Cadillac was formed from the remnants of the Henry Ford Company after Henry Ford left his company due to a conflict with his investors. Ford’s investors William Murphy and Lemuel Bowen hired engineer Henry M. Leland, and they began manufacturing automobiles using Leland’s proven single-cylinder engine. From there, Cadillac Automobile Company was established on August 22, 1902. Cadillac’s first cars were the Runabout and Tonneau, two-seat horseless carriages, which were completed in October 1902. Cadillac displayed the new vehicles at the New York Auto Show in January 1903, gathering 2,000 firm orders. 

Cadillac cars were often ranked number one in the United States because of their precise engineering and stylish luxury finishes. In 1909, Cadillac was purchased by General Motors (GM) conglomerate and began producing large luxury vehicles such as limousines and ambulances. The iconic Cadillac tailfins were added in 1948 and reached their peak in 1959. In 1963, Cadillac introduced seatbelts in the first row of their vehicles, which led to the eventual passing of a federal law that made this a requirement for all vehicles. In 1964, Cadillac came out with the first car that had an automatic air conditioning and heating system. By 1981, this system was implemented in all Cadillac cars. In 1990, Cadillac won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and, two years later, their Seville Touring Sedan became known as the “Cadillac of the Year.” To this day, Cadillacs still stand out on the roads of Escondido, CA, San Marcos, CA, Hidden Meadows, CA, Oceanside, CA, Rancho Bernardo, CA, and beyond.