Cadillac
The Cadillac Motor Car Division formally Cadillac, a division of General Motors Company based in USA (GM) luxury vehicles sold worldwide. Cadillac primary markets are the United States, Canada and China, but the Cadillac brand vehicles are distributed in 34 additional markets worldwide. In 2012, Cadillac U.S. sales were 149,782 vehicles. The Cadillac SRX crossover has been the best selling model of 2010 Cadillac Cadillac is currently the oldest American brand cars second after fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest brands of automobiles in the world.
The General Motors purchased the company in 1902, Cadillac had laid the foundation of modern mass production of automobiles by demonstrating the complete interchangeability of its precision parts while it is established as one of the luxury cars in the United States. Cadillac introduced technological advances, including the full electrical systems, the clash-less manual transmission and steel roof. The brand developed three engines, V8 engine with setting the standard for the American automotive industry.
Cadillac is the first American car to win the Dewar Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club of England, successfully demonstrated the interchangeability of its components during a reliability test in 1908; this gave rise to the company slogan “Standard of the World”. He won the trophy for the second time in 1912 for incorporating electric starting and lighting in a production car. Cadillac was formed from the remains of General Motors, William Murphy and Lemuel Bowen called in engineer Henry M. Leland of Leland and the Faulconer Manufacturing Company to evaluate the plant and equipment in preparation for the liquidation of the assets of the company.
Instead of offering an assessment, Leland persuaded Murphy and Bowen continue manufacturing cars using a single cylinder engine tested Leland. A new company called the Cadillac Automobile Company was established on August 22, 1902 The company is named after French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Laumet, sieur de Cadillac, who founded Detroit in 1701.
Cadillac First Automobile
First Cadillac automobiles, the Runabout and Tonneau, were completed in October 1902 were two seats without carriages powered by a 10 hp (7 kW) engine single cylinder horses. Many sources say the first car left the factory on 17 October; in the book Henry Leland – Master of Precision, date is October 20; another reliable source shows car number 3 which have been built on October 16. Cadillac new vehicles displayed at the New York Auto Show in January 1903, where vehicles impressed the crowds enough to gather over 2,000 firm orders. Biggest selling point of Cadillac was precision manufacturing, and therefore, reliability; Cadillac was simply a better made vehicle than its competitors.
Cadillac Notable Events
Leland and Faulconer Manufacturing and the Cadillac Automobile Company merged in 1905, from his earliest years Cadillac aimed for precision engineering and stylish luxury finish, causing its cars to be ranked among the best in the United States. The Cadillac was the first volume manufacturer of a fully enclosed car Cadillac in 1906 participated in the test of the interchangeability of 1908 in the United States, and was awarded the Dewar Trophy for the most important year in the automotive industry forward. In 1912, Cadillac was the first automaker to incorporate an electrical system enabling starting, ignition and lighting.
Cadillac Acquired by General Motors
Cadillac was acquired by the giant General Motors (GM) in 1909 became the Cadillac division of General Motors prestige, dedicated to the production of large luxury vehicles. The Cadillac line was also the GM’s default check for “chassis” institutional commercial vehicles such as limousines, ambulances, hearses and funeral home flower cars, the last three of which are tailor-made by market makers accessories.
Cadillac After World War II
In 1951 began production Cadillac Army Tank M41 Walker Bulldog that would be used in the wars in Korea and Vietnam. Postwar Cadillac vehicles, incorporating the ideas of General Motors styling chief Harley J. Earl, innovated many of styling features that came to be synonymous with the classic (late 1940s and 1950s) American automobile, including tail-fins, extensive wraparound windshield and exterior bright-work and interior. Fledgling automotive magazine Motor Trend awarded its first “Car of the Year” to Cadillac in 1949; the company refused.
The Cadillac tailfin served a practical purpose, however. Since the beginning of the fin to the 1958 model year, (left) Flap driver side houses the fuel filler neck below the taillight assembly. To fill the car with fuel, taillight had to be released and turned up to access the gas cap. This eliminated the unsightly filler door gas from the side of the vehicle, providing a smooth clean appearance. Tailfins were added to body shape in 1948. In 1953, the “Autronic Eye” was introduced. This feature automatically dim high for the safety of motorists oncoming lights. The Eldorado Brougham of 1957 offered a performance of “seat of memory”, allowing seat positions to save and recall for different drivers. A car radio signal search all-transistor was produced by GM Delco Radio and was first available for the Eldorado Brougham models of 1957, which was standard equipment and use 13 transistors in the circuits.
1962 saw the introduction of a dual brake master reservoir with separate front and rear hydraulics cylinder, fully five years before the federal requirement for all new cars. The first heating / fully automatic air conditioner was introduced in 1964, allowing the driver to set the desired temperature to be maintained by the “climate control”. That same year saw the introduction of Turbo-Hydramatic, an automatic transmission modern three speeds become automatic GM norm for decades. Since the late 1960s, Cadillac offered a warning system to alert the fiber optic conductor failed bulbs. The use of extensive bright work on the exterior and interior also decreased each year after 1959 for the 1966 model year, even the rear bumpers were no longer all chrome – large portions were painted, including headlamp bezels.
In 1966, Cadillac would mark its best annual sales yet, over 192,000 units, an increase of over 60%. This was overcome in 1968, when Cadillac topped 200,000 units for the first time. 1967 and 1968 saw the introduction of a number of security features federal mandate, including columns energy absorbing steering and wheels, controls and surfaces of the inner panel and soft instrument straps, front shoulder and side marker lamps. The 1970s saw vehicles memorable for its luxury and dimensions. The 1972 Fleetwood was some 1.7 in (43 mm) longer in wheelbase and 4 inches (100 mm) overall, compared to 1960 Series 75 Fleetwood; the entry-level 1972 Calais was 2.4 in (61.0 mm) longer than the equivalent 1960 Series 62, on same wheelbase. During this time, the Cadillac series won a smoother ride, while the weight of the vehicle, standard equipment and the engine displacement was increased. Cadillac saw record sales in 1973 and again in the late 1970s.
In 1977 the same changes “downsizing” as the rest of “C” car body “B” and GM. Models DeVille lost hundreds of pounds and achieved highest windows, smaller exterior dimensions and smaller engines. However, they managed to maintain the profile of previous Cadillacs luxury, while offering better fuel economy and handling. The 1980s saw a reduction in the size of many models, and the introduction of the first compact front-drive brand, Cimarron. Detroit Assembly on Clark Street in Detroit where Cadillacs had done since 1921, closed in 1987.
Cadillac Design
Cadillac introduced a new design philosophy for the 21st century called “art and science” that says “incorporates pure forms and crisp edges. One form vocabulary that expresses bold design, high technology and invokes the technology used to design it” This new design language spread from the original Cadillac CTS and the Cadillac XLR roadster. Cadillac lineup mostly content and all rear-wheel drive sedans, roadsters, crossovers and SUVs. The only exceptions were front-wheel drive Cadillac BLS and Cadillac DTS, none of which are still in production. The second generation Cadillac CTS-V is a direct competitor to the BMW M5. An automatic version of the CTS-V ran the Nürburgring in 7: 59.32, at time a record for production sedans.
Cadillac Motorsport
Before the outbreak of World War II, Cadillac (like most manufacturers) involved in various forms of motorsports. Many cars use engines Allard Cadillac. In the 1950s, Cadillac (like all American manufacturers of the time) participated in the NASCAR Grand National Series. The brand disappeared from the series of the 1960s.
The Cadillac Northstar LMP actuated prototype Le Mans in the early years of the American Le Mans Series 2000 to 2002, when the prototype was unsuccessful, Cadillac pulled out of the series. Cadillac’s most successful company in motorsport in recent years has been its use of Cadillac CTS-V in the SCCA World Challenge Grand Touring class.
