Today In History: Cadillac Is Born [Insert Rap Lyric Of Your Choice Here]

On August 22, 1902, the luxury automobile company Cadillac was founded by mechanist Henry M. Leland. An engine builder for Oldsmobile, Leland took it upon himself to redesign the Oldsmobile engine, modifying its valve ports and compression ratio to produce a smaller, more powerful engine. When Leland presented his finished product to Oldsmobile, they were apparently uninterested. Undeterred by their rebuff, Leland then took his engine to the brain trust at Ford Motor Company. FoMoCo, which was on the brink of collapse, was so impressed with Leland’s design they agreed to assemble an automobile around it. The company that formed around that automobile was Leland’s Cadillac Company, named for the French founder of Detroit, explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac.

The Cadillac Company was the first American manufacturer to offer the luxury of the closed-bodied auto as standard equipment. In 1904, Cadillac became the first auto company to receive the Dewar Trophy - an award established by Sir Thomas Dewey to encourage technical progress in the automotive industry. Four years later, Cadillac was acquired by GM to become a part of its “diversified product line” where it continued to flourish as the industry standard for American luxury and innovation.

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Cadistrophic

I’m loving this ‘61 Deville. See Anthony’s ride page for all the pics.

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Corvette Orgy

Long’s Auto Sales specializes in Corvettes, Cadillacs and other classic cars. The best part about it? Each and every last classic car on the lot is un-restored, all original, all in excellent condition. The only beater on the lot was a C4 Corvette with its leather seats practically shredded.  None of the cars have more than fifty thousand miles. The one with the least mileage was a 1976 Cadillac Coupe DeVille “Maloney Coachbuilders” edition with just under eighteen thousand miles, and this thing was huge! My father parked his S-10 next to it and it was still twice as long.

More pics after the jump!

My dad almost drooled over that “Shark Attack” C3.

The Reatta was the odd man out in this group. While it was an awesome car, and it was the cheapest there, it didn’t really fit in with theothere.

1978 Cadillac Deville.

Now here’s where it gets really amazing. These are all original, garage-kept pieces of automotive history, Detroit iron, and every car nut’s dream machine. Do they really need an introduction?

It even has the same tires on it that it did when it rolled out of the factory.

Yep, it’s a Stingray. Each C2 Corvette on the property was the Stingray model.

Look at that! A real side-exit exhaust.

I think this one’s an old Mercury. I forgot to ask, I was too mesmerized by just how beautiful the car was.  Beautifully crafted, hand painted pinstriping, and the fact it’s a 50s car blew me away. The car was turned into a hot rod by a guy in Naples, where he sold it and it was trailered up to Kentucky. It’ll shoot flames quite a distance out the exhaust tips, taillights off a Packard, this car is simply put together well.

Split window coupe.

The last glance I gave to the automotive works of art, we shall meet again.

You’d think with all those old attention-grabbers on the lot, I’d pick one of them as my favorite. No sir, I spotted a 1998 Camaro SS LS1 on my way out exactly how I want one: black paint, ebony leather seats, 6-speed manual and t-tops. To me, that car was the only one I saw that day that felt significant. Strange much? The cheapest muscle car they had and it happened to be the only one I cared about. But just like every car buff on the planet, there will always be that one car that they feel like is more significant than any other. When I got behind the wheel, nothing else mattered at that moment. Not money, not work or even my friends. I was excited because although I didn’t get the chance to take my dream car for a test drive, I take solace in the fact that if there weren’t about twenty run of the mill cars parked right in front of it, I would’ve had a fighting chance to convince the owner to at least let me take it around the property. Who knows, maybe they’ll go for the idea of letting a spotty teenager work at the dealership? Even if it’s just washing cars or answering phones, I know probably more about each car there (minus the Caddies, I don’t know jack about any of them) than most, it’d be a dream come true.

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A six of equal size to the direct-injection engine—3.6 liters with port ...

The 304-hp direct-injection V-6 gets all the attention for now.
The 258-hp base engine is basically a carry-over from the previous-generation CTS, in which it was the optional V-6. A six of equal size to the direct-injection engine—3.6 liters with port fuel injection and variable valve timing
Down 46 horses and 20 pound-feet on the DI engine, the indirectly injected base mill still brings a hearty portion 253 pound-feet of torque. With the test gear strapped on, the six-speed automatic CTS managed a 7.0-second 0-to-60-mph.

From the driver’s seat, an extra 1.2 seconds in a full-throttle blast to 60 are glaringly obvious, but in more measured driving, the difference between the two engines is purely statistical. Both sound fantastic for V-6s, both pull hard all the way to their 7000-rpm redlines without noticeable straining.
The nicely weighted steering wheel responds to requests with the slightest of delays off-center, provides real feedback about what’s going on with the front end.
The CTS’ reworked exterior is certainly up to the challenge. The new model’s combination of refinement and muscularity kicks the competition in their collective crotch. While plagued with the same sky-high hemline and buffalo butt of the previous iteration, the new CTS benefits from two inches extra length at both ends.
The new 2008 Cadillac CTS wraps you in safety and technology. What’s more, with a host of CTS accessories, the car proves to be even more functional.

Experts in ergonomics agree that standard massaging lumbar front seats installed in Cadillac CTS help melt away the strain of the day or the miles. This system activates a continuous roller system, gently massaging your muscles in ten-minute cycles.
The car has front and rear ventilated disc brakes, ABS, traction control, front side-mounted airbags, front and rear head airbags, child safety locks, anti-theft alarm system, dusk sensing headlamps, front fog lights,
dual zone climate controls, front and rear reading lights, leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather trim on shift knob and front and rear floor mats trunk light.

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