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While Cadillac is a name that's synonymous with quality, luxury and award-winning customer service for most people, many people do not know the history of the Cadillac name. Interestingly, the name "Cadillac" came from the name of the founder of Detroit, Michigan, who was a French explorer in the 18th century. The first Cadillac was totally complete in 1902 but was not seen by the curious eyes of the public until the following year. Of course, the public was excited about the vehicle, and more than two thousand units were ordered that very day. From that day on, the Cadillac was known as a beautiful, stylish, reliable, and luxurious vehicle. From the very beginning the Cadillac has been synonymous with those that want the finer things in life - and Cadillacs are fine automobiles.

Cadillac is not only known because they produce beautiful, reliable cars and trucks, but also because they haven't been afraid to leap ahead in the past and be the first to do things. One of the first things that Cadillac did that no one else had done in a mass produced car is power a vehicle with a V8 engine. Cadillac was the first car manufacturer to put some real power behind the wheel of its vehicle, and it did so in 1915 to the excitement of car lovers worldwide. The Cadillac was also the first car to have an electric start engine instead of having to be cranked, as earlier cars had been. This of course was a huge piece of history, as it changed the way we all use and view vehicles.

From post war times until the present day, the Cadillac has enjoyed being known as a vehicle that provides consumers with luxury and quality. Not only do Cadillac vehicles look good, they also provide passengers with a great ride, the driver with easy handling, and styling that is unique to Cadillac, though there are those that try to duplicate and imitate.

Of course, history wouldn’t be history without mentioning the low points for Cadillac. Cadillac had always known who its target consumer was, but in the 1980s they tried to go for entry level buyers by producing more compact vehicles, such as the Cimarron. This of course, did not go over well, because it did not fit with what people expected of Cadillac and the younger audience that they were targeting knew that they could buy other compact cars that suited their needs for less than they could buy a Cadillac. Unfortunately, the Cimarron was never really given much of a chance before consumers responded negatively and Cadillac moved on.

The Cadillac of today is much different in appearance from that first Cadillac seen in 1903, but still it has the same luxury, quality, comfort, and reliability in common. Cadillac appeals to many people today with its beautiful cars, as well as its luxury sport utility vehicles such as the Escalade. Current Cadillac vehicles sport razor-sharp lines, stacked headlights, sharp looking grilles and a standard 100,000 mile warranty. As they have in the past, Cadillac is meeting the needs of all of the consumers that are looking for luxury, comfort, quality, reliability, and even power. This has been a trend with Cadillac from the very beginning and will likely continue well into the future.