Cadillac

Cadillac was founded in 1902 by Henry Martyn Leland from the remains of Henry Ford’s car company. After financial disputes with its bankers, Ford left taking its name, and Leland stepped in, persuading the bankers to carry on with the carmaker. A new name was needed, and inspired in the French explorer that discovered Detroit in the beginning of the 17th century, Leland chose the explorer’s name to baptize the company: Cadillac.

Cadillac Osceola

© photo courtesy of: Cadillac

The first car produced by Cadillac was the OsceolaCadillac OsceolaUnited States of America, 1905 > present1 photo
in 1905, the first step-in closed-car in the United States of America. The car was a success and established Cadillac as a reliable and luxury car brand.

A few years later, in 1909, General MotorsGMUnited States of America, 1998 > present8 models
240 photos
buys Cadillac, but Leland was invited to stay, which he did until 1914. Leland left to found the Lincoln Motor coLincolnUnited States of America, 1917 > present26 models
475 photos
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.

Throughout the years, Cadillac has been consistently innovative in its models. Cadillac was the first carmaker to produce a V-type, water-cooled, eight-cylinder engine in the United States of America, to use thermostatic control of a cooling system and to launch a comprehensive service policy in the entire country. Full electrical systems, clashless manual transmission, and steel roof are also some of its innovative ideas.

In 2002, Cadillac celebrated its hundredth anniversary. Always reinventing itself and avoiding the remake of old classics, the carmaker has expanded its concepts to hybrid cars.