Classic Cadillac Trivia

Cadillac spent much of the twentieth century as the car America measured luxury against, and its badge — literally a coat of arms — still nods to the French explorer who founded Detroit.

Engineering Firsts Behind the Crest

Cadillac's reputation as the "Standard of the World" wasn't just marketing. In 1908 it won Britain's Dewar Trophy for proving its cars could be built from fully interchangeable parts, and it won the award again in 1912 after introducing Charles Kettering's electric self-starter, which spared drivers the genuinely dangerous chore of hand-cranking an engine.

Fins, Chrome, and Postwar Swagger

• Cadillac's tailfins first appeared on late-1940s models, reportedly inspired by the twin-boom silhouette of the P-38 Lightning fighter plane.
• The fins grew steadily more dramatic through the 1950s, peaking with the towering 1959 models.
• The 1930s brought an ultra-luxurious V16 engine aimed squarely at Cadillac's wealthiest buyers.

A Star Turn

The Eldorado, launched in 1953, became the car of choice for anyone who'd arrived — Elvis Presley's pink Fleetwood is one of the most photographed cars in American pop culture.