Early History of Cadillac Cars

Cadillac, one of the most well known automotive brands in the world, was formed when Henry Ford left the Henry Ford Company and that original company was dissolved. Ford’s financial backers had originally intended to liquidate the assets of the firm; however, an engineer by the name of Henry M. Leland managed to persuade them to continue the business using a 1-cylinder engine. Because Ford had left the company, a new name was required and in August of 1902 the company was reorganized as the Cadillac Automobile Company, taking its name from the 17th century French explorer, Antoine Lamet de la Mothe, sieur de Cadillac; the same man who founded Detroit, Michigan.

The first Cadillac was completed in the fall of 1902; a 10 hp Cadillac. It was actually quite similar to the 1903 Ford Model A. The following January it was on display at the New York Auto Show and managed impress people enough to garner more than 2,000 orders. Crowds of the time were impressed with the precision manufacturing and reliability. At the time it was clearly better made than the current competition on the market.

In 1908, the company made automotive history by being the first to create true interchangeable parts. The following year the company was purchased by the General Motors company; however, they continued the reputation they had begun for innovations. They were also the first company to release cars that contained a fully enclosed cab, two years later.

In 1911 Cadillac became the first gasoline internal combustion engine automobile to include an electric start. Although this innovation was originally devised to be a convenience for the many female drivers who were taking the road, it soon earned the company awards and became a standard feature. Two years after that they introduction the first vehicle with a V8 engine and were also the first manufacturer to use a designer in the production of an auto body instead of an engineer. These innovations continued to consistently produce a car that had massive appeal not only for the way it performed but also for the way it looked. Safety features also became strong, included the introduction of shatter-resistant safety glass in 1926. In 1929, Cadillac became the first to design a manual transmission with synchronizers that increased drivability.

From 1930 through 1940, Cadillac produced a V-16 engine and also introduced independent wishbone front suspension beginning in 1934. Prior to World War II, Cadillacs were built to be powerful, well-built luxury cars manufactured on a mass scale. As such they were primarily aimed at the upper class consumer. In 1932; however, the company suffered record low sales and staggered from discrimination charges from black customers. At one point, the discontinuation of the Cadillac line was even considered. In a swift change; however, the company elected to begin a staunch advertising campaign geared toward black customers in an effort to increase sales. The president of the Cadillac line was given just 18 months to show that he could bring up sales. Within two years the company had regained profitability and even continued to show a strong profit line throughout the Great Depression.

Innovations on the Cadillac line continued, including the introduction of new screws that were intended to speed up manufacturing times in 1934. The adaptation worked and sales swelled. After World War II, Cadillacs began to incorporate a number of styling features that would soon become synonymous with classic American automobile, including the tailfins that were introduced in 1948 as well as wraparound windshields. Other impressive styling features included front bumper designs known as Dagmars. Although these started out as an artillery shell shaped bumper guard they soon became an important part of the Cadillac design.