These 16 automotive technologies showcase Cadillac's pioneering spirit | Hagerty Media

[Hagerty]

With the Lyriq, Cadillac's first EV and the herald of an all-electric lineup, GM is once again trying to restore the reputation of its luxury brand. GM has struggled to revitalize Cadillac for the last two decades, and, amid the hype of an electric revolution, it's easy to overlook the innovations Cadillac has already brought to the auto industry.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/these-16-automotive-technologies-showcase-cadillacs...

[dooscoop32]

I have to question Cadillac being the first with a car alarm in 1973?? I owned a '69 427 Corvette that had a factory alarm on it. It was a $26.35 option and it first appeared on Corvettes in '68.

[warrene]

First Caddie I owned was a '53, was nothing but trouble, I bought a used Ford instead. I owned 3 Caddies in all, the last an '81 with the V8, I bought it used, put in new sleeves and all bearings, it cost $700 to replace the water pump, later begin to overheat, I finally gave it to a neighbor just to get rid of it, watching it disappear in my rearview was the happiest day of my life, ... NEVER again. I've since owned an '02 Town Car for many years, best car I EVER owned, made when Lincoln was Lincoln and made in the only Lincoln factory, Edsel would have been very proud to see what he brought the car buying public, cars that last and keep on going, a fantastic automobile, many with over 400K and still running like new, the best kept secret around.

[TG]

I had a 79 Coupe deVille that had (2)90,000 miles on the odo when i finally sent it to the boneyard. Every line of cars has it's bad years

[shoulderboards]

Kudos to Cadillac for bringing out the V8-6-4 motor, the Seville “bustle-back” sedan,
the Cimmaron, the 150hp Fleetwood Brougham and the CT6 Blackwood only to cancel the widely-hearalded car but a few short months later. Cadillac has a history of shoot itself in the foot along with the advances mentioned in the story.

[turbobill]

"Shooting itself in the foot" has been a GM trademark for a long time!

[mwmyers91]

With fuel injection and compters the 8-6-4 would probably be very efficient in todays market

[TG]

It had both... but the processing speeds weren't what they are today

[Murrow]

I believe it was the 2002 DEVILLE, not SEVILLE, that debuted LED taillights. I believe that generation Deville also debuted night vision.

[Murrow]

Oops — I meant 2000, not 2002.

[JackVan]

electric starter?

[JackVan]

My mistake. Just started with the list. Kettering did a few other things that were firsts with Caddies, where are they?

[Maestro1]

Some of the innovations are wonderful, like the synchro transmission. Others are merely self indulgent and don't add anything to the inherent qualities of the vehicle. General Motors was fixated on selling cars, and they succeeded brilliantly. The text of the Ad someone posted so generously is
arrogant and presumptuous. Further on, the Company made some stupid mistakes, and being bailed
out of bankruptcy being among them. The motivation was not to save the Company; it was to rescue 240,000 workers (read VOTERS). The Company following has been bland and unworthy of its past.
And I haven't had my coffee yet.

[MrBill-1943]

I would settle for a Cadillac with style not todays aerodynamic every car looks the same one tone paint no chrome excuse for a Caddy and almost any other car. I know that time has passed but just think what designers could do if they did not have to worry about EPA or MPG? Just look at what the custom shops can do, now that’s a car I would buy. Any time they present a concept car I hope it just might make it to production but so far none have…where is the Tucker when you need one, now that was innovation all in one year and one model.

[TonyT]

As others have pointed out, Corvette offered a factory alarm in 1968. The IMSA race team I was a part of in 1986 was chosen to help develop the Delco CCR 1000 adaptive and driver-adjustable dampers that, in the prototype system that was on our race car, could raise and lower the ride height by over six inches. During one practice pit stop, our driver (who shall remain nameless) forgot to turn the system off as he approached the box. When the air jack probe was inserted, the car came up as it was supposed to but all four wheels stayed firmly attached to the surface. Ooops. Lesson learned. The system could also be programmed to react quite swiftly to cornering forces and allowed our team to set a record lap time at Sears Point raceway. And then there was the time we employed a... Sorry. Still can't divulge some things!

[chrlsful]

just the syncro plez, double clutch or force/correct revs isa pain. Heck gimmie the auto transmis. Ahma us.a-er & use the car like a house (living rm, dinning rm, etc).

[BMD4800]

Big Risk can bring big reward, or Big Failure.

The Cimarron
The Caddy that Zigs
4100/4500/4900 and the Northstar.
World class paper designs that were kind of garbage. The series II 3800 was vastly superior to the port injected caddy V8s and the LT1 350 made the Northstar an expensive showcase of engineering.

Cadillac was so worried about the Hydramatic that they had it sold first in Oldsmobiles.

All Caddies went to front-drive and V8s, then Rear Drive returned, now we have a hodgepodge of badge engineering and SUVs. Meh...

[TG]

No multipoint electronic fuel injection in 1975? maybe not a first but probably a first for America

[Gary]

Every manufacturer has had screw-ups. It’s how they handle the problems that makes the difference

[edddurst-gmail]

Lots of great innovations and a couple "not so great". I think one of the biggest mistakes was the introduction of "driving lights". There are so many ignorant people out there driving down the road with only "driving lights" that don't realize that there is not light one on the back of their vehicle. "Well, I can see ahead of me, so everything must be just "Jim Dandy" for everyone else.