We are a part of eBay Affiliate Network, and if you make a purchase through the links on our site we earn affiliate commission.
Taking its name from the French fur trapper and trader who founded Detroit in 1701, the first Cadillac was a modified Model A built in a former Ford factory in 1902, which means its production predated the release of the Ford Model A by almost a...
Continue reading
Taking its name from the French fur trapper and trader who founded Detroit in 1701, the first Cadillac was a modified Model A built in a former Ford factory in 1902, which means its production predated the release of the Ford Model A by almost a year. Between 1903 and 1904, Cadillac make tweaks to its automobiles, which were powered by single-cylinder engines and sold as either two- or four-seaters. In 1905, though, Cadillac put a four-cylinder, 30-horsepower engine under the hood, and gave its Model D a price tag in excess of $85,000 in 2021 dollars, making it a seriously pricey luxury car. In 1909, the year General Motors purchased the company, Cadillac offered motoring enthusiasts the Model 30, which would get a proper electrical system in 1912. As a part of GM, Cadillac would also be obliged to play ball with GM's strategy of offering a car brand for every budget. For example, in 1927, Cadillac built the LaSalle (named after yet another French explorer), which was positioned as a less-expensive alternative to the Cadillac—as proof of the persistence of this perception, in 1971 the blue-collar TV character Archie Bunker would sing fondly about his LaSalle in the title song for "All in the Family." Little wonder that LaSalles outsold Cadillacs in the early years of the Great Depression. After the World War II, Cadillac front bumpers began to sport a pair of "Dagmars," a reference to the upper anatomy of a very different TV character, this one played by a buxom actress named Jennie Lewis. In the back, Cadillacs were growing tailfins, which had begun as small humps in 1950 but evolved into weapon-like points by 1959. The postwar years were also when three of Cadillac's most famous brands appeared, beginning with its Coupe de Ville in 1949 and Sedan de Ville in 1956. Between these iconic lines, the Eldorado arrived in 1953. While the de Villes sold themselves to customers on their ability to deliver both luxury and value, the Eldorado was all luxury,...
Continue reading

Best of the Web

Hemmings Auto Blogs
This great (and frequently updated) blog from the folks at Hemmings Motor News is a visual feast...
Most Watched

Best of the Web

Hemmings Auto Blogs
This great (and frequently updated) blog from the folks at Hemmings Motor News is a visual feast...