CADILLAC SERVICE

00121 – CADILLAC SERVICE – Cadillac began in 1903, established by engine manufacturer Henry Leland and former Ford backers William Murphy and Lemuel Bowen. In January 1903, the first Cadillac was shown at the New York auto show. Within a week orders had been taken for 2286 Cadillacs and sales manager William Metzger declared the Cadillac “sold out”. It was Leland’s penchant for precision and quality that made the Cadillac a success, and when General Motors bought the company in 1909, GM boss Billy Durant kept the Lelands in charge. In 1912 Cadillac became “the car without a crank”, introducing Charles Kettering’s electric starter and featuring electric lights. The V-8 engine had been around since 1903, but in September 1914 Cadillac introduced its version, a refined engine that became the standard of the industry for years to come. Cadillac competed with the three P’s––Packard, Peerless, and Pierce Arrow––in the luxury market, and thanks to General Motors’ deep pockets it outlasted all of them.