Few automakers have a history that goes back as far as CadillacCadillacUnited States of America, 1902 > present79 models
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. When Henry Ford left the Henry Ford Company with the company’s top engineers to found the FordFordUnited States of America, 1903 > present92 models
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Motor Company, the company’s remaining financial backers wanted to continue to build cars. They founded Cadillac, which took its name from the French explorer who founded Detroit, Michigan, in 1701. It completed its first three cars in 1902 and was bought by General Motors in 1909. Through the teens, 20s and 30s, it marketed itself as the “Standard of the World,” and sold cars with V8, V12 and V16 engines.

Over the past century, the brand’s logo has changed rarely, which is why it is so surprising that Cadillac evolved the logo for the ATS CoupeCadillac ATS Coupé 2.0 T...United States of America, 2015 > present unveiled at the North American International Auto Show. It is the first time since 1999 that the crest has been changed.

The new crest does away with the surrounding wreath motif that goes back to the 1906 design. It is meant to be sleeker and more streamlined to match Cadillac’s “Art and Science” design language.

“The Crest remains a consistent symbol of Cadillac and our core values. This new Crest matches the lower, longer, leaner mantra of our current car designs, and reflects the evolution of our Art and Science philosophy,” said Andrew Smith, Cadillac executive design director.

The design of the original crest depicted the Cadillac family coat of arms with the family name below it and surrounded be a wreath. In 1933, the design sprouted wings but was otherwise simplified. The wings swept upward in 1942, and the crest in the center was smaller. The design was changed again in 1957, and the wings were dropped. A simplified version was introduced in 1964, and it lasted until 1999.

The new crest will appear on all Cadillacs beginning in the second half of 2014.