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Sell more “Caddys” by impressing your customers with your extensive knowledge of Cadillac facts
As a Cadillac salesperson, you understand the brand’s incredible legacy. However, since the height of the company’s cool-factor in the 1950s and 1960s, it’s struggled to keep up with other big luxury car brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus. Sales are rising, though, and there’s so much earning potential for Cadillac salespeople right now.
When customers walk into your dealership, and they’re thinking about purchasing a Cadillac, be sure you know as much as possible about the brand—and not just the fancy features of most recent models. Take some time to learn about the entire company from 1902 until the present and impress customers with your arsenal of Cadillac facts.
The 16 Cadillac facts you should memorize today
1. Cadillac is one of the oldest automobile brand in the world.
Cadillac was born from the ashes of the Henry Ford Company in 1902. Ford had gotten into a fight with his investors, and the financial backers asked Henry M. Leland to appraise the plant and equipment as they prepared for liquidation. Instead, Leland convinced them to keep the doors open and combine the latest Ford frame with a single-cylinder engine developed by Oldsmobile.
2. The Cadillac name is an homage to Detroit history.
The company was named after Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac, a French explorer and founder of Detroit, Michigan.
3. Cadillacs have been sold since 1903.
The first Cadillac was introduced at the New York Auto Show in 1903, and it cost $850.
4. Cadillac started strong.
Cadillac produced nearly 2,500 cars in its first year. Between 1904 and 1915, Cadillac made the top 10 in overall U.S. auto sales every single year.
5. Cadillac was almost as reliable as the horse and buggy.
When Cadillac first came out, “horesless carriages” were notoriously unreliable. The company’s biggest selling point was precision manufacturing and reliability.
6. Cadillac and Ford were bitter rivalries.
Henry M. Leland assumed full leadership in 1904, along with his son Wilfred. He was extremely driven by an intense competition with Henry Ford.
7. Cadillac was a hot commodity.
In 1909, as William C. Durant assembled the new General Motors Corporation, he convinced Wilfred Leland to sell Cadillac for $4.5 million in GM stock. The Lelands remained in their management positions and were entirely responsible for auto production.
8. Cadillac was a leader in precision tuning.
Henry M. Leland had extremely high standards. He brought in special tools from Sweden to ensure he had the most precise factory on earth. Cadillac was awarded the Dewar Trophy after three engineers disassembled three cars for a group of judges and let the judges shuffle all the parts. Three days later, all three cars operated flawlessly and were driven 500 miles.
9. Cadillac introduced luxury.
Cadillac was the first auto manufacturer to mass-produce cars with enclosed cabins in 1910. In 1912, they introduced the first electric starter (people used to have to hand-crank their cars before that). Cadillac was also the first car equipped with electric lights, including high beams.
10. Cadillac has a bulletproof history.
Ready for one of the lesser-known Cadillac facts? Al Capone’s bulletproof 1928 Cadillac sedan became the first bulletproof Presidential vehicle for Franklin D. Roosevelt on the evening of the Pearl Harbor bombing. It had been impounded by the government when Capone was sentenced to Alcatraz prison, and the Secret Service decided to use it for the President.
11. Cadillac is always up for an innovative idea.
Cadillac is responsible for even more “firsts” in the automotive world: it was the first American carmaker to hire an automotive stylist, to put a V16 engine in a car, to offer climate control, and it was among the first to install airbags.
12. Whiskey, anyone?
The 1957 Eldorado Brougham came with magnetic whiskey glasses and a makeup kit.
13. The Cadillac User Experience (CUE) is a favorite among in-car technology.
It blends first-of-its-kind technology with highly intelligent design, bringing the intuitive control of smartphones safely to the road. Your customers will love the clean design, Natural Voice Recognition, and responsive touch-screen technology.
14. Sales are on the rise.
In December 2016, Cadillac’s annual sales reached its highest mark in decades. The brand sold 308,692 vehicles in 2016, an increase of 11.1% from 2015 and the most it has sold since 1986.
15. Cadillac is the “greatest car on earth.”
For Cadillac’s 110th anniversary, Popular Mechanics picked the five greatest Cadillacs of all time. They chose: 1908 Cadillac, 1953 Eldorado, 1948 Series 62 Club Coupe, 1967-1970 Eldorado Coupe, and 2009-current CTS-V. They named the 1930-1940 V-16 Series 452 and Series 90 as “the greatest car on earth.”
16. Cadillac has won the Motor Trend “Car of the Year” award five times.
It won for the 2014 Cadillac CTS, 2008 Cadillac CTS, 1992 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan, 1952 Cadillac Motor Division, and 1949 Cadillac Motor Division.
Even if you’ve dedicated your entire professional life to selling Cadillacs, it’s always a good idea to learn about other auto brands as well. After you’ve learned all of the Cadillac facts above, spend some free time reading about these other automakers: Honda, Ford, Toyota, Jeep, BMW, Nissan, Tesla, Subaru, Volkswagen, Dodge, Hyundai, Mazda, Kia, Chrysler, and Buick.
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