In 1903, Henry M. Leland began selling a $750, single-cylinder, automobile under the name Cadillac. Later touted as the “Standard of the World,” Cadillac would soon become consolidated under the General Motors banner in 1909.
Over the ensuing years, the Cadillac brand would come to be known as a status symbol of wealth, with the production of road-going luxury cars that featured such refinements as V12 and even V16 engines, “no draft ventilation,” smooth-shifting synchromesh gearboxes and vacuum-assisted brakes.
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