American luxury auto brand Cadillac is a company that was founded in 1902 and is owned by General Motors. The brand's vehicles are sold in more than fifty countries, but are most predominantly scattered throughout North America. Cadillac is the second oldest U.S. auto- manufacturer behind Buick, which is also owned by GM; however, this fact can be and is argued by automobile enthusiasts who choose to count the brand's origins from a different date. These are the facts that do stand: Cadillac was formed using the pieces of the Henry Ford Company when its founder, Ford, left along with several important people in the company, and the company disbanded. In 1902, an expert mechanic and successful entrepreneur by the name of Henry Leland picked up the floating pieces of Ford and founded a company by the name of Cadillac , in reference to the state of Detroit's founder, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. In 1905, his original company, Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing also joined forces with Cadillac. The company's logo, like its name, stems from Anotoine Cadillac's original family crest.

Cadillac laid the groundwork for mass production of its automobiles only six years after the company's inception with their innovative discovery and creation of interchangeable parts. Through this, Cadillac was recognized on a global level and, suitably, began to use the slogan: "Standard of the World." Way ahead of the game in terms of technology, Cadillac released a vehicle with electric self-start, lighting, and ignition with the Model Thirty. To the delight of women everywhere, the car was now easy (and socially acceptable) for them to crank and drive! In 1915, Cadillac presented the original mass-production car, the V-type, which included a V-8 engine- now a staple of Cadillac products.

Over the years, Cadillac has been competitive with other luxury brands such as Lexus, Mercedes, and BMW, and other U.S. brands such as Lincoln, and Mercury. Buick, despite also being under the watchful eye of GM, also poses a kind of internal threat to the brand. Cadillac has always been known for its innovative technologies, precise engineering, and sleek, luxurious automobiles in the U.S. The company has held its reputation as one of the finest automakers in America for many years. The only real troubles the company ran into involved times of economic hardship in the U.S. During the Great Depression, sales for the luxury automaker dropped by 84 percent, and during the late 1970s and 1980s, it suffered from slow auto sales that were prevalent throughout the country. America's financial crisis of 2008 also nearly destroyed the company, as it is a part of GM- one of the "Big Three" automobile franchises that took extremely hard hits during this time.

Luckily for fans everywhere, the Cadillac name lives on and prospers. From one of the most popular Cadillac vehicles ever, the 1941 Cadillac, to the King of Rock N' Roll Elvis' classic 1954 Cadillac, all the way to the popular Cadillacs of today, such as: the 2012 Cadillac CTS Coupe/Sedan/Sports Wagon, the 2012 Cadillac Escalade, and the 2012 Cadillac SRX, the USA-based company continues to build quality vehicles that all drivers can enjoy.