About Us Thank You For Choosing Heiser Cadillac

Cadillac's roots begin as far back as the early 1700s when what was originally called “Ville d'Etroit” was founded by a Frenchman by the name of Le Sieur Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. Ville d'Etroit's name was eventually simply shortened to “Detroit,” and would go on to become the center of the new nation's automobile industry. This is where Cadillac gets its name and its history of heritage and pride in the American auto industry.

However, Cadillac's history truly begins with a man named Henry Martyn Leland. Born in 1843 in Vermont, Leland's farmhand skills eventually led him to the life of a mechanic, creating innovative new engines. This passion led him to Detroit, where he found that his creations actually produced more horsepower and provided a smoother performance than the engines produced by his competitors the Dodge brothers. Leland and his business partner Robert C. Faulconer were propositioned to build two thousand engines for Ransom Eli Olds of the famous Oldsmobile, and from there the seeds of Cadillac were sown.

Leland eventually went on to take over control of the Detroit Automobile Company, which he renamed Cadillac after the aforementioned French pioneer and branded with the Cadillac family crest. Throughout the following decades, the Cadillac Company would go on to earn a variety of awards and become known for classy, sophisticated luxury and a higher standard than other vehicles in the American auto industry.

A few achievements Cadillac has under its belt include being the first American car company to win the Dewar Trophy in 1908 and then again in 1912; inventing the limousine; creating the first mass-produced V8 engine; offering the first sunroof in 1938 and then the first fully-automatic transmission in 1940; and introducing luxuries like automatic climate control and automatic headlamps as early as 1964.

If you'd like to experience the luxury, innovations, and power of Cadillac firsthand, visit Heiser Cadillac for a firsthand experience.