Who Owns Cadillac?

‍A Brief History of Cadillac

Named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who was the founder of the city of Detroit, Cadillac was founded by Henry Leland in 1902. As one of the first companies to mass-produce automobiles, Cadillac became the first American car to be recognized by the Royal Automobile Club of England when it won the revered Dewar Trophy.

Cadillac was also the first car company to offer a passenger car with a fully enclosed cabin, which was a major feat in 1910. The company was also the first car brand to produce automobiles that had features such as ignition, an electronic self-starter, and lighting. This was a huge shift from the traditional crank starter, a move that enabled women to start driving cars.

To cement its place as a leader in the automobile industry, Cadillac was the first car model to introduce the water-cooled eight-cylinder (V8) engine, which has since become the signature of the Cadillac brand.

General Motors Ownership

As one of the first car brands in the world, Cadillac has been in existence for 119 years. Although Henry Leland formed the automobile brand in 1902, his close association with Henry Ford, the founder of Ford and General Motors, meant that GM became the official owner of the Cadillac in 1909 after purchasing the Cadillac Automobile Company. Since then, Cadillac has become part of GM’s luxury car brands.

A Pinnacle in General Motors

For over a century under GM’s stewardship, Cadillac has risen to prominence as a top luxury car brand. It’s, without a doubt, one of the ultimate choices for car owners who are looking to upgrade from standard GM brands such as the Chevrolet, Buick, and Oldsmobile. In other words, it’s a luxury car brand that’s closely associated with car owners who have succeeded in life and are moving from standard car brands.

Standard the World

Having adopted the slogan “Standard of the World” after winning the first of the two Dewar Trophies in 1908 (it was the first car brand to win the trophy twice), Cadillac became known for its innovative automotive technology and for producing excellent cars. Under the GM umbrella, Cadillac introduced to the world the V8, V12, and V16 engines. It is also closely associated with the creation of the V8 engine with overhead valves.

Today, Cadillac is one of the best-performing car brands under the GM umbrella. It’s not only a beacon of excellence but is also one of the top-performing cars in the world. This has helped the brand earn a reputation as a modern luxury car and one of the best American car brands.

But even with this, it’s important to note that Cadillac is currently lagging behind luxury European brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi in terms of performance and sales. This is because the GM has struggled to keep up with the excellence portrayed by German-engineered performance, and this is why the Cadillac is now referred to as the “grandpa” of luxury cars.

To change this image, GM is trying to restore Cadillac’s standing as a top luxury car brand. Despite a few tweaks here and there, the brand is still trailing most European luxury car brands even in the United States! Hopefully, GM will be able to revitalize its Cadillac brand and restore it where it once belonged: the best luxury car in the world.