Cadillac
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cadillac | |
 |
|
| Type | Division |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1902 |
| Headquarters | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Industry | Automobile |
| Products | Luxury vehicles |
| Parent | General Motors |
| Slogan | Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit |
| Website | www.cadillac.com |
Cadillac is a brand of luxury vehicles, part of General Motors, produced and mostly sold in the United States and Canada. In the United States, the name previously was a synonym for "high quality", used in such phrases as "the Cadillac of watches," referring to a Rolex or an Omega. In English usage outside North America, other brands are used in such phrases - usually Rolls-Royce.
Cadillac's current slogan is "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit," in reference to the inalienable rights mentioned in the United States Declaration of Independence. GM leads all other automakers in Strategic Vision's Total Quality Index (TQI).[1]
Contents
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[edit] History
[edit] Founding
Cadillac was formed from the remnants of the Henry Ford Company when Henry Ford departed along with several of his key partners and the company was dissolved. With the intent of liquidating the firm's assets, Ford's financial backers, William Murphy and Lemuel Bowen called in engineer Henry M. Leland to appraise the plant and equipment prior to selling them. Instead, Leland persuaded them to continue the automobile business using Leland's proven 1-cylinder engine. Henry Ford's departure required a new name, and on August 22, 1902, the company reformed as the Cadillac Automobile Company.
The Cadillac automobile was named after the 17th century French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, founder of Detroit, Michigan, in 1701.
[edit] Contributions to the Automotive Industry
Cadillac helped to define advanced engineering, luxury and style early in Automotive History and would come to be known as one of the world’s finest made vehicles. Precision manufacturing of truly interchangeable parts was an award-winning industry first in 1908. Cadillac was the first manufacturer to release cars with a fully enclosed cab as factory equipment in 1910. Standard electric engine starting and lighting was another award winner for 1912. Cadillac introduced the first production V8 engine for the 1914 model year. Cadillac was the first manufacturer to utilize the skills of a designer to produce a car's body instead of an engineer (1927). This gave the public a car that looked as good as it performed. Cadillac's engineers were first to design a manual transmission with synchronizers for increased drivability (1929) and were instrumental in the early development of the automatic transmission, beginning in 1932. Cadillac offered a production V-16 engine from 1930 through 1940 and introduced the production independent wishbone front suspension in 1934. The marque introduced tailfins for 1948. From the late 1960s onward, Cadillac offered a fiber-optic indication system which alerted the driver of a failed light bulb.
[edit] Early vehicles
Their first car was completed in October 1902, the 10 hp (7 kW) Cadillac. It was practically identical to the 1903 Ford Model A. Many sources say the first car rolled out of the factory on October 17; in the book Henry Leland — Master of Precision, on p.69, that date is shown to be October 20; yet another reliable source shows car #3 to have been built on October 16. In any case, the new Cadillac was shown at the New York Auto Show the following January, where it impressed the crowds enough to gather over two thousand firm orders. The Cadillac's biggest selling point was precision manufacturing and, therefore, reliability; it was simply a better made vehicle than its competition.
In February to March 1908, three Model K Cadillacs (1907 production) were released from the stock of Frederick Bennett (UK agent for Cadillac) at the Heddon Street showroom in London to compete in the annual Royal Automobile Club's Standardization Test. They were driven 25 miles to the Brooklands race track at Weybridge where they completed another 25 miles (40 km) before being put under lock and key until Monday March 2, 1908 when they were released and disassembled completely. Their 721 component parts were scrambled in one heap; 89 parts requiring extreme accuracy were withdrawn from the heap, locked away at the Brooklands club house and replaced with new parts from the showroom stock. Using only wrenches and screwdrivers the 3 cars were re-assembled and on Friday March 13 they completed a mandatory 500 mile (800 km) run. On completion of the test, one of the cars was placed under lock and key where it remained until the start of the 2,000 miles (3,200 km) Reliability Trials, several months later. It came out the winner of the R.A.C. Trophy. Parts interchangeability could not have been proven in any other more appropriate way. As a result of these tests, the Cadillac Automobile Company was awarded the Dewar Trophy for 1908 (actual award date was February 1909). The Dewar Trophy was an annual award for the most important advancement of the year in the automobile industry.
[edit] General Motors
Cadillac was purchased by the General Motors conglomerate in 1909.
Cadillac became General Motors' prestige division, devoted to the production of large luxury vehicles. The Cadillac line was also GM's default marque for "commercial chassis" institutional vehicles, such as limousines, ambulances, hearses, and funeral home flower cars. The latter three of which were custom built by aftermarket manufacturers: Cadillac does not produce any such vehicles in factory.
In 1911, Cadillac was the first gasoline internal combustion engine auto to incorporate electric start, as opposed to earlier crank start. Originally marketed as a convenience device for female drivers, the electric starter developed by Charles Kettering was first used on the production models of 1912. Other innovations included the first automotive V8 engine in mass production in 1915; shatter-resistant safety glass in 1926; and the first fully synchronized transmission (with gears "locked" in relation to one another to prevent clashing upon execution of a shift) in 1928. The Cadillac and LaSalle synchronized transmissions quickly became known for their robustness, smoothness and ideal gear ratios for use by the go fast crowd. Many a hopped up Ford or Mercury V8 engine was mated to a recycled Cadillac or LaSalle transmission. In about 1928, automobile stylist Harley Earl, whom Cadillac had recruited in 1926 and who was to head the new Art and Color section starting in January 1928, designed for 1927 a new, smaller "companion" car to the Cadillac which he called the La Salle, after another French explorer, René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. That marque remained in production until 1940.
Pre-World War II Cadillacs were well-built, powerful, mass-produced luxury cars, aimed at an upper class market, below that of such ultra-exclusive marques such as Pierce-Arrow and Duesenberg. In the 1930s, Cadillac added cars with 12- and 16-cylinder engines to their range, many of which were fitted with custom coach-built bodies; these engines were remarkable at the time for their ability to deliver a combination of high power, silky smoothness and quietness.
[edit] 1932- The year it could have ended
In 1932, after Cadillac suffered from record low sales and charges of discrimination against black customers, Alfred Sloan created a committee to consider the discontinuation of the Cadillac line. At a fateful board meeting, Cadillac president Nicholas Dreystadt heard that legendary boxer Joe Louis could not go into a dealership to buy a car, because he was black, and resorted to having a white friend make the purchase for him. Dreystadt gave the GM Board of Directors a 10 minute speech in which he advocated advertising to black consumers so as to increase sales. The Board agreed to give Dreystadt 18 months to produce results. By 1934, Cadillac had regained profitability. It is significant to note that after this decision, Cadillac was the only American automobile manufacturer to remain profitable during the Great Depression. By 1940, Cadillac sales had risen 1,000 percent compared to 1934, thus saving Cadillac from extinction.
The year 1934 brought about a revolution in assembly line technology. Henry F. Phillips introduced the Phillips screw and driver onto the market. He entered into talks with General Motors and convinced the Cadillac group that his new screws would speed assembly times and therefore increase profits. Cadillac was the first automaker to use the Phillips technology, which was widely adopted in 1940.
[edit] Postwar
Postwar Cadillacs, incorporating the ideas of General Motors styling chief Harley J. Earl, innovated many of the styling features that came to be synonymous with the classic (late 1940s-late 1950s) American automobile, including tailfins and wraparound windshields. Cadillac's first tailfins, inspired by the twin rudders of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, appeared in 1948; the 1959 Cadillac was the epitome of the tailfin craze, with the most recognizable tailfins of any production automobile.
Cadillac's other styling attribute was its front bumper designs which became known as Dagmar bumpers or simply Dagmars. What had started out after the war as an artillery shell shaped bumper guard became an increasingly important part of Cadillac's complicated front grille and bumper assembly. As the 1950s wore on, the element was placed higher in the front end design, negating their purpose as bumper guards. They also became more pronounced and were likened to the bosom of 1950s television personality Dagmar. In 1957 the bumpers gained black rubber finials which only heightened the relationship between the styling element and a stylized exaggerated breast and nipple. For 1958 the element was toned down and was completely absent on the 1959 models.
[edit] Low points, and the beginning of a recovery
[edit] Excessive dimensions
Cadillac suffered from the malaise that set in to the American auto industry in the late 1970s to the late 1980s. There were high points, such as the launch of the two-door personal luxury model of the Eldorado in 1967, with its simple, elegant design — a far cry from the tail-fin and chrome excesses of the 1950s. However, the 1970s saw vehicles memorable for excesses in dimensions and engine size. The new generation engine that debuted with the 1968 models at a displacement of 472 cubic inch V8 [7.7 liter] was designed for an ultimate capacity potential of 600 cubic inches. It was stroked to 500 cubic inches [8.2 liter] for the 1970 model Eldorado, then adopted across all models for 1975. The compact Seville was introduced as a 1976 model and used a fuel-injected version of the Oldsmobile 350 as its only engine. For the 1977 large models, the engine stroke was reduced to that used in the 472 and the bore was reduced as well, yielding a capacity of 425 cubic inch displacement. The bore was further reduced for 1980-1981 to provide 368 inches, again sharing the stroke of the original 472, as well as the weight and physical bulk. The build quality also fell short when measured against German rivals.
As with most American brands, Cadillac was forced to downsize its offerings between the 1973 and 1979 fuel crises. Its staple De Ville and Fleetwood lines were downsized for 1977 and again for 1985. It launched the Seville, a smaller car which became a success for the brand.
[edit] Diesel V8
Due to gasoline shortages, Cadillac offered an Oldsmobile V8 engine that used diesel, the 'LF9' 350-cubic-inch (5.7L) V8 engine, in its full-size cars from 1979 to 1981. Similar in appearance to the gasoline engines from which they were developed, they used much thicker and heavier castings, and a higher quality alloy was used for their block and heads. The main bearing journals were also increased to 3.000 inches in size to compensate for the higher operating stresses and pressures that diesels exert on their reciprocating parts. However, this engine gained a reputation for unreliability, mainly due to its inability to withstand the effects of the poor quality of the diesel fuel available at the time. The fuel system did not have an effective water separating system, and neither the buyers nor the dealer service staff were adequately informed about the products and procedures necessary for the proper maintenance of the engine. This led to corrosion in the fuel injection pump, leading in turn to incorrect injection cycles, cylinder head lift, stretching or breaking of cylinder head bolts, failure of head gaskets, hydro-lock from coolant leaking into the cylinder, and the breaking of engine components, thereby causing catastrophic engine failure. In the hands of an experienced diesel operator, these engines can (and often do) travel for hundreds of thousands of trouble free miles. However, for a society of people who just "gas and go", this engine was particularly ill suited to the task. Ironically, Detroit Diesel another division of GM, had had decades of experience building Diesel engines.
[edit] Cimarron
In an attempt to extend its brand further downward to appeal to younger buyers, Cadillac launched the compact Cimarron in the 1982 model year. The Cimarron shared the J platform with the Chevrolet Cavalier, and was expected to rival the BMW 3-series. As the Cimarron was rushed to production about three years ahead of schedule, only a four-cylinder engine was available (a V6 arrived in 1985) and, at first, minimal styling differences were made to distinguish it from the considerably cheaper Chevrolet version. Buyers generally dismissed the Cimarron as a "warmed-over Cavalier". Though Cimarron came with a hefty list of standard equipment and options, several of which were unavailable on Cavalier, and styling became much more in tune with other Cadillacs in its later years, sales did not significantly improve after its initial rejection, and it was discontinued in 1988. Although the motoring press lauded the first Cadillac manual transmission in decades, the automatic's extra cost rankled buyers.
[edit] V8-6-4
Another low point during the early 1980s was the variable displacement engine, branded the L62 V8-6-4 engine. Introduced in 1981, this 368 in³ (6.0 L) engine sequentially shut down cylinders as demand dropped. Company marketing hailed the engine as cutting-edge technology, but it proved unreliable and was dropped the next year in favor of a family of smaller aluminum V8 engines rushed into production. The 4100 (4.1 L) V8 engine was used widely in Cadillacs in the late 1980s. It suffered from coolant leaks, warped intake manifolds and warped heads. The 4100's problems cost Cadillac the loyalty of many customers.
[edit] Allante
The mid-1980s saw Cadillac try to rebuild its image, aware that European and Japanese imports were on a rise, and with Honda launching its American luxury division, Acura. Some new design approaches were tried: the Seville, for instance, was downsized to BMW 5 series proportions and had gracefully rounded wheel arches with a only a hint of chrome. The greatest challenge to the imports was the Cadillac Allante, a convertible designed by Pininfarina of Italy, and built on what was touted as the world's longest production line—with the car's bodies fabricated in Italy and flown by Boeing 747 to the United States to meet their transmission and engine.
The Allante's styling influenced other Cadillacs, especially the Seville, which adopted its sharper, tailored lines. Indeed, Cadillac was so confident of the Seville that it was exported to Europe, where it faced stiff opposition.
[edit] Downsizing and the Brougham
The Cimarron and Seville models marked a beginning of "smaller" cars for the Cadillac line. Throughout the 1980s, American auto makers downsized most of their models, and the Cadillac was no exception. By the late '80s, the Brougham was the only Cadillac model that retained the style and size of the "big" DeVilles and Fleetwoods of the '70s. The Broughham was redesigned in 1993 and renamed the Fleetwood, with an optional Brougham package. The Fleetwood was discontinued after the 1996 model year.
[edit] Competition with Lincoln - Escalade
After GM phased out the D platform in 1996, Cadillac was left with a completely front-wheel drive lineup except for the European-based Catera, introduced for 1997. The GMC Yukon Denali-based Escalade, Cadillac's first sport utility vehicle, was introduced in 1998 for the 1999 model year, and featured standard all-wheel drive. It was quickly created to capitalize on the instant market success of the Lincoln Navigator launched as a 1998 model and seemingly destined to propel the Lincoln brand's sales total for the 1998 calendar year well ahead of Cadillac's. Had this happened, it would have been the first time Lincoln's sales total exceeded Cadillac's in the previous forty-eight years.
By November of 1998, Lincoln's year-to-date lead was a comfortable 6,783 vehicles, but Cadillac's December sales were reported as 23,861 vehicles, more than 10,000 ahead of its November sales. A prominent proportion of this increase was a rise in Escalade sales from 960 in November to 3,642 in December. The result was an overall lead for the Cadillac brand by a slim 222 vehicles. Subsequent audits of sales records during the first quarter of 1999, prompted by the unusual numbers posted in December plus the fact that Escalade sales had dropped to a mere 225 vehicles in January 1999, resulted in the discovery of an "error" of 4,773 units. With this corrected, it meant that Lincoln had in fact passed Cadillac in total sales for the 1998 calendar year (187,121 Lincolns sold vs. 182,570 for Cadillac).
In the first week of May, 1999, a public retraction and apology was issued by GM spokesman Jim Farmer, admitting that "a combination of internal control breakdowns and overzealousness on the part of our team members" was the cause of the overstated figures,and adding that those resposible had been disciplined. However neither brand would have any reason to celebrate any sales success in the U.S. luxury market as their prior number-one and number-two positions had been overtaken by Japanese and German brands.
[edit] The Art and Science Era
Somewhat surprisingly for a model with such a strong design heritage, Cadillac has recently resisted the temptation to produce any "retro" models such as the revived Ford Thunderbird or the VW New Beetle, and has instead pressed ahead with a new design philosophy for the 21st century called "art and science"[1] which it says "incorporates sharp, shear forms and crisp edges — a form vocabulary that expresses bold, high-technology design and invokes the technology used to design it."
[edit] The Escalade
Despite Cadillac's attempt to create attractive smaller cars through the Art & Science model, sales of coupes had been sluggish and the make's flagship models, such as the Eldorado, continued their perception as large and unwieldy sedans that were the province only of the older buyer. Cadillac's fortunes changed dramatically, however, with the introduction of the Escalade, a large and ostentatiously luxury SUV. The Escalade was initially a favorite of rappers such as Jay-Z, whose cachet added to the Escalade's imposing size and luxurious features to make the Escalade a desired mark of wealth and status. The Escalade has undeniably introduced the Cadillac brand to a younger generation of affluent buyers, and has re-established the Cadillac name as synonymous with luxury rather than geriatry.
[edit] Cadillac models
| Cadillac road car timeline, 1930s-present - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| Entry-level | 60 | 61 | WWII | 61 | Cimarron | BLS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 355 | 70/80 | 62 | Series 62 | 6200 | Calais | Catera | CTS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mid-size | Seville | STS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full-size | Coupe de Ville/Sedan DeVille | DTS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 60S | Sixty Special Fleetwood | Flwd60S | Fleetwood | Fleetwood | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Limousine | 355 | 72/75/85 | Series 75 | 6700 | Fleetwood 75 | FL | FB | Brougham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal Luxury | Eldorado | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crossover | BRX | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SRX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SUV | Escalade | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Roadster | Allanté | XLR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Halo | V-16 | Brougham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[edit] Historical and Classic
- 1902-1903 Cadillac runabout and tonneau — 72 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- 1903-1904 Cadillac Model A — 72 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- 1904 Cadillac Models A and B
- Model A — 72 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- Model B — 76 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- 1905 Cadillac Models B, C, D, E and F
- Model B — 76 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- Model C — 72 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- Model D — 100 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine
- Model E — 74 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- Model F — 76 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- 1906 Cadillac Models H, K, L, and M
- Model H — 102 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine
- Model K — 74 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- Model L — 110 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine
- Model M — 76 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- 1907 Cadillac Models G, H, K, and M
- Model G — 100 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine
- Model H — 102 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine
- Model K — 74 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- Model M — 76 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- 1908 Cadillac Models G, H, M, S and T
- Model G — 100 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine
- Model H — 102 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine
- Model M — 76 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- Model S — 82 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- Model T — 82 in wheelbase single-cylinder engine
- 1909-1911 Cadillac Model Thirty
- 1909 — 106 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine
- 1910 — 110 in wheelbase; 120 in wheelbase (limousine) four-cylinder engine Fisher
- 1911 — 116 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine Fisher
- 1912 — Cadillac Model 1912; 116 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine Fisher
- 1913 — Cadillac Model 1913; 120 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine Fisher
- 1914 — Cadillac Model 1914; 120 and 134 in wheelbase four-cylinder engine Fisher
- 1915 — Cadillac Type 51; 122 and 145 in wheelbase V8 Fisher
- 1916 — Cadillac Type 53; 122 132 and 145 in wheelbase V8 Fisher
- 1917 — Cadillac Type 55; 125 and 145 in wheelbase V8 Fisher
- 1918-1919 Cadillac Type 57; 125 132 and 145 in wheelbase V8 Fisher
- 1920-1921 Cadillac Type 59; 122 and 132 in wheelbase V8 Fisher
- 1922-1923 Cadillac Type 61; 132 in wheelbase V8 Fisher
- 1924 — Cadillac Type V-63; 132 and 145 in wheelbase V8 Fisher
- 1925 — Cadillac Type V-63; 132 138 and 145 in wheelbase V8 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1926-1927 Cadillac Series 314; 132 138 and 150 in wheelbase V8 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1928 — Cadillac Series 341-A; 140 and 152 in wheelbase V8 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1929 — Cadillac Series 341-B; 140 and 152 in wheelbase V8 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1930 Cadillac Series 353, 370 and 452 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1931 Cadillac Series 355, 370-A and 452-A Fisher Fleetwood
- 1932 Cadillac Series 355-B, 370-B and 452-B Fisher Fleetwood
- 1933 Cadillac Series 355-C, 370-C and 452-C Fisher Fleetwood
- Series 355-C — 140 and 156 in wheelbase V8
- Series 370-C — 134 140 and 156 in wheelbase V12
- Series 452-C — 143 and 149 in wheelbase V16
- 1934 Cadillac Series 10, 20, 30 and 452-D Fisher Fleetwood
- 1935 Cadillac Series 10, 20, 30 and 452-D Fisher Fleetwood
- 1936 Cadillac Series 36-60, 36-70, 36-75, 36-80, 36-85, 36-90 Fisher Fleetwood
- Series 36-60 — 121 in wheelbase V8
- Series 36-70 — 131 in wheelbase V8
- Series 36-75 — 138 in wheelbase V8
- Series 36-80 — 131 and 160 in wheelbase V12
- Series 36-85 — 138 in wheelbase V12
- Series 36-80 — 154 in wheelbase V16
- 1937 Cadillac Series 36-60, 37-65, 37-70, 37-75, 37-85, 37-90 Fisher Fleetwood
- Series 37-60 — 124 and 160.75 in wheelbase V8
- Series 37-65 — 131 in wheelbase V8
- Series 37-70 — 131 in wheelbase V8
- Series 37-75 — 138 and 156 in wheelbase V8
- Series 37-85 — 138 in wheelbase V12
- Series 37-80 — 154 in wheelbase V16
- 1938 Cadillac Series 38-60, 38-60S, 38-65, 38-75, 38-90 Fisher Fleetwood
- Series 38-60 — 124 and 160 in wheelbase V8
- Series 38-60S — 127 in wheelbase V8
- Series 38-65 — 132 in wheelbase V8
- Series 38-75 — 141 and 160 in wheelbase V8
- Series 38-90 — 141 in wheelbase V16
- 1939 Cadillac Series 39-60S, 39-65, 39-75, 39-90 Fisher Fleetwood
- Series 39-60S — 127 in wheelbase V8
- Series 39-61 — 126 and 162.25 in wheelbase V8
- Series 39-75 — 141 and 161.75 in wheelbase V8
- Series 39-90 — 141 in wheelbase V16
- 1940 Cadillac Series 40-60S, 40-62, 40-72, 40-75, 40-90 Fisher Fleetwood
- Series 40-60S — 127 in wheelbase V8
- Series 40-62 — 129 in wheelbase V8
- Series 40-72 — 138 and 165.25 in wheelbase V8
- Series 40-75 — 141 and 161.75 in wheelbase V8
- Series 40-90 — 141 in wheelbase V16
- 1941 Cadillac Series 41-60S, 41-61, 41-62, 41-63, 41-67, 41-75 Fisher Fleetwood
- Series 41-60S — 126 in wheelbase V8
- Series 41-61 — 126 in wheelbase V8
- Series 41-62 — 126 and 163 in wheelbase V8
- Series 41-63 — 126 in wheelbase V8
- Series 41-67 — 139 in wheelbase V8
- Series 41-75 — 136 and 163 in wheelbase V8
- 1942 Cadillac Series 42-60S, 42-61, 42-62, 42-63, 42-67, 42-75 Fisher Fleetwood
- Series 42-60S Fleetwood — 133 in wheelbase V8
- Series 42-61 — 126 in wheelbase V8
- Series 42-62 — 129 in wheelbase V8
- Series 42-63 — 126 in wheelbase V8
- Series 42-67 — 139 in wheelbase V8
- Series 42-75 — 136 and 163 in wheelbase V8
- 1946 Cadillac Series 60S, 61, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1947 Cadillac Series 60S, 61, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1948-1949 Cadillac Series 60S, 61, 62, 63, 75 Fisher Fleetwood
[edit] Finned Fifties
- 1950-1951 Cadillac Series 60S, 61, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1952 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1953 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1954-1955 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1956 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1957-1958 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 70, 75 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1959-1960 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 63, 64, 69, 75 Fisher Fleetwood
[edit] Sixties and Seventies
- 1961-1964 Cadillac Series 60S, 62, 75 Fisher Fleetwood
- 1965-1966 Cadillac "Calais", "De Ville" and "Fleetwood" Series Fisher Fleetwood
- 1967-1970 Cadillac "Calais", "De Ville" and "Fleetwood" Series Fisher Fleetwood
- 1970-1973 Cadillac "Calais", "De Ville" and "Fleetwood" Series Fisher Fleetwood
- 1974 — Cadillac "Calais", "De Ville" and "Fleetwood" Series Fisher Fleetwood
- 1975 — Cadillac "Calais", "De Ville", "Seville" and "Fleetwood" Series Fisher Fleetwood
[edit] Alphabetical Model Summary
- 1987-1993 Cadillac Allante
- 1985-1993 Cadillac Brougham
- 1965-1976 Cadillac Calais
- 1997-2001 Cadillac Catera
- 1982-1988 Cadillac Cimarron
- 1935-1983 Cadillac commercial chassis
- 1949-2005 Cadillac DeVille
- 1949-1993 Cadillac Coupe de Ville
- 1953-2003 Cadillac Eldorado
- 1956-1964 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
- 1957-1960 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham
- 1956-1960 Cadillac Eldorado Seville
- 1965-2003 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado
- 1927-1996 Cadillac Fleetwood
- 1975-2004 Cadillac Seville
- 1938-1993 Cadillac Sixty Special
- 1975-1976 Cadillac Castilian Station Wagon
[edit] Current
- 2006-present Cadillac STS V-Series
- 2004-present Cadillac CTS V-Series
- 2006-present Cadillac BLS (Europe, Middle East, Mexico, and South Africa only)
- 2003-present Cadillac CTS
- 2006-present Cadillac DTS
- 1999-present Cadillac Escalade (ESV/EXT)
- 2004-present Cadillac SRX
- 2005-present Cadillac STS
- 2004-present Cadillac XLR
[edit] Concepts, Prototypes, and Future Models
- Cadillac V-16 Aero coupe — 1933
- Cadillac Caribbean, Coupe de Ville, El Rancho, Embassy — 1949
- Cadillac Debutante — 1950
- Cadillac custom roadster for Bill Boyer — 1951-52
- Cadillac Eldorado and Townsman — 1952
- Cadillac Le Mans and Orleans — 1953
- Cadillac El Camino, La Espada, Park Avenue — 1954
- Cadillac Celebrity, Eldorado Brougham, La Salle II, Eldorado St. Moritz, Westchester — 1955
- Cadillac Castilian, Gala, Maharani, Palomino, Eldorado Brougham and Eldorado Brougham Town Car — 1956
- Cadillac Director — 1957
- Cadillac "Rain Car" and 4-door Eldorado Seville — 1958
- Cadillac Cyclone — 1959
- Cadillac 4-door phaeton — 1960
- Cadillac Florentine — 1964
- Cadillac CART-PPG — 1985
- Cadillac Voyage — 1988
- Cadillac Solitaire — 1989
- Cadillac Aurora — 1990
- Cadillac Evoq — 1999
- Cadillac Vizon — 2000
- Cadillac Imaj — 2001
- Cadillac Cien — 2002
- Cadillac Sixteen — 2003
[edit] Future Models
2009-Cadillac CTC
2009-Cadillac CTS Wagon
2010-Cadillac BRX
2010-2011-Cadillac XLS
2012-Cadillac XLR Replacement
[edit] Trivia
Wario, a Nintendo character, drives a purple Cadillac.
The video game Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition features multiple Cadillacs including a Cadillac CTS-V, Cadillac Cien, Cadillac XLR, Cadillac Sixteen, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade EXT.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has the DeVille as his official car. The choice of car was recommeded by the Massachusetts State Police for use, security system, and the exterior color. The contorversy was spurred over the $38,000 choice than former Governor Mitt Romney's Ford Crown Victoria. The excuse was "...they don't make that model anymore." He is currently paying half the lease personally as reinbursement. Lt. Gov. Tim Murray is using Kerry Healey's old Crown Vic for Greater Boston travel and rides the MBTA Commuter Rail to and from work and his Worcester home.
In the song "Throw Some D's", Rich Boy says "Just bought a Cadillac" 25 Times.
[edit] See also
- List of automobile manufacturers
- Cadillac V8 engine
- Cadillac Northstar engine
- Cadillac V-Series
- LaSalle, companion make to Cadillac, 1927-1940
[edit] References
- ^ Strategic Vision (2006). Total Quality Index MSN Autos
[edit] External links
- Cadillac.com — official site
- Cadillac.GM.ca - official site of Cadillac in Canada.
- CadillacEurope.com — official site of Cadillac in Europe
- Cadillac Driver's Log — official blog written by Cadillac engineers
- Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums — website and community for owners and enthusiasts of Lincoln and Cadillac automobiles - http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com
- CadillacOwners.com — online community for Cadillac owners and enthusiasts
- CadillacFAQ.com — Cadillac Model tech answers, videos, pictures, and more
- Cadillac Reviews | Specifications | Images
- the Caddy Edge - community of modern Cadillac fans, product information, and image gallery of Art & Science Cadillac design
- [2]
- Cadillac history — extensive fan site with many photos from earliest to current models
- Cadillac Owner's Resources — accessing the onboard diagnostic trouble codes, online service manuals, etc
- Classic Cadillac Community — community site that captures and documents a large slice of the history of classic Cadillacs
- The Cadillac Database — thousands of facts, figures and images that attempt to retrace the history and styling of Cadillac automobiles from 1902 up to 2002
- Cadillac-LaSalle Club — an international organization of Cadillac and LaSalle owners
- 1958 Cadillac Owners Association — an association of owners of 1958 Cadillacs
- The first Cadillac was designed by none other than Henry Ford
- Cadillac Reviews | Specifications | Images | Dealers
- Playlist of Songs About The Cadillac
- Cadillac from TopSpeed
- Cadillac Auto Blog - Images
- Caddyinfo.com Cadillac Discussion and Technical Information
| <- Previous | Cadillac, a division of General Motors, road car timeline, 1980s—present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
| Entry-level | Cimarron | BLS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mid-size | Catera | CTS | CTS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seville | Seville | Seville | Seville | STS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full-size | DeVille | DeVille | DeVille | DeVille | DeVille | DTS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fleetwood | Fleetwood | Fleetwood | Fleetwood | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brougham | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eldorado | Eldorado | Eldorado | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crossover | SRX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SUV | Escalade | Escalade | Escalade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Roadster | Allanté | XLR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Buick • Cadillac • Chevrolet • GMC • Holden • Hummer • Opel • Pontiac • Saab • Saturn • Vauxhall
Affiliates
GM Daewoo (50.9%) • Suzuki (3%) • Wuling (34%)
Defunct Marques
Acadian (1962-1971) • Asüna (1992-1995) • Beaumont (1966-1969) • Geo (1989-1997) • LaSalle (1927-1940) • Marquette (1929-1930) • Oakland (1907-1931) • Oldsmobile (1897-2004) • Passport (1988-1991) • Ranger (1968-1976) • Viking (1929-1931)
