History of Cadillac Cars

The 1959 Cadillac was the brainchild of Designer Harley Earl, who drew on the inspiration of American space travel and rockets for his design. The 59 Cadillac was the pinnacle of the American auto design excess. With tail fins that rose a full 42 inches off the ground, rocket flare tail lights, quad headlights and massive chrome bumpers, a body length of over 20 ft, this was the ultimate Cadillac for grabbing attention. The ’59’s outrageous fins are accentuated by its very low profile, which is 3 inches lower that the ‘58 model’s already low profile.

Harley Earl was directly responsible for the design of 50 million vehicles and completely changed the face of the American automobile in the 1950’s. No single man has had such an impact on the shape of American auto design and no one man has been guilty of so many design excesses. Included in his space-themed design were other images such as chrome denture like grilles, dashboards that looked like they belonged to jet fighters with dozens of switches and controls, bumpers protrusions known as “Dagmars”, hood ornaments which looked like missile launchers.

The 1959 Cadillac is an American icon. You will see this year model displayed in many 50’s styled diners and restaurants. Hard Rock cafe always has either a 1959 or 1960 Cadillac displayed in their restaurants. The 59 also starred in many films, like in the Clint Eastwood movie “Pink Cadillac”. The 59 Cadillac was a monument to American optimism in the 1950’s; it was in fact the “American Dream”. Who wouldn’t love to drive one of these today? Today you will be hard pressed to find a restored 59 convertible for less that $70,000 with many of them selling for well over 100K.

Some of the features of the 59 Series 62 Cadillac included power brakes, power steering, automatic transmission, central locking, tinted glass, and some options include headlight dimmers (autronic eye), electrically operated windows, seat adjust, and trunk. Some of the other models available included the 8 seater Fleetwood Limo, and the Eldorado Biarritz which is the most valuable ‘59 Cadillac model.

Specs for 1959 Cadillac Series 62 Engine: 390 c.i. V8, cast iron head and block Compression ratio: 10.5:1 Induction: Carter 4-barrel carburetor Maximum Power: 325 bhp at 4800 rpm Maximum torque: 435 lb-ft at 3400 rpm Top Speed: 121 mph 0-60 mph: 11 sec Transmission: GM TurboHydramatic Automatic Body/Chassis: Steel body on steel X-frame chassis Steering: Recirculating ball Wheels and Tires: Steel discs, 15 inch diameter Brakes: Drums, 12 inch dia. (front and rear) Front Suspension: Wishbones with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers Rear Suspension: Live axle with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers Wheelbase: 130 inches Height: 55.9 inches Weight: 4885 lbs Quarter Mile Performance: who cares? Production: 11,130 Price: $5000 for Series 62, $7400 for Eldorado

The Presidential Limousine may seem like a recent invention, something that came about within the past few Presidential terms. This, however, is a misconception. Officially, the first President to ride in what has become known as the Presidential Limousine was Woodrow Wilson. Taking the streets during a parade celebrating the US victory in World War I, he was honoring the end of the war and, unknowingly, starting the beginning of a transportation tradition.

Following Wilson, Calvin Coolidge used a 1928 Cadillac town car during his administration, but proceeding presidents had something even better. In 1938, the US government received two Cadillac Convertibles, which stretched 21.5 feet long and weighed nearly eight thousand pounds. They were named after ocean liners and called the “Queen Elizabeth” and the “Queen Mary.” These vehicles included nearly failsafe generators, two way radios, and a full arsenal or ammunition. Harry Truman, Franklin Roosevelt, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, using these two Cadillacs during their respective reigns, were the first Presidents to ride in both style and heightened safety.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the heightened safety got even taller and an armored limousine that was originally owned by Al Capone was used. The Department of Treasury took possession of this limo after Capone was found guilty of tax evasion and placed it in an impound lot. Amid the horror of the Harbor attacks, it was believed to be the safest mode to take FDR to congress, allowing him to deliver his “Date that will live in infamy” speech to the thousands of Americans listening at home.

Once Al Capone’s limousine was put to rest, a 1939 Lincoln V12 convertible named the “Sunshine Special” was built for Roosevelt. Used until 1950, it is now on display at the Henry Ford Museum.

Another specially designed limo, named the “Bubble Top” was used by Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson. After fifteen years, it was retired in 1965 and - following in the tire tracks of the “Sunshine Special”- is now also on display at the Henry Ford Museum.

While the limos were increasingly becoming more secure, they were certainly fallible, especially when the roof was removed. This brings us to JFK.

Arguably the most famous Presidential limousine was John F. Kennedy’s. A 1961 Lincoln Continental Convertible, known as a X-100, provided JFK with his final ride on November 22, 1963. Known for lack of air conditioning, the top was removed during the Dallas parade (and many times before) to make the passengers more comfortable. This obviously provided a high security risk, one that did not go unnoticed by the assassin.

During Lyndon Johnson’s term, a trio of 1965 Lincoln Continental Executive Limousines was used and Richard Nixon rode in a modified X-100 as well as a 1969 Lincoln limousine with a sunroof, which he requested.

Near the mid-1970’s, a 1972 Continental with armored plates, bullet proof glass, and a V.8 was given to the US government and used by Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan and eventually found its way into the Henry Ford Museum. George Bush (the first one) rode in a modified 1989 Lincoln Town Car.

Reagan was also given a Cadillac Fleetwood limousine during his presidency and Bill Clinton was given a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Presidential series during his. These vehicles were designed to offer optimal security

The Cadillac Fleetwood given to Reagan is now in the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in California and Clinton’s 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham is located in the Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas. These are the last of the Presidential Limousines that will ever be put on display. The rest will be destroyed by the Secret Service.

The history of GM, the world’s largest automaker, saw its beginning in 1908. The company was founded by William Durant in the year 1902. The shrewd businessman that he was, Durant realized that the future lay with cars and not carriages. Initially, the company was founded as a holding company for Buick. The latter part of the year saw the company acquiring Oldsmobile, followed by the possession of Cadillac, Oakland and Elmore in the very next year.

Many of the motor companies were in dire straits during the difficult years of the early 1900’s. The stock market panic in 1907 put a lot of small companies into financial distress. Many of these companies were running on credit from various bankers. This was a golden opportunity for Durant, who proceeded to buy smaller car builders, and companies that built car parts as well as car accessories. In 1908, these various companies were folded into a single unit, thus creating the new GM entity. This marked the exciting beginning of the true history of GM.

William Durant was a flamboyant businessman whose curious mix of genius and over-reaching took GM both to its heights as well as plunged it into financial distress. In 1910, bankers were forced to step in to prevent financial collapse of GM, and Durant was removed from the company he had founded. But by 1911, the company had made enough advances into the international market that the General Motors Export Company was established to handle sales outside the U.S and Canada.

Durant managed to use another company he formed, Chevrolet, to come back to power in GM during 1915, and the history of GM from 1915-1920 is full of successes. During this time, the Cadillac became wildly successful. In 1918, GM bought the operating assets of Chevrolet Motors. But, soon America was hit by a power recession and in 1920, Durant again found himself out of the company.

During the financial boom in the 1920’s, the history of GM virtually glowed with success. Auto sales reached the 4.5 million mark, and the auto industry now had three giants - GM, Ford and Chrysler. GM now had a brilliant engineer turned industrialist at its helm. Alfred Sloan who was later acclaimed for his marketing genius had slowly worked his way up among the ranks of GM. His marketing genius breathed a fresh lease of life into GM that was beginning to get overshadowed by Ford.

Ford’s philosophy of giving the public the best value for their money offered little variety. But Sloan and GM were interested in providing the public with more than a black box. Stylish colors, features and comfort became the new motto of the company. GM also made a path-breaking offer - the public could now buy a car on credit. The five brands of GM - Pontiac, Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile and Chevrolet began changing every year with the focus being directed mainly at looks and style. This strategy paid rich dividends. Ford was pushed to the backseat again by GM.

The great Wall Street crash in 1929 put an abrupt stop to all expansion plans at GM for the time being. Stocks of GM fell rather badly. But, by early 1930’s GM bounced back and bought the Yellow Coach bus company. In 1930, GM bought Electro-Motive Corporation, the internal combustion engine railcar builder. The next 20 years saw GM powered diesel locomotives running on American railroads. December 31, 1955 is another landmark in the history of GM. GM became the first company to make more than a billion dollars in a year.

There was a time in the History of GM when it was the largest corporation in the US. The history of GM also shows that there was a time when GM was the single largest employer in the world. But, in recent times GM has been beset with financial woes. November 2005 saw GM booking a $4 billion loss and about 30,000 employees were laid off. 12 plants were closed down.

If you need to travel, you will certainly enjoy the luxury of riding in a limousine. Dallas is home to many beautiful limousines that are available for your service.

Historically speaking, the definition of a limousine is a stretch luxury car that is driven by a chauffeur. The French Limousin region gave us the term, and it was developed from hoods that people from the area wore, which reminded the linguists of the profile of a car. Limousines are also characterized by a sliding glass window between the passenger area in the rear of the vehicle and the driver area in the front. This is so that passengers may converse privately without the driver overhearing.

Limousines, including dallas limos, were based on a stretched-out version of big sedans. A sedan has two rows of seats and room for rear passengers. Early limousines were crafted so that the passenger seats faced forward, as was usual, but offered a much greater amount of leg room. Two other seats were put in behind the driver’s seat that faced the rear of the passenger compartment, so that several passengers could be seated in the rear and have a face-to-face conversation, although the seats behind the driver could be folded up as necessary.

Another early model of limousine was based on a horse-drawn stagecoach, which was also used for carrying multiple passengers. It combines aspects of a bus with those from a sedan. Limousines typically have many side doors in order to reach the rear seats. Station wagons also influenced the progression of the limousine in history, as another way of improving limousine transportation. The station wagon offered a roof rack, which was used to carry baggage, and early limousines of this type were used in parks, in order to transport visitors from a train station into the park itself.

Through time the limos, Dallas ones included, have evolved based on the model of car used. Hummers now can come in stretch limousine versions, for example, and are in essence a souped-up version of the early stagecoach model. The U.S. President rides in a Cadillac DeVille touring sedan that was specially made for him.

One reason why discerning individuals choose Limo Service in Dallas is for traveling to airports in style, funerals, weddings or birthdays, and proms. City tours are very comfortable when done in a limousine, as is traveling to and from shopping destinations. Special events provide a great reason to choose limousine services, and might include a night of clubbing, attending holiday parties, or a special evening of enjoying holiday light tours. No matter what your special transportation need might be, there is a limousine ready and waiting for your use.

Havana is a potent mixture of the old and the new. Modern office buildings punctuate the skyline alongside deteriorating Eastern European residential towers. Ancient vehicles, some with more rust than paint, share the road with newer, shinier models, while horse-drawn carts mingle with motorcycles. Flea markets display Cuba holiday mementos - wooden models of cars built in the 1950s, which are still seen on Cuban streets.

‘Yank tank’, ‘máquina’ ‘cacharro’ and ‘bartavia’ are all words used to describe the American classic cars in Cuba. It is the only place where history and circumstance have combined to enable a whole society to preserve these amazing vehicles and turn them into a national treasure.

About 150,000 classic cars existed at the time of the 1959 Cuban Revolution when the U.S. imposed a trade embargo on Cuba. After this, international trade was made very difficult, so the cars that were present at the time have been nurtured and cared for ever since.

Of the 60,000 classic cars in Cuba, about half are from the 50s, another 25 percent from the 40s and a similar number from the 30s. Brands include Chevrolet, Ford, Cadillac, Buick, Plymouth, Chrysler, Dodge, Willy’s, Oldsmobile and De Soto - vintage models of all of these can be seen on Cuba’s roads today.

Nostalgia

As a clash of cultures and ideologies, few experiences compare with that of rounding a corner in the heart of Old Havana with its crumbling baroque buildings and coming face to face with a gleaming 1955 Thunderbird that looks as if it had just been driven off the lot.

Cubans are increasingly aware of the value of classic cars, particularly when visiting Americans become nostalgic about them. They realise that there is business to be made from hiring them out, and it is therefore possible for those on holiday to Cuba to hire out a classic car for the duration of their stay. Although there are more classic cars in the US overall, an American would have to go to Cuba to see a concentration of the cars filling the streets like a snapshot of 50s USA come to life.

Cuba holiday makers feel they have stepped into a time warp to that perhaps more innocent age, when Americans sported prim and proper outfits and drove shiny, sparkly-wheeled cars in brilliant colours with fins and chrome bumpers. The cars made driving feel special. The size of them and the comfort gave a calm feeling for a time when people were able to take their time and enjoy the good things in life.

Care & Attention

While classic cars are still used for daily transportation, often as taxis, they have also become cherished heirlooms handed down from generation to generation within families, in some cases going all the way back to the 30s.

Most owners of classic cars spend hours applying waxes and polishes and basking in the praise and admiration of passers-by. Some even reminisce about a time when their cars were new, and life itself seemed brighter and as inviting as an open highway.

To own one of these vintages defines who you are, how you spend your time and how you wish to be known, and Cubans will go to incredible lengths to keep their classic cars running. 1950’s bumpers and tailpipes are recreated and myriad other parts are adapted. Steering wheels carved from wood, hub cabs made from aluminium cans and plastic sheets for windows are common. While such shortcuts would be frowned upon in the United States, classic car lovers admire the Cubans’ ingenuity and their ability to keep the cars running.

The Future for Classic Cars in Cuba

Each day these cars get closer to extinction. They are now outnumbered by boxy Russian Ladas, Volga sedans and more recent Eastern European and Japanese imports. But the biggest threats to Cuba’s classic cars are the scarcity of parts and lack of original factory literature to maintain them with uniform standards.

Hopefully they will still be preserved for years to come, even if they become increasingly temperamental with all the alterations they go through. If you’re thinking of hiring a classic car on your Cuba holiday make sure to make a ceremonial splash of rum on the car’s floorboard for good luck!

No luxury American car is more well-known than the Cadillac by General Motors. Most of these cars are sold in the United States and Canada, but several are also sold in over 50 countries. The word Cadillac is another name for “high quality,” offering an elegant exterior, coupled with an equally sophisticated interior.

Where do you go to find information on this car? Go directly to a car information website online. They provide comprehensive information on new and used luxury cars. They include hundreds if not thousands of articles written by industry professionals on car buying, along with photos, prices, performance reviews, and more.

Are you looking to buy a new 2008 car? If you are interested in the 2008 Cadillac CTS, you’ll find tons of information on this model at a car information site. The car is General Motors’ new version of its midsize sedan. It is wider and longer with an interior that is highly luxurious. You can buy the car with rear or all-wheel-drive and improvements have been made on such features as the suspension and brakes. Read about this car at a car information website as well as other information such as Cadillac car dealerships in your area and car insurance.

Luxury cars are more expensive than other cars, so arming yourself with all the necessary information is always a good move. You’ll have fun learning about the 2008 Cadillac CTS and you’ll discover why General Motors is proud of this new car which recently was unveiled to the public. Soon you’ll be rushing out your door to buy one from an approved car dealership featured on the websites!

German premier automotive maker BMW continues to maintain its hold as the top selling luxury auto brand in the world. Battling with archrival Mercedes-Benz year in and year out for the highest laurels, BMW continues to constantly tweak its existing line and add new vehicles to its line in a bid to stimulate and strengthen customer interest. One area where BMW has found much of its recent success is with its race car inspired line of vehicles, the M Series. Since 1979 various Motorsports [M} tags have been affixed to vehicles that have been developed by the BMW Motorsports division, including the BMW M3 a car based on BMW's popular 3 Series. Today, BMW engineers are hard at work on developing an all new BMW M3 and, if all of the auto buzz is correct, very few cars will be able to keep up with this 400 hp road commander. Please keep reading for a closer look at the all new, soon to be released, BMW M3.

A pitched battle in autodom continues to gather force pitting German automaker against German automaker. Legendary Mercedes-Benz is taking on heralded BMW for the right to call themselves the top selling luxury brand in the world. For years, the honor belonged exclusively to Mercedes-Benz, but a recent stumble on Mercedes' part coupled with a surge of new products from BMW has placed BMW in first place. Not far behind the two is Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota, but for now the battle remains a fight between these two German automakers.

For luxury car enthusiasts, the BMW-Mercedes rivalry has been a win-win battle as both automakers have been pouring engineering funds into their vehicles. Neither automaker is resting on their past achievements; instead both are pressing forward to add the latest safety features including Mercedes' Night Vision Assist and BMW's impact absorbing bumpers which absorb stronger impacts without damaging the vehicle's main body. Safety is one of the chief concerns for consumers when selecting a particular luxury brand according to all of the leading automotive industry surveys.

For BMW, its latest automotive project has been a closely guarded secret until very recently. Camouflaged spy shots of the all new BMW M3 have been circulating on the internet for some time now but only since June has a pre-production version of a fully unclothed BMW M3 been spotted. It was seen navigating the twisting roads of Southern California according to The Car Connection, the vehicle information and shopping site.

For BMW enthusiasts, news of a BMW M3 pre-production sighting means one thing: BMW will soon announce the date in 2007 when its latest M Series car will be available in dealer showrooms.

Right now, the current BMW M3 is still based on the fourth generation 3 Series which was replaced in 2006. The new BMW M3 will be based on the latest generation body frame and feature some notable improvements over the previous BMW M3 model including:

A larger, more potent V8 engine with an output of 400 horses. Currently, the BMW M3 features an inline six engine with a 333 horsepower output. The new model is expected to rocket from start to 60 in under 5 seconds, topping out at 155 mph.

A six or possibly seven speed manual transmission.

A longer wheelbase for better weight distribution.

Styling cues from the BMW M3 will find its way to the new model from front wing vents to twin exit exhausts along with the ubiquitous M series recognized emblems.

For Mercedes enthusiasts they can point to the soon to be released 2007 C Class, which is the direct competitor for the BMW 3 Series, as evidence that DaimlerChrysler will not let BMW out of its crosshairs anytime soon. A new AMG [motorsport] version of the C Class will follow, ratcheting up what is certain to a pitched battle to be enjoyed by compact luxury car devotees worldwide.

Additional competitors to the BMW M3 include the Cadillac CTS-V, the Audi RS4, and the Lexus IS. Prices have not been set for the new M3, but they can be expected to top out at around $60,000 fully equipped.