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Fine Lines: Cadillac, The First 50 Years |
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Fine Lines: Cadillac, The First 50 Years
by Malcolm Gunn / Auto123.com
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 | | 1927 Cadillac LaSalle (Photo: General Motors) |
From 1915-'29, V8s would continue as Cadillac's primary power source, but Lawrence Fisher, the division's general manager in 1925, was intent on overtaking Packard as the preferred vehicle of the rich and famous. Under a strict secrecy, Fisher set about to create a V16-powered Cadillac as a separate and distinct luxury car. Despite the onset of the Great Depression, these enormous cars, which generated around 170 horsepower and cost between $5,000 and $10,000, sold a respectable 3,250 copies in the first two years of production.
Cadillac also introduced both V8 and V12 models mounted on a smaller chassis in 1931. However, a deteriorating economy nearly spelled the end  | | 1931 Cadillac V16 Sport Phaeton (Photo: General Motors) |
for the V16 with a mere 56 cars delivered in 1934. The less expensive V8 Cadillacs sold in relative abundance throughout the 1930s, helping keep the name alive while other high-end manufacturers faltered. What also helped Cadillac survive was its lengthy list of technological innovations, including the first synchromesh transmission, vacuum-assisted brakes, independent front suspension and "no-draft" ventilation (small pivoting windows beside each windshield pillar that allowed fresh air inside).
In 1936, a newly-designed V8 was installed in the Series Sixty (pictured). This 346 cubic-inch engine put out 135 horsepower and was considered so durable that many army tanks were powered by the design.
This gave rise to the Series Sixty Special, a more modern looking sedan that used very little chrome trim. The nearly 18,000 Series Sixty Specials produced between 1938 and 1941 are today considered among the most attractive cars ever created.
 | | 1957 Cadillac Eldorado (Photo: General Motors) |
Following the Second World War, V8-equipped Cadillacs would continue to set the standard for prestige and performance. As well, GM's flagship brand broke new ground in the styling department, particularly with the advent of tailfins. Design chief Harley Earl's inspiration for these modest appendages came from Lockheed's P-38 twin-boom fighter aircraft. However, by the late 1950s, every North American car maker, it seemed, Cadillac included, couldn't make them big enough.
By that time, Cadillac was well established as one of the industry leaders in innovation. Its products had proven durable as well as ground-breaking, more than living up to the company's slogan, "Standard of the World."
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