History of the Brand
The History of the Cadillac Brand
Named after the French explorer who founded the city of Detroit, Antoine de la Moth Cadillac, the brand was founded in Detroit by a man named Henry Leland in 1902. Later in the 20th century, Detroit, Michigan developed into the center of the world’s automobile production.
In 1908, the foundation of modern mass-produced automobiles was brought about by Cadillac innovation. The automotive industry was changed forever by the idea of interchangeable parts, and Cadillac became the first American car to be awarded the prestigious Dewar Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club of England. This laudable accomplishment is why Cadillac earned the famous “Standard of the World” slogan.
Named after the French explorer who founded the city of Detroit, Antoine de la Moth Cadillac, the brand was founded in Detroit by a man named Henry Leland in 1902. Later in the 20th century, Detroit, Michigan developed into the center of the world’s automobile production.
In 1908, the foundation of modern mass-produced automobiles was brought about by Cadillac innovation. The automotive industry was changed forever by the idea of interchangeable parts, and Cadillac became the first American car to be awarded the prestigious Dewar Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club of England. This laudable accomplishment is why Cadillac earned the famous “Standard of the World” slogan.
Cadillac continued to be an industry leader when it came to introducing new innovations. Bringing a significant change to the vehicle design of the times, in 1910, they were the first company to offer a passenger car with a fully enclosed cabin. Two years later, in 1912, their engineers had created another first of its kind – “the car with no crank,” known as the Model Thirty. It was the first production car to feature an electronic ignition, self-starter, and lighting.
This new design allowed female drivers the ability to get behind the wheel for the first time, and earned Cadillac a second Dewar Trophy. Cadillac luxury and creativity was setting the industry standards that other automobile companies were striving to achieve.
While Cadillac was consistently focused on innovation, the 1920s is when the brand decidedly broke the mold by offering their customers a choice of more than 500 color combinations. This was the complete opposite of their competitor, Henry Ford’s mentality, which was immortalized in his famous quote, “You can have any color you want, as long as it’s black.”
This new design allowed female drivers the ability to get behind the wheel for the first time, and earned Cadillac a second Dewar Trophy. Cadillac luxury and creativity was setting the industry standards that other automobile companies were striving to achieve.
Cadillac Changed the Automobile Industry Forever
While Cadillac was consistently focused on innovation, the 1920s is when the brand decidedly broke the mold by offering their customers a choice of more than 500 color combinations. This was the complete opposite of their competitor, Henry Ford’s mentality, which was immortalized in his famous quote, “You can have any color you want, as long as it’s black.”
