Cadillac was founded in 1902 by Henry Leland, a master mechanic and entrepreneur, who named the company after his ancestor, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the founder of the city of Detroit. The company's crest is based on a coat of arms that Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac had created at the time of his marriage in Quebec in 1687. General Motors purchased the company in 1909 and within six years, Cadillac had laid the foundation for the modern mass production of automobiles by demonstrating the complete interchangeability of its precision parts while simultaneously establishing itself as America's premier luxury car. Cadillac pioneered many accessories in automobiles, including full electrical systems, the clashless manual transmission and the steel roof. The brand developed three engines, one of which (the V8 engine) set the standard for the American automotive industry. Cadillac is the first American car to win the prestigious Dewar Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club of England, having successfully demonstrated the interchangeability of its component parts during a reliability test in 1908; this spawned the firm's slogan "Standard of the World". It won that trophy a second time, in 1912, for incorporating electric starting and lighting in a production automobile.
Contents
* 1 History
o 1.1 Founding
o 1.2 Contributions to the automotive industry
+ 1.2.1 Body design
o 1.3 Early vehicles
o 1.4 General Motors
o 1.5 The Great Depression
o 1.6 Postwar
o 1.7 Low points, and recovery
o 1.8 The Art and Science Era
o 1.9 Impact on American Culture
* 2 Cadillacs in art and sculpture
* 3 Advertisements
* 4 See also
* 5 Footnotes
* 6 References
* 7 External links
o 7.1 Official links
o 7.2 Other
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