Editing Cadillac (section)

==History==
===Founding===
Cadillac was formed from the remnants of the [[Henry Ford Company]]. After a dispute between [[Henry Ford]] and his investors, Ford left the company along with several of his key partners in March 1902. Ford's financial backers William Murphy and Lemuel Bowen called in engineer [[Henry M. Leland]] of Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing Company to appraise the plant and equipment in preparation for liquidating the company's assets. Instead, Leland persuaded the pair to continue manufacturing automobiles using Leland's proven single-cylinder engine. A new company called the Cadillac Automobile Company was established on August 22, 1902, converting the Henry Ford Company factory at Cass Street and Amsterdam Avenue. It was named after French explorer [[Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac]], who had founded Detroit in 1701.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.s9.com/Biography/Cadillac-Antoine-De-La-Mothe-Sieur-De|title=Cadillac, Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de|date=September 11, 2007|publisher=S9.com|access-date=June 14, 2012|archive-date=November 13, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113052022/http://www.s9.com/Biography/Cadillac-Antoine-De-La-Mothe-Sieur-De}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Tina |last=Granzo |title=People of Detroit: Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac |url=http://historydetroit.com/people/antoine_cadillac.php |website=History of Detroit |access-date=2024-12-30}}</ref>

===First automobiles===

Cadillac's first automobiles, the [[Cadillac Runabout and Tonneau|Runabout and Tonneau]], were completed in October 1902. They were two-seat [[horseless carriage]]s powered by a {{convert|10|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[single-cylinder engine]]. They were practically identical to the 1903 [[Ford Model A (1903-1904)|Ford Model A]]. Many sources say the first car rolled out of the factory on October 17; in the book ''Henry Leland—Master of Precision'', the date is October 20; another reliable source shows car number three to have been built on October 16. Cadillac displayed the new vehicles at the [[New York Auto Show]] in January 1903, where the vehicles impressed the crowds enough to gather over 2,000 firm orders. Cadillac's biggest selling point was precision manufacturing, and therefore, reliability; a Cadillac was simply a better-made vehicle than its competitors.

:;Runabout

<gallery>
File:Cadillac Model A 1902 (6829591487).jpg|1902
File:Cadillac 1904 6.5 HP Rear-entrance tonneau on London to Brighton VCR 2010.jpg|6½ HP 1904
File:Cadillac K (1907) at Autoworld Brussels (8394291773).jpg|1907
File:Cadillac Model K Runabout (6037133022).jpg|1907
File:1908 Cadillac Model S runabout (6105143017).jpg|1908 with dickey seat open
File:1908 Cadillac Model S Tulip Roadster, Medow Brook Concours 2005.jpg|1908 Cadillac Model S
</gallery>

:;Rear-entrance tonneau

<gallery>
File:Cadi-1903.jpg|1903
File:Cadillac 1903 Rear Entrance Tonneau Auto on London to Brighton Veteran Car Run 2009.jpg|6½ HP 1903
File:Cadillac 8.25 HP Tonneau 1904 07-11-2010 14-17-57.JPG|8¼ HP 1904
File:Cadillac 1904 Tonneau on London to Brighton VCR 2010.jpg|8¼ HP surrey-top 1904
File:Cadillac 10HP Tonneau 1904 03-11-2013 08-32-24.jpg|10 HP 1904
</gallery>

:;Special bodies

<gallery>
Cadillac Special Delivery 19040220.jpg|Delivery 1903
File:Cadillac 1904 8.25 HP tonneau on London to Brighton VCR 2010.jpg|8½ HP touring car 1904
File:Cadillac 1904 8.25 HP Detachable-Top Limousine on London to Brighton VCR 2010 15-39-05.jpg|8¼ HP detachable-top limousine 1904
File:Cadillac 9HP Limousine 07-11-2010 15-52-37.JPG|9 HP [[limousine]]
Cadillac 1907 Model M Coupe.jpg|Model M coupé 1907
</gallery>

===Notable events: 1906–1912===

The Cadillac Automobile Company merged with Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing, forming The Cadillac Motor Company in 1905.<ref name=Wagner>"Cadillac: A Century of Excellence" by Rob Leicester Wagner ({{ISBN|978-1-58663-168-0}})</ref> From its earliest years, Cadillac aimed for [[precision engineering]] and stylish luxury finishes, causing its cars to be ranked amongst the finest in the United States. Cadillac was the first volume manufacturer of a fully enclosed car, in 1906. Cadillac participated in the 1908 interchangeability test in the United Kingdom, and was awarded the [[Dewar Trophy]] for the most important advancement of the year in the automobile industry.

On July 29, 1909,<ref name=hist1/> Cadillac was purchased by the [[General Motors]] (GM) [[conglomerate (company)|conglomerate]].<ref>{{cite web|title=1909, Cadillac Enters the Fold|url=http://history.gmheritagecenter.com/wiki/index.php/1909,_Cadillac_Enters_the_Fold|work=Generations of GM History|publisher=GM Heritage Center|access-date=July 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231001500/http://history.gmheritagecenter.com/wiki/index.php/1909,_Cadillac_Enters_the_Fold|archive-date=December 31, 2013}}</ref> Cadillac became General Motors' prestige division, devoted to the production of large luxury vehicles. The Cadillac line was also GM's default marque for "commercial chassis" institutional vehicles, such as [[limousine]]s, ambulances, [[hearses]] and funeral home [[flower car]]s, the last three of which were custom-built by [[Aftermarket (automotive)|aftermarket]] manufacturers. It became positioned at the top of GM's vehicle hierarchy, above [[Buick]], [[Oldsmobile]], [[Oakland Motor Car Company|Oakland]], and later, [[Chevrolet]].

In 1912, Cadillac was the first automobile manufacturer to incorporate an electrical system enabling [[electric starter|starting]], [[Ignition system|ignition]], and lighting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gearheads.org/history-of-cadillac/|title=The Continual Innovation and History of Cadillac|last=Nazario|date=May 17, 2012|publisher=GearHeads|access-date=June 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230233929/http://gearheads.org/history-of-cadillac/|archive-date=December 30, 2013}}</ref><ref name="pm">{{cite news|url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/reader_rides/1267556.html |title=100 Years of Cadillac History |last=Laam |first=Michael |date=January 2002 |work=Popular Mechanics  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100127094353/http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/reader_rides/1267556.html |archive-date=January 27, 2010 }}</ref>

===Becoming the "Standard of the World" and the Great Depression: 1915–1941===
[[File:Cadillac_1921-0707_logo.png|thumb|130px|1921 Cadillac logo]]

In 1915, Cadillac introduced a 90-degree flathead [[Cadillac V8 engine|V8 engine]] with {{convert|70|hp}} at 2400 rpm and {{convert|180|lb·ft|N.m}} of [[torque]], allowing its cars to attain {{convert|65|mph}}.<ref name="pm"/> This was faster than most roads could accommodate at this time. Cadillac pioneered the [[Crossplane|dual-plane]] V8 crankshaft in 1918. In 1928 Cadillac introduced the first clashless Synchro-Mesh [[transmission (mechanics)|manual transmission]], utilizing constant mesh gears. In 1930 Cadillac implemented the first [[Cadillac V-16|V-16]] engine, with a 45-degree overhead valve, {{convert|452|in3|L|abbr=off}}, and {{convert|165|hp}}, one of the most powerful and quietest engines in the United States. The development and introduction of the V8, V16 and [[V12 engine|V12]] helped to make Cadillac the "Standard of the World".<ref name="pm"/> A later model of the V8 engine, with [[overhead valve]]s, set the standard for the entire American automotive industry in 1949.<ref name="pm"/>

In July 1917, the [[United States Army]] needed a dependable staff car and chose the Cadillac Type 55 Touring Model after exhaustive tests on the Mexican border. 2,350 of the cars were supplied for use in France by officers of the [[American Expeditionary Force]] in [[World War I]].<ref>Bentley, John ''The Old Car Book'', Fawcett Books (1952) p 12</ref>

[[File:Cadillac adv 1921.jpg|thumb|left|170px|A 1921 Cadillac advertisement]]

General Motors of Canada had built Cadillacs from 1923 until 1936 and LaSalles from 1927 until 1935.<ref>{{cite web |website=GM Heritage Center |title=Canada Only General Motors Cars |first=Bill |last=Bowman |url=http://history.gmheritagecenter.com/wiki/index.php/Canada_Only_General_Motors_Cars |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130805012053/http://history.gmheritagecenter.com/wiki/index.php/Canada_Only_General_Motors_Cars |archive-date=2013-08-05 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Pre-World War II Cadillacs were well-built, powerful, mass-produced luxury cars aimed at an upper-class market. In the 1930s, Cadillac added cars with [[V12 engine|V12]] and [[V16 engine|V16]] engines to their range, many of which were fitted with custom [[coachbuilder|coach-built]] bodies.<ref name="1930–1939 Cadillac">{{cite web|title=1930–1939 Cadillac|date=March 13, 2007|url=http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1930-1939-cadillac.htm|access-date=June 29, 2011}}</ref>

In the 1920s and 1930s Cadillac and Buick vehicles were popular with longer-distance passenger service operators e.g. the [[Nairn Transport Company#Vehicles|Nairn Transport Company]] in the Middle East (Baghdad-Damascus) and [[InterCity (New Zealand)#Newmans Coach Lines|Newmans Coach Lines]] in New Zealand.

In 1926, Cadillac recruited automobile stylist [[Harley Earl]] in a one-time consulting capacity, but his employment lasted considerably longer: by 1928, Earl was the head of the new Art and Color division and he would ultimately work for GM until he retired, over 30 years later. The first car he designed was the [[LaSalle (automobile)|LaSalle]], a new, smaller "companion marque" car, named after another French explorer and founder of Detroit, René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. That marque remained in production until 1940.<ref>{{cite web|title=Earl, Harley J. GM's First Design Chief|url=http://history.gmheritagecenter.com/wiki/index.php/Earl,_Harley_J.|work=Generations of GM History|access-date=June 29, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140620194317/http://history.gmheritagecenter.com/wiki/index.php/Earl,_Harley_J.|archive-date=June 20, 2014}}</ref>

Cadillac introduced designer-styled bodywork (as opposed to auto-engineered) in 1927. It installed shatter-resistant [[Laminated glass|glass]] in 1926. Cadillac also introduced the "turret top", the first all-steel roof on a passenger car.<ref name="pm"/> Previously, car roofs had been made out of fabric-covered wood.

The Great Depression sapped the auto industry generally, with the luxury market declining more steeply; between 1928 and 1933, Cadillac sales declined by 84% to 6,736 vehicles.<ref name="Gordon">{{cite journal |first=John Steele |last=Gordon |author-link=John Steele Gordon |title=The Man Who Saved The Cadillac |url=https://www.forbes.com/2009/04/30/1930s-auto-industry-business-cadillac.html,_The_Man_Who_Saved_The_Cadillac |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120918110613/http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/30/1930s-auto-industry-business-cadillac.html,_The_Man_Who_Saved_The_Cadillac  |archive-date=September 18, 2012 |journal=Forbes |access-date=October 23, 2011 |date=April 30, 2009 }}</ref> Exacerbating sales performance for the Cadillac brand was a policy, reflective of the times, which discouraged sales to African Americans.<ref name="Gordon"/> Nick Dreystadt, mechanic and national head of Cadillac service, urged a committee—set up to decide whether the Cadillac brand would live on—to revoke that policy. After the policy was eliminated, brand sales increased by 70% in 1934, and Dreystadt was promoted to lead the entire Cadillac Division.<ref name="Gordon"/>

By 1940, Cadillac sales had risen tenfold compared to 1934.<ref name="1930–1939 Cadillac"/> In 1936, Dreystadt released the [[Cadillac Series 60|Series 60]] as Cadillac's entry into the mid-priced vehicle market. It was replaced by the [[Cadillac Series 61|Series 61]] in 1939, but a popular model that was derived from it, the [[Cadillac Sixty Special|Sixty Special]], continued through 1993. Another factor helped boost Cadillac growth over the next few years: a revolution in assembly-line technology. In 1934, [[Henry F. Phillips]] introduced the [[screw|Phillips screw]] and [[screwdriver]] to the market. He entered into talks with General Motors and convinced the Cadillac group his new screws would speed assembly times and therefore increase profits. Cadillac was the first automaker to use the Phillips technology, in 1937, which was widely adopted in 1940.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Beginning of the Phillips Screw Company|url=http://www.phillips-screw.com/history_about_phillips.htm|publisher=Phillips Screw Company|access-date=June 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710103538/http://www.phillips-screw.com/history_about_phillips.htm|archive-date=July 10, 2011}}</ref> For the first time in many years all cars built by the company shared the same basic engine and drivetrain in 1941.{{sfn|Bonsall|2004|page=17}}

1941 also saw the introduction of optional [[Hydra-Matic]], the first mass-produced fully [[automatic transmission]], offered the previous year on the [[Oldsmobile]].

<gallery title="Cadillac" becomes="" part="" of="" general="" motors="">
File:1921 Cadillac Suburban.jpg|1921 Cadillac Suburban
File:1929-cadillac-archives.jpg|1929 Cadillac
File:1929 Cadillac tow truck with bus Sydney AUSTRALIA December 1938.jpg|1929 Cadillac towing a bus, Sydney, Australia, 1938
File:Cadillac.fleetwood.v8.arp.750pix.jpg|1929 Cadillac Fleetwood
File:'31 Cadillac Phaeton (Auto classique Salaberry-De-Valleyfield '11).JPG|1931 Cadillac phaeton
File:1932 Cadillac 355B V8 Sedan.jpg|1932 Cadillac 355B V8 sedan
File:1936 Cadillac Series 70 4 door Convertible V8.jpg|1936 Cadillac Series 70 four door convertible V8
File:1939 Cadillac Series 75 Town car Limousine (13327289595).jpg|1939 Cadillac Series 75 town car
File:1940 Cadillac 90.JPG|1940 Cadillac 90 town car
</gallery>

===After World War II and the Great Depression: 1945–1959===
{{multiple image
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|image1 = Cadillac (5220691319).jpg
|image2 = Cadillac 1948.jpg|thumb|200px|1948 Cadillac
|image3 = 1959 Cadillac fins.jpg
|image4 = 1959 Cadillac Tail Fins (32464170).jpg
|footer = Top: Cadillac motor car logo, {{Circa|1950s}}, being the coat of arms of [[Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac]]; 1948 Cadillac. Bottom: two images of the iconic large tail fins of the 1959 Cadillac
}}

Postwar Cadillac vehicles innovated many of the styling features that came to be synonymous with the late 1940s and 1950s American automobile. Incorporating many of the ideas of then [[General Motors]] styling chief [[Harley J. Earl]], these included [[Car tailfin|tailfins]], wraparound [[windshield]]s, and extensive use of chrome. Tailfins were first added in 1948<ref name="pm"/> and reached their pinnacle in 1959. From 1960 to 1964 they decreased each year until they disappeared in the 1965 model year (remaining [[vestigial]]ly only on the limited production 1965 Series 75 chassis, a carry-over from 1964). Cadillac's other distinctive styling attribute was its front-bumper. What had started out after the war as a pair of artillery shell-shaped bumper guards<ref name="GM Heritage Center"/> moved higher on the front-end design as the 1950s wore on. Becoming known as [[Dagmar bumpers]] for their similarity to the buxom 1950s television personality, they were toned down in 1958 and gone the next year.

1956 saw the introduction of the pillarless four-door hardtop sedan, marketed as the "Sedan de Ville"; a year later the feature appeared in all standard Cadillacs. The fledgling automotive magazine ''[[Motor Trend]]'' awarded its first "[[Motor Trend Car of the Year|''Motor Trend'' Car of the Year]]" to Cadillac in 1949 for its innovative overhead valve [[V8 engine]]. While the company initially snubbed the honor, it now proudly references its "Car of the Year" wins in publicity material.{{sfn|Flory|2008|page=190}}<ref name="media.cadillac.com">{{cite web|url=http://media.cadillac.com/media/us/en/cadillac/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2013/Nov/1107-cts-coty.html |title=Cadillac CTS Scores Second Motor Trend Car of the Year® Award |publisher=Media.cadillac.com |date=November 7, 2013 |access-date=July 16, 2016}}</ref> On November 25, 1949, Cadillac produced its one-millionth car, a 1950 [[Coupe de Ville]].{{sfn|Flory|2008|page=255}} It also set a new sales mark of 100,000 cars,{{sfn|Flory|2008|page=255}} matched in 1950 and 1951.{{sfn|Flory|2008|page=323}} 1949 also saw the introduction with Buick of the first mass-produced [[hardtop]] coupe, a closed-body style without a "B" pillar. Marketed as the Coupe de Ville, it would become one of Cadillac's most popular models for many years.

In 1951, Cadillac began production of the [[M41 Walker Bulldog]] army tank, which saw service in the [[Korean War]] and [[Vietnam War]].

In 1953, the "Autronic Eye" was introduced. This feature would automatically dim high-beam headlamps for the safety of oncoming motorists.<ref>''80 Years of Cadillac LaSalle'' by Walter M.P. McCall, Motorbooks International, Osceola WI, 1992, p. 298</ref> In 1957, Cadillac attempted to move further upmarket, creating the hand-built Series 70 [[Cadillac Eldorado|Eldorado Brougham]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cadillacdatabase.com/Dbas_txt/brg02.htm |title=The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham |access-date=January 25, 2015  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226163922/http://cadillacdatabase.com/Dbas_txt/brg02.htm |archive-date=February 26, 2015 }}</ref> It featured [[self-levelling suspension]], "memory seat" function, and an all-transistor signal-seeking car radio that was produced by GM's Delco Radio and which was available as standard equipment for the 1957 Eldorado Brougham models.<ref name="GM Heritage Center">{{cite web|title=1957 & 58 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham|url=http://history.gmheritagecenter.com/wiki/index.php/1957_%26_58_Cadillac_Eldorado_Brougham|work=Generations of GM History|publisher=GM Heritage Center|access-date=July 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309204448/http://history.gmheritagecenter.com/wiki/index.php/1957_%26_58_Cadillac_Eldorado_Brougham|archive-date=March 9, 2012}}</ref><ref>1956 GM Year-End Annual Report, 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham car model introduction announcement, pg 15</ref><ref>''Radio & TV News'', August 1957, "Delco's All-Transistor Auto Radio", pg 60</ref><ref>The Cadillac Serviceman, Volume XXXI, No.4, April 1957 issue, Pg 34</ref> While the car showed Cadillac's technological prowess, it sold only 904 units.

===Pinnacles in luxury and dimension: 1960–1976===
{{multiple image
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|image1 = Cadillac Eldoradio Brougham all-transistor car radio-1957 dash.JPG
|caption1 = Cadillac Eldorado Brougham all-transistor car radio (1957 dashboard)
|image2 = INSTALLING TRANSMISSION ON THE CADILLAC ASSEMBLY LINE - NARA - 549720.jpg
|caption2 = Installing a transmission on a Cadillac in [[Detroit, Michigan]], 1973
|footer = 
}}

The dual-reservoir brake master cylinder, with separate front and rear hydraulic systems, was introduced in 1962, six years ahead of the federal requirement. The first fully automatic heater–[[air conditioning]] system also appeared, as did the three-speed [[Turbo-Hydramatic]] automatic transmission; it would become the GM standard model for several decades. Starting in the late 1960s, Cadillac offered a fiber-optic warning system{{Citation needed|date=May 2015}} to alert the driver to failed light bulbs. The use of extensive bright-work on the exterior and interior also decreased each year after 1959. By the 1966 model year, even the rear bumpers ceased to be all chrome—large portions were painted, including the headlight bezels.

In 1966, Cadillac had its best annual sales to that point, over 192,000 units (142,190 of them de Villes),{{sfn|Flory|2004|pages=423, 425–428}} an increase of more than 60%.{{sfn|Flory|2004|page=423}} This was exceeded in 1968, when Cadillac topped 200,000 units for the first time.{{sfn|Flory|2004|pages=570}}<!-- Karl Ludvigsen's "Cadillac: The Great American Dream Come True", in Northey, Tom, ed. ''World of Automobiles'' (London: Orbis, 1974), Vol. 3, p. 297, mistakenly dates this to 1967 --> The years 1967 and 1968 saw the introduction of a host of federally mandated safety features, including energy-absorbing steering columns and wheels, soft interior and instrument panel knobs and surfaces, front shoulder belts, and side marker lights.

The [[front-wheel drive]] [[Cadillac Eldorado|Eldorado]] was launched in 1967, setting a new standard for a [[personal luxury car]]. Its simple, elegant design was a far cry from the tailfin and chrome of the 1950s. Cadillac's success grew against rivals [[Lincoln Motor Company|Lincoln]] and [[Imperial (automobile)|Imperial]], which had division sales topping all of [[Chrysler]] for the first time in 1970.{{sfn|Flory|2004|page=721}} The new {{convert|472|cid|L|1|abbr=on}} engine that debuted in the 1968 model year, designed for an ultimate capacity potential of {{convert|600|cid|L|1|abbr=on}},<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.edmunds.com/cadillac/eldorado/history.html |title=Cadillac Eldorado History |date=October 24, 2011 |publisher=Edmunds}}</ref> was increased to {{convert|500|cid|L|1|abbr=on}} for the 1970 Eldorado. It was adopted across the model range beginning in 1975. Driver and front passenger [[airbag]]s ("Air Cushion Restraint System") began to be offered on some Cadillac, as well as other Buick and Oldsmobile luxury models, in 1974, however this option was unpopular as was discontinued after the 1976 model year. The [[Hardtop|pillarless]] [[Cadillac de Ville series|Coupe deVille]] ended with the 1973 model, while the Sedan deVille remained pillarless through 1976.

The 1970s saw new extremes in vehicle luxury and dimension. The 1972 [[Cadillac Series 70#1971–1976|Fleetwood]] was some {{convert|1.7|in|mm|abbr=on}} longer in wheelbase and {{convert|4|in|mm|abbr=on}} overall, compared to the 1960 [[Cadillac Series 70#1957–1958|Series 75 Fleetwood]]; the entry-level 1972 [[Cadillac Calais|Calais]] was {{convert|2.4|in|mm|1|abbr=on}} longer than the equivalent 1960 [[Cadillac Series 62#1959-1964|Series 62]], on the same wheelbase.{{sfn|Flory|2004|pages=20, 23, 878, & 880}} Models gained a smoother ride while vehicle weight, standard equipment and [[engine displacement]] were all increased. Cadillac experienced record sales in 1973 and again in the late 1970s. In May 1975, the Seville was introduced as a competitor to the growing import luxury car market and was marketed as "international size".

<gallery>
File:Cadillac Eldorado.jpg|1967–70 [[Cadillac Eldorado]]
File:Cadillac DeVille Convertible 1968.jpg|1968 [[Cadillac DeVille]]
File:1972 Cadillac Sedan de Ville.jpg|1972 Cadillac DeVille
File:1976 Cadillac Coupe Deville D’Elegance fvl.jpg|1976 Cadillac DeVille
File:1976_Cadillac_Eldorado_convertible_1_--_10-23-2009.jpg|1976 Cadillac Eldorado
File:1976 Cadillac Seville (41190938545).jpg|1976 Cadillac Seville
</gallery>

===Downsizings and new technology-assisted luxury features: 1977–1988===
{{more citations needed|section|date=December 2023}}

In 1977, Cadillac's D-bodies experienced the same "downsizing" as the rest of GM's "B" and "C" bodied cars. In 1977, [[General Motors|GM]] significantly downsized their full-sized cars. The Fleetwood Brougham lost its exclusive longer wheelbase and now rode on the same new shorter 121.5" wheelbase as the [[Cadillac DeVille|DeVille]]. Both Fleetwood and DeVille models were powered by the {{convert|425|cuin|L|1|abbr=on}} V8s. This engine was basically a de-bored version of the 472/500 (7.9&nbsp;L/8.2&nbsp;L) V8 of previous years.

1977 was Cadillac's 75th anniversary and saw the introduction of the downsized DeVille coupes and sedans. The redesigned Fleetwood Brougham was now similar in appearance to the lesser Sedan de Ville. Other than the name, there were only subtle exterior differences between a Fleetwood Brougham and Sedan de Ville. The interior of the Fleetwood was plusher and offered more features as standard. These new cars featured a higher roofline, resulting in a vehicle that was more than nine inches shorter, four inches narrower, and half a ton lighter than the previous year, but with a larger trunk and more headroom and legroom. These were also the first DeVilles to be marketed without [[fender skirts]] over the rear wheels. The 500 in<sup>3</sup> V8 (which produced 190 horsepower) was replaced for 1977 by a 180-horsepower 425 in<sup>3</sup> V8 variant of similar design. The reduction in size and weight was implemented to improve fuel economy and emissions as a result of the United States Federal Government passage of [[Corporate Average Fuel Economy]] regulations.

For 1977, the lineup included the two-door Coupe de Ville ($9,654) and the four-door Sedan de Ville ($9,864). The $650 d'Elegance package, an interior dress-up option carried over from the previous generation of DeVilles, continued for both models. Three-sided, wrap-around tail lamps were a 1977 feature only (although they would re-appear in 1987). Coupe de Ville's popular "Cabriolet" option, priced at $348, included a rear-half padded vinyl roof covering and opera lamps. An optional electronic fuel-injected version of the standard 7.0-liter powerplant, adding {{convert|15|hp}}, was available for an additional $647. Sales figures were 138,750 Coupe de Villes and 95,421 Sedan de Villes for an all-time sales record of 234,171 DeVilles sold.

With these downsizings, fuel economy and handling improved. In 1979, Cadillac's flagship Eldorado coupe would downsize. The 1980s saw further downsizing of many models including the DeVille, Fleetwood, Eldorado and Seville. Cadillac brought out a dramatic redesign for the Seville in 1980 featuring a bustle-back rear-end styling theme and a move to the same front-wheel-drive chassis as the Eldorado. In 1982, the [[Cadillac Cimarron|Cimarron]] was introduced as the brand's first compact car. The Cimarron's market failure is one in a series of events throughout the 1980s and 1990s which sullied Cadillac's reputation and caused the division's share of the US market to fall from 3.8% in 1979 to 2.2% in 1997;<ref>{{cite book |first1=James M. |last1=Flammang |first2=Ron |last2=Kowalke |title=Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1976-1999 |year=1999 |publisher=Kraus Publications |pages=149–189}}</ref> it is routinely cited as the nadir of GM's product planning. Automotive journalist [[Dan Neil (journalist)|Dan Neil]] included the Cimarron in his 2007 list of the "Worst cars of all time", saying "everything that was wrong, venal, lazy, and mendacious about GM in the 1980s was crystallized in this flagrant insult to the good name and fine customers of Cadillac."<ref name="time">{{cite magazine |title=The 50 Worst Cars of All Time |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |author=Dan Neil |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/0,28757,1658545,00.html}}</ref> He added that the Cimarron "nearly killed Cadillac and remains its biggest shame".<ref name=time/>

For the 1981 model year, the long-running "Standard of the World" slogan was changed to "An American Standard of the World". For the 1982 model year, the slogan was changed to "Best of All&nbsp;... It's A Cadillac", which was used until 1986.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org/index.php?topic=148578.0 |title=What year did Cadillac stop being the "Standard of the World"? |work=Cadillac & LaSalle Club Discussion Forum |location=US |date=February 7, 2018 |access-date=December 2, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-09-23-fi-9358-story.html |title=Marketing: Cadillac Shifts Marketing Gears With Allante |first=Bruce |last=Horovitz |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=September 23, 1986 |access-date=December 2, 2019}}</ref>

Due to a delay in the production of the new front-drive DeVilles (which were now scheduled for release as 1985 models), 1984 was a re-run for the rear-wheel-drive Coupe de Ville ($17,140) and its four-door companion, the popular Sedan de Ville ($17,625). It was also the last time DeVille used the "V" emblem below the Cadillac crest, as 1985 models and on would use the crest and wreath emblem—formerly a Fleetwood and Eldorado exclusive. For 1984, sales figures show a total four-door production of 107,920 units, and an additional 50,840 two-door units (figures include de Ville and Fleetwood models). The new front-drive 1985 Coupe de Ville and Sedan de Ville arrived in Cadillac showrooms during the spring of 1984, about six months earlier than most new-car introductions, so both the 1984 rear-drive and 1985 front-drive models were selling and being produced (due to separate assembly plants) at the same time for nearly half a year.

1985 saw the new front-wheel-drive DeVille and Fleetwood models released after quality delays prevented a planned 1984 model year introduction. 1986 saw new downsized Eldorado and Seville models. In 1987, the all-new [[Pininfarina]]-bodied Allanté roadster came to market featuring the HT-4100 V8 engine. The Sixty Special returned in 1987 as the top owner-driven Cadillac in the [[front-wheel-drive]] GM [[GM C platform (FWD)|C-body]] lineup, with a planned production run of just 2,000 cars. The 1987 and 1988 Sixty Specials were unique, custom-crafted automobiles, which featured a five-inch (127&nbsp;mm) longer wheelbase over the DeVille/Fleetwood on which they were based. Also in 1987, [[Detroit Assembly]] on Clark Street in [[Detroit]], where Cadillacs had been made since 1921, was closed.

The 1980s also saw the introduction of new, technology-assisted luxury features. Among these was the return of the memory seat option, not available since the 1958 Eldorado Brougham. 1981 brought standard digital heating and air conditioning controls to all models. In 1982, the High Technology engine was introduced. It was originally scheduled for a 1983 release, later delayed to 1985, with its intended applications being the downsized front-wheel-drive models Cadillac would introduce that year. 1983 saw the introduction of the Delco/Bose stereo system option, a US$895 cassette stereo system available only on the Eldorado and Seville. This Bose system would eventually become available on the DeVille and Fleetwood models on their 1985 FWD editions. The trip computer, available for Eldorado in 1979 and Seville in 1978 and 1979, was replaced in 1981 with the availability of digital instrumentation with some Trip Computer functions being replaced by the new digital heating and air conditioning control panel. Digital instrumentation would become available for the new FWD DeVille and Fleetwood series in 1985.

<gallery>
File:1978 Cadillac Sedan de Ville -- 06-18-2011.jpg|1978 [[Cadillac DeVille]]
File:Cadillac Seville (11695707603).jpg|1980 [[Cadillac Seville]]
File:Cadillac_Sedan_de_Ville_2012-07-15_15-12-36.JPG| 1984 Cadillac DeVille
File:1984-85_Eldorado_Convertible.jpg|1984 [[Cadillac Eldorado]]
File:85-88 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.jpg|1987 Cadillac DeVille
File:Red_closed_Cadillac_Allante_fl.jpg|1988 [[Cadillac Allanté]]
File:257773_2030637598504_1021034280_2383948_6570269_o.jpg|1988 [[Cadillac Brougham]]
File:Cadillac_Cimarron_2_--_07-01-2009.jpg|1988 [[Cadillac Cimarron]]
File:'88 Cadillac Seville.jpg|1988 Cadillac Seville
</gallery>

===New introductions: 1989–1999===

In 1991, Cadillac introduced the [[Northstar engine]], which was a family of high-performance 90° V engines produced by General Motors from 1991 to 2010. Regarded as GM's most technically complex engine, the original double overhead cam, four valve per cylinder, aluminum block/aluminum head V8 design was developed by Oldsmobile's R&D, but is most associated with Cadillac's Northstar series. The related Northstar System was Cadillac's trademarked name for a package of performance features introduced in mid-1992 that coupled [[variable valve timing]], road sensing suspension, variable power steering and four-wheel [[disc brake]]s to the Division's high-output and high-torque Northstar engines.

For 1992, the Seville was redesigned to better compete with luxury performance sedans from Europe and had adopted some styling cues from the 1988 Cadillac Voyage concept car.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.supercars.net/cars/3503.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150119151345/http://www.supercars.net/cars/3503.html  |archive-date=January 19, 2015 |title=1988 Cadillac Voyage Concept |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=Supercars.net |access-date=January 19, 2015 }}</ref> It also made ''[[Car and Driver]]'' magazine's [[Car and Driver Ten Best|Ten Best list]] that year. A year later, the Brougham was discontinued and replaced by the all-new rear-wheel-drive 1993 Fleetwood. The previous front-wheel drive Fleetwood was renamed Sixty Special for 1993. That same year, the Coupe deVille was discontinued due to the declining popularity of full-size coupes.

For 1994, the DeVille was redesigned to share the [[GM K platform (FWD)|K-body]] platform with the [[Cadillac Seville|Seville]]. The body was redesigned, although the wheelbase remained 113.8 inches—rather than the 111 inches used on the Seville. Production moved to [[Hamtramck, Michigan]].
Also for 1994, all DeVille models included a standard SRS driver-side front airbag, as well as fully digital instrumentation with an integrated message center, which provided important vehicle information and status, current speed, outside temperature and more, with controls mounted to the left of the instrument cluster. Also standard was a dual-zone front HVAC system, with controls located to the right of the instrument cluster, and remote controls on the front passenger door panel. An SRS passenger's-side front airbag became standard equipment after a restyling in 1996, which also brought revised exterior styling and new audio systems with TheftLock coded anti-theft technology. In 1995, the high technology engine that had been used in Cadillacs since 1982 was discontinued.

For 1997, the [[Cadillac Catera|Catera]] mid-size sedan was introduced as Cadillac's new entry-level model. The Catera was a [[badge engineering|rebadged]] variant of the [[Opel Omega#Omega B1 (1994–1999)|Opel Omega B]] and was manufactured by [[Opel]] in [[Rüsselsheim]], Germany. The DeVille was also redesigned that year. The late 1990s saw Cadillac field its first-ever entry in the growing [[SUV]] segment. The [[Cadillac Escalade|Escalade]], introduced in 1999, was marketed to compete with the [[Lincoln Navigator]] and luxury SUVs from various import brands.

<gallery>
File:89-92_Cadillac_Fleetwood_sedan.jpg|1989 [[Cadillac Fleetwood]]
File:1989-93 Cadillac DeVille.jpg|1991 [[Cadillac DeVille]]
File:1992-1994_Cadillac_Seville.jpg|1992 [[Cadillac Seville]]
File:93-96_Cadillac_Fleetwood.jpg|1993 Cadillac Fleetwood
File:1994 Cadillac DeVille (01).jpg|1994 Cadillac DeVille
File:1995_Cadillac_Eldorado_-_Biarritz_chrome_trim_and_vinyl_roof.jpg|1995 [[Cadillac Eldorado]]
File:97-99_Cadillac_Catera_.jpg|1997 [[Cadillac Catera]]
File:97-99_Cadillac_DeVille.jpg|1997 Cadillac DeVille
1st-Cadillac-Escalade.jpg|1999 [[Cadillac Escalade]]
</gallery>

===The "Art and Science" era: 2000–present===
[[File:3WayCadillac2.jpg|thumb|Cadillac dealership in [[Bakersfield, California|Bakersfield, CA]] in 2006]]

In 2000, Cadillac introduced a new design philosophy for the 21st century called "Art and Science",<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/12/business/media-business-advertising-cadillac-redesigning-its-image-before-its-retooled.html|title=The Media Business: Advertising; Cadillac is redesigning its image before its retooled cars appear.|access-date=June 28, 2010|author=Robyn Meredith|work=The New York Times |date=November 12, 1999}}</ref> which it states "incorporates sharp, sheer forms and crisp edges—a form vocabulary that expresses bold, high-technology design and invokes the technology used to design it." This new design language spread from the original CTS and to the [[Cadillac XLR]] roadster. Cadillac's model lineup mostly included rear- and all-wheel-drive sedans, roadsters, crossovers and SUVs. The only exceptions were the front-wheel drive [[compact executive car|compact executive]] [[Cadillac BLS]] (which was not sold in North America)<ref name="Car And Driver Article on Cadillac BLS Debut">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/car_shopping/entry_luxury/2006_cadillac_bls_car_news |title=2006 Cadillac BLS—Car News |magazine=Car and Driver |access-date=June 9, 2010}}</ref> and the [[Cadillac DTS]], neither of which is still in production. The Cadillac BLS was developed by [[Saab Automobile|Saab]] in [[Trollhättan Assembly|Trollhättan]], Sweden. The BLS was a [[badge engineering|rebadged]] variant of the [[Saab 9-3]] and was offered in both [[Sedan (automobile)|sedan]] and [[station wagon]] configurations. In 2005, the Cadillac STS was introduced as the successor to the [[Cadillac Seville]],<ref name="newbury2006">{{cite book|last=Newbury|first=Stephan|title=The car design yearbook 4|year=2006|publisher=Merrell|isbn=1-85894-286-1}}</ref> which beginning in 1988 was available as an upscale performance-oriented ''STS'' (for Seville touring sedan) version, and comfort-oriented ''SLS'' (for Seville luxury sedan). The following year, STS received Cadillac's then-new [[Northstar engine series|Northstar System]], including the aluminium [[DOHC]] [[Northstar engine series#L37|''L37'' Northstar]] [[V8 engine]].

The STS was Cadillac's highest-priced sedan, falling in size between the [[mid-size]] [[Cadillac CTS|CTS]] and full-size [[Cadillac DTS|DTS]]. In 2006, the DeVille nameplate was replaced by [[Cadillac DTS]], an [[acronym|abbreviation]] dating back to 1986, when a "DeVille Touring Sedan" package was first available. The new name brought the DeVille into line with Cadillac's Art and Science-era nomenclature, which saw the Seville renamed the [[Cadillac STS|STS]] and the [[Cadillac Catera|Catera]] replacement called the [[Cadillac CTS|CTS]]. The last DeVille rolled off the [[Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly]] line on June 23, 2005.

The new second-generation CTS-V performance sedan was introduced in 2009 as a direct competitor to the BMW M5.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/comparison/2009-cadillac-cts-v-vs.-2008-bmw-m5-smg|title=2009 Cadillac CTS-V vs. 2008 BMW M5 SMG|work=Road & Track|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809050638/http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/comparison/2009-cadillac-cts-v-vs.-2008-bmw-m5-smg|archive-date=August 9, 2011}}</ref> Powered by a [[supercharger|supercharged]] [[Overhead valve engine|OHV]] 6.2 L LSA V8 engine, an automatic version of the CTS-V lapped the [[Nürburgring]] in 7:59.32, at the time a record for production sedans.<ref name="worldcarfans.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.worldcarfans.com/10805091340/cadillac-cts-v-blisters-the-ring-in-under-8-minutes|title=Cadillac CTS-V Blisters the Ring in Under 8 Minutes|access-date=June 28, 2010|work=worldcarfans.com|archive-date=December 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228185343/http://www.worldcarfans.com/10805091340/cadillac-cts-v-blisters-the-ring-in-under-8-minutes|url-status=dead}}</ref> The last DTS rolled off the assembly line at 11:51&nbsp;a.m. on May 27, 2011.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ganz |first=Andrew |url=http://www.leftlanenews.com/last-cadillac-dts-rolls-off-line-and-into-bulgari-collection.html |title=Last Cadillac DTS rolls off line&nbsp;... and into Bulgari Collection |publisher=Left Lane |date=May 27, 2011 |access-date=January 6, 2012 |archive-date=June 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620101619/https://www.leftlanenews.com/last-cadillac-dts-rolls-off-line-and-into-bulgari-collection.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was replaced by the [[Cadillac XTS]] which debuted in 2012 as a 2013 model. The [[Cadillac ATS]] compact sedan also debuted in 2012 as a 2013 model and a coupe version of the ATS was added two years later.

In 2016, the [[Cadillac CT6]] was introduced and was the brand's first full-size rear-wheel-drive sedan since the discontinuation of the Fleetwood in 1996. In early 2017, Cadillac launched Book By Cadillac, a [[vehicle subscription]] service which was initially available in New York City. In November 2017, it was announced that Book by Cadillac would be expanding to [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex|Dallas]] and Los Angeles.

The Cadillac XT6, a new seven-seat [[Luxury vehicle|luxury]] [[mid-size]] [[crossover SUV]], was introduced on January 12, 2019, at the [[North American International Auto Show]].<ref>[https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1118823_3-row-cadillac-crossover-to-debut-at-2019-detroit-auto-show/ "2020 Cadillac XT6 3-row crossover debuting in Detroit"] from Motor Authority (January 2019)</ref> It went on sale in the third quarter of 2019 as a 2020 model.<ref>[http://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/01/2020-cadillac-xt6-debuts-with-three-rows-bold-styling-refined-luxury/ "2020 Cadillac XT6 Debuts With Three Rows, Bold Styling, Refined Luxury"] from GM Authority (January 12, 2019)</ref> Other additions to the Cadillac lineup for the 2020 model year included the [[Cadillac CT5|CT5]] mid-size luxury sedan, replacing the CTS, and the [[Cadillac CT4|CT4]] compact sedan which replaced the ATS. Performance "V" versions of the CT4 and CT5 were also added for 2020.

<gallery>
File:Cadillac Deville -- 10-30-2009.jpg|2000 [[Cadillac DeVille]]
File:Cadillac SRX.jpg|2005 [[Cadillac SRX]]
File:Cadillac BLS front.JPG|2006 [[Cadillac BLS]]
File:Cadillac XLR 2006.jpg|2006 [[Cadillac XLR]]
File:06-07 Cadillac DTS.jpg|2007 [[Cadillac DTS]]
File:Cadillac CTS front.JPG|2008 [[Cadillac CTS]]
File:Cadillac CTS-V 1 -- 08-25-2009.jpg|2009 [[Cadillac CTS-V]]
File:2010 Cadillac SRX -- 10-30-2009.jpg|2010 [[Cadillac SRX]]
File:3rd Cadillac Escalade -- 08-16-2010.jpg|2010 [[Cadillac Escalade]]
File:Cadillac ATS in Red at NAIAS 2012.jpg|2013 [[Cadillac ATS]]
File:Cadillac XTS 01 China 2014-04-14.jpg|2013 [[Cadillac XTS]]
File:'14 Cadillac CTS Sedan.jpg|2014 [[Cadillac CTS]]
File:2014 Cadillac ELR trimmed.jpg|2014 [[Cadillac ELR]]
File:Cadillac ATS-L China 2016-04-04.jpg|2015 [[Cadillac ATS#ATS-L|Cadillac ATS-L]] (China)
File:SLY 5735 (15649834087).jpg|2016 [[Cadillac ATS-V]]
File:2015-03-03 Geneva Motor Show 5826.JPG|2016 [[Cadillac CTS-V]]
</gallery>