The History of Cadillac

The history behind Cadillac is a bit surprising and ironic. But first, let's go to the beginning. The man behind Cadillac is Henry Martyn Leland, who was born in Vermont in 1843. Leland was a machinist. He obtained experience in toolmaking, metrology, and manufacturing. Before the turn of the century, Leland, with the backing of Robert Faulconer, set up a company to make automotive components. It was trough this company that Leland and Faulconer supplied engines to the Olds Motor Vehicle Company, which would later be known as Oldsmobile.

Coincidentally, Leland joined the Henry Ford Company as a consultant, shortly after Henry Ford had left the company. Ford's financial backers wanted to liquidated the assets of the company and called Leland to give them advice. Instead of telling them to liquidate, Leland persuaded them to combine the engine he had manufactured with the Ford chassis designs. Thus, the Cadillac company was born. Why the name Cadillac? The new partnership decided to name the company after the city of Detroit's French founder, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac. 

Within a very short time, Cadillac's high-quality construction become the company's trademark. So was the success of Cadillac that the company grew into the world's third largest car maker, behind Oldsmobile and Ford.

Without a doubt, Cadillac's History is evidence that anything is possible. Creating a grand marques from scratch, of course, with a bit of ingenuity, can be achieved.

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