Intro: Henry Martin Leland, an engineer spreading his wings based on his experiences from Ford and Oldsmobile, founded Cadillac in 1902. His prior work as a gunsmith made him obsessed with precision craftsmanship and quality. General Motors purchased Cadillac in 1915.
In the late '20s, Cadillac turned its efforts to luxury only. The larger, more exclusive cars featuring 12 and even 16 cylinders made up an inkling of the sales charts. Despite the Depression-era toll, the 1930's saw vast technological advancements with the likes of the "Syncro-Mesh" transmission.
During the 1950's Cadillac was known as the most opulent American car available, and often times the most expensive. Through the 1960's Cadillac slimmed, squared, lost the majority of the fins.
The late 1980's would see the use of newer, more modern designs, like the factory-built Allante convertible. A new engine called the Northstar would help turn the company around in terms of power, efficiency, and reliability. Sales climbed through the 1990's.
During the late 1990's, the Sport Utility craze was too much to resist, and Cadillac joined the bandwagon with the new Escalade.
Bob Lutz would like to attract younger buyers and put more emphasis on quality. The new CTS was honed at the Nurburgring and it is now considered to be a BMW 5-series rival.
|
