 1980s also brought new technology to Cadillac cars. The memory seat option returned in 1980. In 1981, all models had digital heating and air conditioning controls. In 1983, the Delco/Bose stereo system became an option. Digital dashboards also became available for some models in 1985.

1978 Cadillac de Ville
1980 Cadillac Seville
1984 Cadillac de Ville
1984 Cadillac Eldorado
1987 Cadillac de Ville
1988 Cadillac Allanté
1988 Cadillac Brougham
1988 Cadillac Cimarron
1988 Cadillac Seville

New Models: 1989–1999

In 1991, Cadillac introduced the Northstar engine. This was a family of powerful V8 engines made by General Motors. The Northstar System was Cadillac's name for a set of high-performance features. These included special engine timing, road-sensing suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes.

In 1992, the Seville was redesigned to better compete with European luxury sedans. It even made Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list that year. The Brougham model was stopped in 1993 and replaced by the new rear-wheel-drive 1993 Fleetwood. The Coupe de Ville was also stopped in 1993 because large coupes were becoming less popular.

In 1994, the de Ville was redesigned. It included a driver-side airbag and digital instruments. After a redesign in 1996, a passenger-side airbag became standard. In 1995, the "high technology" engine used since 1982 was no longer made.

In 1997, the Catera mid-size sedan was introduced as Cadillac's new entry-level car. The Catera was a version of the Opel Omega B, made in Germany. The de Ville was also redesigned that year. In the late 1990s, Cadillac entered the growing SUV market with the Escalade. It was introduced in 1999 to compete with the Lincoln Navigator and other luxury SUVs.

1989 Cadillac Fleetwood
1991 Cadillac de Ville
1992 Cadillac Seville
1993 Cadillac Fleetwood
1994 Cadillac de Ville
1995 Cadillac Eldorado
1997 Cadillac Catera
1997 Cadillac de Ville
1999 Cadillac Escalade

The "Art and Science" Era: 2000–Present

Cadillac dealership in Bakersfield, CA in 2006

In 2000, Cadillac introduced a new design style called "Art and Science." This style uses sharp, clean shapes and crisp edges. It aims to show bold, high-tech design. This new look started with the CTS and spread to other models like the Cadillac XLR roadster. Most Cadillac models now are rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive sedans, roadsters, crossovers, and SUVs.

In 2005, the Cadillac STS was introduced. It replaced the Cadillac Seville. The STS later received Cadillac's Northstar System with its powerful V8 engine. The STS was Cadillac's most expensive sedan. In 2006, the DeVille name was replaced by Cadillac DTS. This 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 was designed to compete with cars like the BMW M5. This car, with its supercharged 6.2 L V8 engine, 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, which debuted in 2012 as a 2013 model. The Cadillac ATS compact sedan also debuted in 2012 as a 2013 model. 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 the Fleetwood was stopped in 1996. In early 2017, Cadillac launched "Book By Cadillac," a car subscription service.

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

2000 Cadillac DeVille
2005 Cadillac SRX
2006 Cadillac BLS
2006 Cadillac XLR
2007 Cadillac DTS
2008 Cadillac CTS
2009 Cadillac CTS-V
2010 Cadillac SRX
2010 Cadillac Escalade
2013 Cadillac ATS
2013 Cadillac XTS
2014 Cadillac CTS
2014 Cadillac ELR
2015 Cadillac ATS-L (China)
2016 Cadillac ATS-V
2016 Cadillac CTS-V

Cadillac Car Models

Current Models

1999–present Escalade
- 1999–present Escalade
- 2003–present Escalade ESV
2016–present CT6
2017–present XT5
2019–present XT4
2020–present CT4
- 2020–present CT4
- 2020–present CT4-V
2020–present CT5
- 2020–present CT5
- 2020–present CT5-V
2020–present XT6
2023–present Lyriq
- 2025–present Lyriq-V
2023–present GT4
2023–present Optiq
2024–present Celestiq
2024–present Escalade IQ
2025–present Vistiq

Gallery of Current Models

Cadillac CT4
Cadillac CT5
Cadillac CT6
Cadillac Celestiq
Cadillac Escalade
Cadillac GT4
Cadillac Lyriq
Cadillac Optiq
Cadillac Vistiq
Cadillac XT4
Cadillac XT5
Cadillac XT6

Where Cadillacs are Made

Cadillac cars are made in several places:

Global Technical Center, Warren, Michigan, U.S.
- Cadillac Celestiq
Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly, Michigan, U.S.
- Cadillac Escalade IQ
Lansing Grand River Assembly, Michigan, U.S.
- Cadillac CT4, Cadillac CT5
Arlington Assembly, Texas, U.S.
- Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV
Spring Hill Manufacturing, Tennessee, U.S.
- Cadillac Lyriq
- Cadillac Vistiq
Shanghai GM, China
- Cadillac CT4, Cadillac CT5, Cadillac CT6, Cadillac Lyriq, Cadillac XT4, Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6

Cadillac Advertisements

1906
1907
Syracuse Herald, 30 September 1917
Syracuse Herald, 30 September 1917
1930
1954
1956
1965

Awards for Cadillac

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

1949: For new ideas in V8 engine design.
1952: Cadillac Motor Division.
1992: Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan.
2008: Cadillac CTS.
2014: Cadillac CTS.

Cadillac in Racing

Cadillac Racing logo

Cadillac DPi-V.R

Before World War II, Cadillac took part in different types of car races. Many Allard cars used Cadillac engines. In the 1950s, Cadillac also raced in the NASCAR Grand National Series.

Cadillac powered the Cadillac Northstar LMP, a special race car, in the American Le Mans Series from 2000 to 2002. Cadillac's recent success in racing has been with its CTS-V in the SCCA World Challenge Grand Touring class. Cadillac returned to prototype racing in 2017 with the Cadillac DPi-V.R in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, where it has been very successful.

In 2023, Cadillac entered its Cadillac V-Series.R into the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship. They plan to continue racing in 2024.

Cadillac and Formula One

On January 5, 2023, Cadillac's parent company, General Motors, announced that Cadillac wanted to join the Formula One World Championship with Andretti Global. Cadillac planned to make a Formula One engine for Andretti for the 2028 season. However, on January 31, 2024, the Andretti team was not allowed to join for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Formula One has not yet decided if Andretti and Cadillac can join in 2028. On November 25, 2024, Formula One announced an agreement with General Motors, allowing them to join the series starting in the 2026 season.