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 tailfins, wraparound windshields, and extensive use of chrome. Tailfins were first added in 1948 and reached their pinnacle in 1959. From 1960 to 1964 they decreased each year until they disappeared in the 1965 model year (remaining vestigially 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 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" 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. On November 25, 1949, Cadillac produced its one-millionth car, a 1950 Coupe de Ville. It also set a new sales mark of 100,000 cars, matched in 1950 and 1951. 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 and Vietnam wars.

In 1953, the "Autronic Eye" was introduced. This feature would automatically dim high-beam headlamps for the safety of oncoming motorists. In 1957, Cadillac attempted to move further upmarket, creating the hand-built Series 70 Eldorado Brougham. 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. While the car showed Cadillac's technological prowess, it sold only 904 units.

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 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), an increase of more than 60%. This was exceeded in 1968, when Cadillac topped 200,000 units for the first time. 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 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 and Imperial, which had division sales topping all of Chrysler for the first time in 1970. The new 472 cu in (7.7 L) engine that debuted in the 1968 model year, designed for an ultimate capacity potential of 600 cu in (9.8 L), was increased to 500 cu in (8.2 L) for the 1970 Eldorado. It was adopted across the model range beginning in 1975. Driver and front passenger airbags ("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 pillarless 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 Fleetwood was some 1.7 in (43 mm) longer in wheelbase and 4 in (100 mm) overall, compared to the 1960 Series 75 Fleetwood; the entry-level 1972 Calais was 2.4 in (61.0 mm) longer than the equivalent 1960 Series 62, on the same wheelbase. 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".

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  1967–70 Cadillac Eldorado
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  1968 Cadillac DeVille
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  1972 Cadillac DeVille
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  1976 Cadillac DeVille
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  1976 Cadillac Eldorado
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  1976 Cadillac Seville

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In 1977, Cadillac's D-bodies experienced the same "downsizing" as the rest of GM's "B" and "C" bodied cars. In 1977, 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 DeVille. Both Fleetwood and DeVille models were powered by the 425 cu in (7.0 L) V8s. This engine was basically a de-bored version of the 472/500 (7.9 L/8.2 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 V8 (which produced 190 horsepower) was replaced for 1977 by a 180-horsepower 425 in 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 15 horsepower (11 kW), 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 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; it is routinely cited as the nadir of GM's product planning. Automotive 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." He added that the Cimarron "nearly killed Cadillac and remains its biggest shame".

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 ... It's A Cadillac", which was used until 1986.

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 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 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.

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  1978 Cadillac DeVille
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  1980 Cadillac Seville
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  1984 Cadillac DeVille
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  1984 Cadillac Eldorado
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  1987 Cadillac DeVille
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  1988 Cadillac Allanté
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  1988 Cadillac Brougham
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  1988 Cadillac Cimarron
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  1988 Cadillac Seville

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 brakes 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. It also made Car and Driver magazine's 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 K-body platform with the 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 Catera mid-size sedan was introduced as Cadillac's new entry-level model. The Catera was a rebadged variant of the 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 Escalade, introduced in 1999, was marketed to compete with the Lincoln Navigator and luxury SUVs from various import brands.

• 
  1989 Cadillac Fleetwood
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  1991 Cadillac DeVille
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  1992 Cadillac Seville
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  1993 Cadillac Fleetwood
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  1994 Cadillac DeVille
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  1995 Cadillac Eldorado
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  1997 Cadillac Catera
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  1997 Cadillac DeVille
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  1999 Cadillac Escalade

In 2000, Cadillac introduced a new design philosophy for the 21st century called "Art and Science", 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 Cadillac BLS (which was not sold in North America) and the Cadillac DTS, neither of which is still in production. The Cadillac BLS was developed by Saab in Trollhättan, Sweden. The BLS was a rebadged variant of the Saab 9-3 and was offered in both sedan and station wagon configurations. In 2005, the Cadillac STS was introduced as the successor to the Cadillac Seville, 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 System, including the aluminium DOHC L37 Northstar V8 engine.

The STS was Cadillac's highest-priced sedan, falling in size between the mid-size CTS and full-size DTS. In 2006, the DeVille nameplate was replaced by Cadillac DTS, an 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 STS and the Catera replacement called the 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. Powered by a supercharged 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. The last DTS rolled off the assembly line at 11:51 a.m. on May 27, 2011. 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 and Los Angeles.

The Cadillac XT6, a new seven-seat luxury mid-size crossover SUV, was introduced on January 12, 2019, at the North American International Auto Show. It went on sale in the third quarter of 2019 as a 2020 model. Other additions to the Cadillac lineup for the 2020 model year included the CT5 mid-size luxury sedan, replacing the CTS, and the CT4 compact sedan which replaced the ATS. Performance "V" versions of the CT4 and CT5 were also added for 2020.

• 
  2000 Cadillac DeVille
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  2005 Cadillac SRX
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  2006 Cadillac BLS
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  2006 Cadillac XLR
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  2007 Cadillac DTS
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  2008 Cadillac CTS
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  2009 Cadillac CTS-V
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  2010 Cadillac SRX
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  2010 Cadillac Escalade
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  2013 Cadillac ATS
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  2013 Cadillac XTS
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  2014 Cadillac CTS
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  2014 Cadillac ELR
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  2015 Cadillac ATS-L (China)
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  2016 Cadillac ATS-V
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  2016 Cadillac CTS-V

Current

• 1999–present Escalade
  • 1999–present Escalade
  • 2003–present Escalade ESV
• 2016–present CT6
• 2017–present XT5
• 2019–present XT4
• 2020–present CT4
  • 2020–present CT4
  • 2020–present CT4-V
• 2020–present CT5
  • 2020–present CT5
  • 2020–present CT5-V
• 2020–present XT6
• 2023–present Lyriq
• 2023–present GT4
• 2023–present Optiq

Upcoming

• 2024– Celestiq
• 2025– Escalade IQ
• 2026– Vistiq

• 
  Cadillac CT4
• 
  Cadillac CT5
• 
  Cadillac CT6
• 
  Cadillac Escalade
• 
  Cadillac Escalade ESV
• 
  Cadillac Lyriq
• 
  Cadillac Optiq
• 
  Cadillac GT4
• 
  Cadillac XT4
• 
  Cadillac XT5
• 
  Cadillac XT6

• Lansing Grand River Assembly, Michigan, U.S.
  • Cadillac CT4, Cadillac CT5
• Arlington Assembly, Texas, U.S.
  • Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV
• Fairfax Assembly, Kansas, U.S.
  • Cadillac XT4
• Spring Hill Manufacturing, Tennessee, U.S.
  • Cadillac Lyriq, Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6
• Shanghai GM, China
  • Cadillac CT4, Cadillac CT5, Cadillac CT6, Cadillac Lyriq, Cadillac XT4, Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6

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  1906
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  1907
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  Syracuse Herald, 30 September 1917
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  Syracuse Herald, 30 September 1917
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  1930
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  1954
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  1956
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  1965

Cadillac has won the Motor Trend Car of the Year award five times:

1949 Cadillac Motor Division—for innovations in overhead valve V8 engine design

1952 Cadillac Motor Division

1992 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan

2008 Cadillac CTS

2014 Cadillac CTS

Before the outbreak of World War II, Cadillac (like most manufacturers) participated in various motorsports. Many Allard automobiles used Cadillac engines.

In the 1950s, Cadillac (like all American manufacturers at the time) participated in the NASCAR Grand National Series. The brand disappeared from the series by the 1960s.

Cadillac powered the Cadillac Northstar LMP a Le Mans Prototype in the early years of the American Le Mans Series from 2000 to 2002. When the prototype proved unsuccessful, Cadillac withdrew from the series. Cadillac's most successful venture into motorsports in recent years has been its use of the CTS-V in the SCCA World Challenge Grand Touring class. Cadillac returned to prototype racing in 2017 with the Cadillac DPi-V.R in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with considerable success.

In 2023, Cadillac entered its Cadillac V-Series.R into the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship. An official manufacturer entry was entered with Chip Ganassi Racing in both FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship as full season entries. They also provided customer cars to Action Express Racing. It will also enter in 2024.

On January 5, 2023, Cadillac's parent company General Motors announced their intention to enter the Cadillac brand into the Formula One World Championship in conjunction with Andretti Global. Cadillac planned to produce a Formula 1 engine for Andretti for the 2028 season. However, on January 31, 2024, the Andretti F1 team was denied entry for 2025/2026 entry by F1 after being approved by the FIA in July 2023. F1 has still not ruled out letting Andretti and Cadillac enter in 2028, assuming Cadillac's engine is ready.

• Bonsall, Thomas E. (2004). The Cadillac Story: The Postwar Years. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-4942-8.
• Davies, Alex (January 14, 2014). "Cadillac Has Changed the Logo on All Its Cars". Business Insider. Retrieved January 10, 2022. An image gives the history of the marque's logo.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Cadillac.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cadillac vehicles.

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