Five Interesting Cadillac Facts

The name Cadillac brings to mind luxury vehicles, synonymous with a certain class of car. When we think of the name, we think of some of the best cars America has to offer. With such a long illustrious history, Cadillac has quite a few interesting facts you may or may not know. Today, the Thompson Sales team delves deep into the history of the brand to share with you our top five interesting Cadillac facts. 

Five Fun Cadillac Facts (Cadifacts, if You Will)

1 – Al Capone’s famous Cadillac was the first Presidential bulletproof limo. The infamous gangster had a bulletproof 1928 Cadillac made to protect him from rival gang members. When the vehicle was impounded, the US Government placed it in the treasury department when Capone was sent to Alcatraz. 

After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, the Secret Service needed a safe means of transporting President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Washington D.C. to deliver his famous line, “ Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” As the secret service was unsure if there were further attacks planned, they used Capone’s bulletproof Cadillac, making this vehicle perhaps the most famous Cadillac of all time.

2 – You may wonder to yourself, “Where did the name Cadillac come from?” Well, the answer is fairly simple. The company was named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, a French army officer, who founded a little town called Ville d’Etroit, which came to be known later as Detroit, Michigan. As Cadillac made their vehicles in Detroit, they could think of no greater honor than to bestow the founder’s name on their vehicles.

3 – Cadillac’s slogan, “The Standard of the World” came about because of their engineering standards. Henry M. Leland, the founder of Cadillac, had incredibly high standards when it came to engineering precision. He claimed he had created the most precise factory on Earth — and to prove it, he had his engineers disassemble three cars in front of a group of judges. Then had the judges shuffle all the parts. Three days later, the cars were reassembled using mixed up parts between the three vehicles and fired up perfectly. Cadillac was awarded the Dewar Trophy, perhaps the most prestigious vehicle trophy, for proving the standard engineering precision that went into each Cadillac.

4 – Have you ever seen old videos of drivers getting out and cranking their engine before firing it up? Luckily, we no longer need to do this on rainy days. We can thank Cadillac for that, as they invented the first electric starter in 1912 on their Model 30. 

5 – The 1922 Type 59c actually had the ability to fill up its own tires. This was thanks to a self-powered air compressor installed into the vehicle. You could also adjust the car’s suspension for comfort or performance!

Visit Thompson Sales for Your Next Cadillac

If you are in the market for a new or used Cadillac, come visit Thompson Sales today. We have the best selection of Cadillacs, Buicks, and GMCs in southwest Missouri. Come visit us to see! Feel free to visit us online, or call us at (417) 763-6811.