What do Henry Ford and Cadillac have in common? Well, Mr. Ford owned The Henry Ford Company, but in 1902, the company was sold to Henry Leland, who took Ford’s name off the deed and put Cadillac in its place. Leland then went on to make only luxury cars under that brand and Henry Ford went on to create The Ford Motor Company.
The name Cadillac and the coat of arms seen on Cadillac cars belong to the Frenchman who founded Detroit in 1701, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac. Henry Leland and his partners in Cadillac admired him and felt that it was appropriate to use his name on their upscale luxury autos. Cadillac has always been considered to be one of the most luxurious cars in the world. It’s extremely popular in the U.S., China and Canada, but is also sold in over thirty other countries.
Cadillac was sold to General Motors in 1909 and has been acknowledged from that year forward as this country’s favorite principal luxury automobile. It had many innovations that set industry standards. The V-8 engine was a first for Cadillac and many other carmakers followed suit. Cadillac also introduced the steel roof, which is commonplace today, and a superb manual transmission. This great luxury car also was the first to install electric lights and starters in its cars. Cadillac’s penchant for perfectly engineered interchangeable parts earned it the slogan, “The Standard of the World,” which is still applicable today. Cadillac’s durability and dependable performance was demonstrated when it became the first U.S. car to win the Dewar Trophy in England.
When General Motors took control of Cadillac the chassis was also used for limousines, hearses and ambulances. These vehicles needed to be sturdy and Cadillac had the best and strongest platforms on which to build heavy utilitarian transporters. General Motors recognized straightaway that what they had when they bought Cadillac: a prestigious line of upscale cars. And that’s how they marketed them. Precise engineering, quality finishes and attention to detail was the focus at GM’s premier luxury Cadillac division. Things haven’t changed at all as far as manufacturing this fine car goes. Quality is second to none and “when a person buys a Cadillac, he or she knows what they’re getting: a hundred and ten years of exceedingly fine craftsmanship” said Williamson Cadillac dealer, and the knowledge that when you get behind the wheel of one of these beauties, the rest of the world envies you.