American Auto Emblems: CADILLAC

Cadillac Automobile Co. (1903-1905)

Cadillac Motor Car Co. (1905-1917)

Cadillac Motor Car Co. Div. General Motors Corp. (1917-present)

Detroit, Michigan

This emblem shows the basic Cadillac shield used on Cadillac auto emblems mjs
(This large rare emblem was used on the room doors at the Cadillac Hotel in Detroit)
Size: 135mm high 112mm wide MM: None

The Cadillac Automobile Company was set up in 1902 by Leland and Faulconer, who had a successful company for the design and manufacture of engines but who also decided to build an automobile. The Cadillac was named after Le Sieur Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the French explorer who had discovered Detroit.

The first Cadillac car, the Model A, was completed in October 1902 and was given a test drive by Alanson P. Brush, the Leland and Faulconer engineer, who later built the Brush Runabout. The Model A Cadillac was shown in January 1903 at the New York Automobile Show, where company sales manager William E. Metzger took orders for 2,286 cars. The Model A was a most attractive and refined automobile, and was also beautifully made.

In 1905 the Cadillac automobile and Leyland and Faulconer engine businesses were merged into the Cadillac Motor Car Company. In 1908, three single-cylinder Cadillac cars were taken to Brooklands in the UK, completely dismantled, their parts mixed together and then reassembled, following which the cars were successfully run on the Brooklands race track. This demonstration of precision engineering won Cadillac the Dewar Trophy for 1908, following which Cadillac used the slogan "Standard of the World". The Cadillac car continued to be developed and in 1909 the company was bought by William Durant's General Motors Corporation. In 1912 Cadillac introduced self-starters and electric lights. In September 1914 the company introduced the new Cadillac V-8, which became an engine of supreme sophistication that was to be the hallmark of Cadillac for many years to come.

Leyland left Cadillac in 1917 to set up the Lincoln Motor Company and Cadillac became a Division of General Motors. The Cadillac was a high priced quality automobile and in 1927, when Cadillac sales reached 47,000 units, a less expensive companion make, La Salle, appeared (see La Salle). Cadillac introduced its more powerful V-12 and V-16 engines in 1930. Cadillac suffered in the Depression but managed to survive and continued as a quality motor car though the 1930's.

After World War II Cadillac grew in quality and technical development and became internationally recognised as a symbol of wealth. Sales grew from 66,000 in 1941 to 103,857 in 1950 and to over 200,000 by 1968. Cadillac continues today (in 2016) to be America's leading automobile in the top-price range and is the premier Division of General Motors.

Emblems

The first Cadillac Model A cars in late 1902 had a painted decal of the Cadillac crest on the side of the body. The Cadillac crest was based on the family coat of arms of Le Sieur Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac . There was also a metal Cadillac Automobile Company monogram mounted in the rear tonneau step and a Cadillac sill plate under the rear door.

This is a Cadillac shield decal displayed on the side panel of a Model A Cadillac (1902-1904) nmm

This is a very rare Cadillac Model A step plate showing the company monogram (1903-1904) mjs

The Cadillac name was also displayed on the hub caps and on serial plates on the dash. Examples of early Cadillac hub cap emblems are shown below:

This is a rare nine point crown Cadillac hub emblem (c1903-1905) mjs
Size: 40mm diameter MM: None

This is a rare eight point crown Cadillac Model E hub emblem (1905) rcc
Size: 46mm diameter

This is a scarce seven point crown Cadillac hub emblem (1906-1908) mjs
Size: 46mm diameter

Brass radiator scripts were not usually offered by Cadillac but were sometimes available as optional extras. The first radiator scripts appeared on Cadillac cars in 1906 and there were several versions of the script over the years, see example below:

This is a Cadillac radiator script (c1906) gcm

The Cadillac script was also used on early Cadllac nameplates and serial plates, see examples shown below:

This is a Cadillac nameplate showing the Cadillac script (1905) ms

This is a Cadillac serial plate showing the Cadillac script (1908) mjs

In 1908, the Cadillac hub emblem had a nine pointed crown and was inscribed with the slogan "Standard of the World" for the first time, see below. This emblem was used for a year and is scarce.

This is a scarce nine point crown Cadillac hub emblem (1908) mjs
Size: 50mm diameter MM: None

In 1909, the “Standard of the World” hub emblem was changed to a seven point crown and was also used as the first Cadillac radiator emblem but for 1909 only.

This is a Cadillac Thirty ad showing the first radiator emblem (1909) ms

The 1909 Cadillac seven point crown radiator emblem is not rare as it was used as the hub emblem from 1909 to 1913. However, I do not have a photo of this emblem. If you have a photo, please send me a copy in order to update this post.

In 1914 the hub cap emblem used an eighteen point crown. This emblem is rare, see example below:

This is a Cadillac hub with an eighteen point emblem (c1914) ms

This is a rare eighteen point Cadillac hub emblem (1914) ms
Size: 50mm diameter MM: Unknown

It is reported that, after 1909, Cadillac did not use a radiator emblem again until 1916.

However, the Cadillac shield emblem shown below, with the swans in white with long necks, was used on the 1915 Cadillac V-8. This emblem is very rare.

This is a rare early Cadillac shield emblem (1915) mjs
Size: 57mm high 48mm wide MM: Whitehead & Hoag

In 1915 also, an entirely new “V-8” emblem was introduced on the hub caps, see examples below:

This is a Cadillac V8 hub emblem (1915) rcc

This is a Cadillac V8 wire wheel hub emblem (1915) rcc
Size: 70mm diameter

From 1916, Cadillac used the following radiator emblems:

This is a three piece Cadillac radiator emblem (c1916-1919) mjs
Size: 54mm diameter MM: Unknown

This is a two piece Cadillac radiator emblem (1920-1925) mjs
Size: 54mm diameter MM: Unknown

This is a one piece Cadillac radiator emblem (1926) ms
Size: Unknown MM: Unknown

This is a V-8 Cadillac radiator bar emblem (1929) mjs
Size: 110mm high 70mm wide

This is a very small Cadillac headlight emblem (c1930) mjs
Size: 25mm diameter MM: Unknown

This is a V-8 radiator emblem (1930) mjs
Size: 55mm diameter MM: D L Auld

This is a Cadillac V-12 radiator emblem (1930) mjs
Size: 55mm diameter MM: D L Auld

This is a Cadillac V-16 radiator emblem (1930-1931) mjs
Size: 55mm diameter MM: D L Auld

This is a Cadillac radiator emblem (1931) ms
Size: 55mm diameter MM: Unknown

This ia a Cadillac V-8 radiator emblem (1931) mjs
Size: 55mm diameter MM: D L Auld

This is Cadillac V-12 radiator emblem (1931-1932) mjs
Size: 55mm diameter MM: D L Auld

This is a Cadillac V-8 radiator bar emblem (1931) mjs
Size: 122mm high 86mm wide MM: None

This is a Cadillac V-12 radiator bar emblem (1930) mjs
Size: 122mm high 86mm wide MM: None

This is a Cadillac V-16 radiator bar emblem (1930) mjs
Size: 122mm high 86mm wide MM: None

This is a Cadillac V-12 emblem (c1930) mjs
Size: 55mm diameter MM: D L Auld

This is a Cadillac V-16 hub emblem (c1930) mjs
Size: 70mm diameter MM: D L Auld

This is a Cadillac V-16 emblem (c1930) sam
Size: 140mm wide 64mm high MM: Unknown

This is a Cadillac V-8 radiator emblem (1932) mjs
Size: 125mm wide 48mm high MM: None

This is a Cadillac V-12 radiator emblem (1932) mjs
Size: 125mm wide 48mm high MM: None

This is a Cadillac V-16 radiator emblem (1932) ms
Size: 125mm wide 48mm high MM: Unknown

This is a Cadillac radiator emblem (1933) ms
Size: Unknown MM: Unknown

This is a Cadillac radiator grille emblem (1933) ms
Size: Unknown MM: Unknown

This is a Cadillac radiator emblem (1935) ms
Size: Unknown MM: Unknown

This is a V-8 hood side emblem (1935) gcm
Size: Unknown MM: Unknown

This is a Cadillac V-12 hood side emblem (1935) mjs
Size: 120mm high 52mm wide

This is a Cadillac V-8 radiator grille emblem (c1935) mjs
Size: 110mm high 53mm wide

This is a Cadillac V-8 radiator emblem (1936) mjs
Size: 88mm high 43mm wide MM: Unknown

This is a Cadillac V-8 hood side emblem (c1936) mjs
Size: 94mm high 53mm wide

This is a cadillac V-8 hood side emblem (c1936) mjs
Size: 120mm high 52mm wide

This is a Cadillac radiator grille emblem (1937) ms
Size: Unknown MM: Unknown

This is a Cadillac radiator emblem (1938) ms
Size: Unknown MM: Unknown

This is a Cadillac V-16 emblem (c1938) mjs
Size: 93mm high 56mm wide MM: D L Auld

This is a Cadillac radiator emblem (1939) ms
Size: Unknown MM: Unknown

This is Cadillac trunk emblem (1939) mjs
Size: 130mm high 83mm wide MM: D L Auld

This is a Cadillac radiator emblem (1940) ms
Size: Unknown MM: Unknown

This is a Cadillac radiator emblem (1941-1942) ms
Size: 175mm high 90mm wide MM: Unknown

This is a Cadillac trunk emblem (1941) ms
Size: Unknown MM: Unknown

From about 1946, Cadillac hood emblems were placed within a "V" shaped frame, see example below:

This is a Cadillac hood emblem and "V" frame (1946) ms
Size: Unknown MM: Unknown

This is a Cadillac hood emblem (1947) mjs
Size: 95mm high 77mm wide MM: Unknown

This is the complete Cadillac hood emblem and "V" frame (1947) ms
Size: Emblem 95mm high 77mm wide MM: Unknown

This is a Cadillac trunk emblem (1947) mjs
Size: 305mm wide 66mm high MM: Rex

This is a Cadillac hood emblem and "V" frame (1949) ms
Size: Unknown MM: Unknown

This is a Cadillac hood emblem inside "V" frame (1950) ms
Size: Unknown MM: Unknown

In the early 1930’s, some Cadillac dealers offered specially made and beautifully designed radiator emblems to their customers. Some examples of these extremely rare emblems are shown below: