Cadillac, an American luxury vehicle owned by General Motors, is the second oldest American automobile manufacturer. Cadillac was founded in 1902 by Henry Leland. The brand later fell into the hands of General Motors in 1909.
Within six years of its inception, Cadillac established itself as America’s premier luxury car. It also brought in certain technological advances like full electrical systems, clash-less manual transmissions, and steel roofs. In 1908, General Motors launched the Model 30, named for its 30 horsepower engine, and continued its show on the roads through 1914.
A tragic accident that occurred in 1910 caused the Model 30 to make its greatest contribution to the automotive world. The accident, in which a female motorist lost her friend while cranking her car, eventually resulted in Charles F. Kettering developing an electrical starter. The 1912 Model was the first car to have electric starting and lighting, popularly known as the ‘Delco’ system. It was delivered at a cost of $1,890.
The electric starter, known as a ‘World Wonder’, revolutionized the automotive industry, attracting more female motorists to take to the wheel, with the ease of starting up and driving away without the complicated crank start.
By then, this classic brand had laid the foundation for the modern mass production of automobiles by featuring complete interchangeability of its precision parts. Cadillac was also awarded the honor of being the recipient of the Dewar Trophy, from the Royal Automobile Club of England, on two separate occasions, once in 1908 and again in 1913.
Interestingly, the greatly hyped vintage car, the 1912 Cadillac, ranked number two on the list of “Top Ten Production Vehicles” released by General Motors, while celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2008. Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 says that ‘model year production for the 1912 Cadillac was 13,995 cars’
A 1913 Cadillac Model 30 Auction sale reports the average sale value based on two auctions as $68,750, with lowest value at $55,000 and the highest bid at $82,500.
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Sources:
http://chippewa.com/dunnconnect/news/local/history/cadillac-model-the-start-of-a-revolution/article_44938ee8-7dc3-11e1-a9f6-001a4bcf887a.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac
http://www.classicpromenade.com/inventory/1912-cadillac-model-30-ca-since-new-last-owner-40-years-fully-restored-barn-find/
http://www.popularrestorations.com/Restorations/Restoration019.htm
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/default.aspx?carID=7172&i=8
About the Author
Drew Yagodnik is Vice President of Classic Automobile Insurance Agency, Inc. Classic Automobile Insurance Agency has been protecting collector, classic and exotics since 1992.
