Few automobiles are fortunate enough to have the rich heritage
that is Cadillac. The name Cadillac is appropriately that of
Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac, the French military commander
who founded the city of Detroit in
1701.
What better name for
the oldest automobile manufacturer in Detroit.
Henry
M.
Leland, known as the master of precision,
initiated his precision manufacturing techniques at the
founding
of
Cadillac in 1902. His exacting standards
prompted the motto by which Cadillac has been guided
over the years
-
“Craftsmanship
A
Creed
-
Accuracy
A
Law.”
The introduction
of
the first four cylinder engine
in
1905
led the industry and enabled Cadillacs to travel at speeds
up to
50
mph.
For attention to quality and innovation, the Royal
Automobile Club
of
England awarded the prestigious
Dewar Trophy
to Cadillac twice
. .
.
first in
1908
for
achieving perfect interchangeability
of
parts and again
for introducing the electric self starter, electric lighting
and ignition system on 1912 models. Cadillac is the
only American manufacturer to win this honor and
the only manufacturer in the world to win it twice.
As
commonplace as standardized parts are today, in
1908
parts were still individually hand fitted both in
production and service.
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