Goodwood Festival of Speed to Honor Cadillac's 100th Anniversary
FOR RELEASE: June 26, 2002Cadillac Concours Classes at Goodwood Demonstrate Rich Heritage
Detroit - This year's Cartier 'Style et Luxe' concours d'elegance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed will feature two Cadillac classes to honor Cadillac's 100th anniversary. Gathered together will be an exceptional collection of significant Cadillacs that illustrate the prestige, design and technology that has defined Cadillacs since Henry Martyn Leland founded the company in late 1902.
Few automakers can claim such a consistent record of technology firsts. Innovations such as the first V8, the first V16, the electrical distributor, power steering, synchromesh transmission and the electric starter all sprang from the fertile minds of Cadillac designers and engineers. The Goodwood classes called "100 Years of Cadillac part 1 (1902-1949) and part 2 (1950-2002)" will include many examples of Cadillacs categorized by experts as milestone vehicles because of the breakthroughs they represented.
"Cadillac is extremely proud that Goodwood has honored the brand with two exclusive classes within the Cartier 'Style et Luxe' area during our centennial year," said Cadillac General Manager Mark R. LaNeve. "Car enthusiasts at Goodwood will experience first-hand our history and clearly see why Cadillac has a heritage second to none."
Included in the 1903-1949 collection of Cadillacs will be: 1903 Model A, Cadillac's first production model, powered by a 1.6-liter single-cylinder engine; 1909 Model 30, its first model after the company was purchased by GM, with a four-cylinder engine; 1930 and 1931 V16 Convertible Coupes, generally regarded as the most desirable of all Cadillacs with the smoothest and most powerful engine of its time; and 1949 Series 62 Coupe (sedanette), first application of Cadillac's ohv V8 that set new standards for power, weight and fuel economy.
In the 1950-2002 class, Cadillacs expected include: 1953 Eldorado Convertible, the most expensive Cadillac of its time, inspired by Cadillac's 50th anniversary; 1956 Series 62, Hess & Eisenhardt 4 Door Station Wagon ("Woody"), one of only 12 built; 1959 Eldorado Biarritz Convertible, distinguished by the wildest tailfins ever; 1976 Eldorado Convertible, the last for many years of convertibles from Cadillac; and the 2002 Cadillac Cien, a concept vehicle designed and built at GM's Advanced Design Studio in Coventry, England, to celebrate Cadillac's 100th birthday. It has a V12 engine and styling inspired by the Stealth fighter. Making its debut run in the U.K., the Cien is scheduled to run up Lord March's driveway as part of the Goodwood festivities.
Cadillac's participation in the Goodwood Festival of Speed has roots deeper than the Cien. The first Cadillac to be exported to the UK was in 1903, the company's first year of existence.
In 1908, Cadillac was awarded the prestigious Thomas Dewar Trophy by the UK's Royal Automobile Club (RAC) for the most important advance in automotive technology. To demonstrate the interchangeability of their precision-made parts, three Cadillacs were disassembled, put back together from mixed parts and driven away. It was a major breakthrough in an automotive industry until then producing individually hand-made cars.
Cadillac was the first car company ever to win the RAC's Dewar Trophy twiceWhen the RAC awarded the Dewar Trophy to Cadillac for the introduction of the first successful electric starter in 1912, the American marque became the first car company to win the prestigious award twice.
As a result, Cadillac was lauded as "the standard of the world" - a distinction that became part of Cadillac's ethos.
