Car Badge of the Month Cadillac

by George Holliday

Founding of Cadillac

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 22 August 1902, re-purposing 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.

The Badge

The Cadillac wreath and crest was inspired by the coat of arms of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, a French adventurer and founder of Detroit. The original Cadillac logo has been redesigned more than 30 times over the past 100 years (the most prominent 14 changes as above). First used on Cadillac cars in 1905 and registered as a trademark the following year, the coat of arms symbolizes pioneering and leadership in the automotive industry. The Coronet, symbolizes the six ancient courts of France.

The Cadillac logo contains a wide range of colours including black, red, grey, yellow, sliver and blue. Every colour has its own special meaning. They symbolize creativity, excellence, passion, grandeur and business responsibility established by the automaker.

While a distinct aspect of the old logo, Cadillac does point out that its crest has changed several times over the years, and the wreath hasn’t always been part of it. Instead, the new crest is “sleeker and streamlined,” designed to best represent the brand’s long-running Art & Science design philosophy. The Cadillac Badge is a symbol of American Luxury engineering in the world of automobiles, it symbolises luxury motoring and innovative engineering and is one of the best known and loved badges on cars of old and the marques latest current models.

By George

Taupo Auto & Marine Trimmers 16 Manuka Street 07-378 6969

grant@taupoautomarine.co.nz www.taupoautomarine.co.nz

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Our fully equipped modern workshop facility offers a reliable, accurate and affordable solution to all your reconditioning and machining needs. Includes high performance race/street, general automotive, motorcycle, marine, light and heavy diesel and industrial. We offer extremely quick turn around times and can pick-up or deliver if required Brian Henson / Scott Murray 19 Matai Street Ph; 3773570 Fax; 07 3773572 Email; Engines@hmltd.co.nz