Through most of the 20th century, a Cadillac represented the pinnacle of automotive engineering. Here’s the chronology of Cadillac’s flagships going back to 1938.
1938-1941
I chose 1938 to start because I don’t want to go all the way back to the beginning and 1938 saw the launch of a famous name. You can’t help but imagine what a surreal time it was in the luxury car market in the 30s. The Great Depression wiped out once-prosperous names like Duesenberg, Stutz, Pierce-Arrow, Auburn, and Cord. Cadillac was backed by the endless financial resources of General Motors and managed to survive and prosper.
In 1938, Cadillac introduced the 60 Special. It slotted between the Series 60 and the limousine sized “Senior” Cadillacs in size and prize. It sat on a wheelbase 3 inches longer than the normal 60. It was a trendsetter in styling. Before, sedans had vertical rear ends, like on a station wagon, although they had normal trunk lids that didn’t open the rear window. But the 60 special had its trunk poking out, like on a coupe. This set the stage for the 3-box sedan style. Also, there were no running boards. The car used an X-frame chassis that allowed it to sit 3 inches lower than other Cadillacs, although at 64.5 inches, it was still as tall as many of today’s crossovers. The car was built at Cadillac’s Fleetwood plant along with more expensive models. The engine was a 5.7 liter V8 making 130 horsepower. In 1940, it became possible to equip it with GM’s Hydramatic, the first ever fully automatic transmission. The 60 special was a huge success, making up 39% of Cadillac’s sales when it was launched.
1942-1947
The 60 Special was redesigned for 1942. It was 7 inches longer. This would be a unique thing for the 60 Special for the next 30 years: a longer wheelbase than any of GM’s other full sized cars. Production stopped in February 1942 due to the war and would not resume until October 1945. The 60 Special saw its share of Cadillac’s sales drop from nearly 40% to just 15% after the war due to the success of the Series 61 and 62.
1948-1949
For 1948, all Cadillacs were redesigned and fully inaugurated postwar styling. This year also saw the beginning of the most famous 50s styling cliches: tailfins. But here, they were restrained and quite attractive, it would be a while before they turned into an uncontrollable monster. Power windows and a power bench seat were standard equipment. In 1949, the 5.7 liter V8 was replaced by a shorter stroke 5.4. Despite being smaller and lighter, it was actually more powerful.
1950-1953
For 1950, the 60 Special got a 3 inch shorter wheelbase. The 4 speed Hydramatic was now standard. By this point, Cadillac had clawed its way to dominance of the luxury car market with Packard’s implosion. They sold 100,000 cars that year for the first time. In 1952, power steering became optional. In 1953, air conditioning was offered as was Cadillac’s unique “Autronic Eye” which used a photocell sensor to detect oncoming traffic and switch from high beam to low beam. This feature would be offered for the next 40 years.
1954-1956
1954 brought another Cadillac redesign with the lines becoming straighter. This probably my favorite Cadillac from a styling perspective. It was elegant and tasteful unlike the gaudiness to come. Wheelbase on the 60 Special was back up to the famous 133 inches. Power steering became standard, as did power brakes, and the 2 way power bench seat now became a 4 way. For 1956, the engine grew to 6 liters.
1957 to 1958
For 1957, Cadillac began the descent into tackiness. It gained the overstyled grille and larger fins. That year, the 60 Special was no longer Cadillac’s most expensive 4 door model, that honor being taken by the Eldorado Brougham. The 60 special adopted the “pillarless” look design first shown on the 1956 Sedan DeVille, making this a hardtop instead of a traditional sedan. For 1958, dual headlights appeared.
1959-1960
When people hear the name “Cadillac” the first thing they’ll think of is a 1959 model. It marked the ultimate endpoint of 50s Detroit styling. The 1959 Cadillac is considered a classic today but it was highly controversial when it was new. Those giant tailfins and the acres of chrome were over-the-top and spawned a fierce backlash. The 60 Special no longer had that script anywhere on the car, and pretty much everyone called it the Fleetwood, a name that was written on the trunklid, which worked since the only other Cadillac coming from that factory was the Series 75 limousine. The Fleetwood once again dropped to 130 inches in wheelbase, the same as other Cadillacs as well as the Olds 98 and Buick Electra. The engine grew to 6.4 liters and air suspension was now available, but highly trouble prone.
For 1960, styling was drastically toned down. The fins were now level with the hood. Power brakes and steering finally became standard equipment.
1961-1964
For 1961, the Fleetwood got slightly smaller, by about 3 inches and wheelbase shrank half an inch. The styling was much more tasteful and restrained. With the end of the Eldorado Brougham, the Fleetwood effectively became the Eldorado’s 4 door companion model. For 1963, a restyle effectively eliminated tailfins, only leaving buttresses around the trunklid. For 1964, the engine grew to 7 liters and the Hydramatic was replaced by a Turbo-Hydramatic, which made use of a torque converter for the first time.
1965-1970
For 1965, the Fleetwood regained its unique 133 inch wheelbase and regained its B-pillar. The famous Brougham trim was offered for the first time in 1966. The Brougham package included a vinyl roof, walnut interior trim, lit writing tables, and footrests. Styling made use of stacked headlights, a popular look that started with the 1964 Pontiacs. In 1969, the lights moved into the grille. The wide-set lamps made the car look imposing and purposeful. For 1968, the 7 liter V8 was replaced by a 7.7.
1971-1976
The Fleetwood was redesigned with all of GM’s other full sized cars for 1971, reaching the apex of size and girth among American cars. The Fleetwood tipped the scales at over 5000 pounds, and with the addition of 5 mph bumpers, got even heavier. Power from the giant V8 would be reduced by emissions controls. In 1974, the “Air Cushion Restraint” system became optional, airbags for the driver and front passenger. Very few people bought it and it was dropped in 1976. In 1975, the 7.7 liter V8 was enlarged for the last time to 8.2 liters, or an even 500 cubic inches, with optional fuel injection. This was the largest gasoline V8 ever put in a production car and had been previously offered only on the Eldorado.
1977-1992
For 1977, GM downsized all of its full sized cars from Chevrolet to Cadillac. The 60 Series name was dropped and Cadillac’s full sized lineup now was down to the DeVille and the Fleetwood Brougham. The Fleetwood lost 1 foot in length, 4 inches in width, and 900 pounds of weight. Despite that, interior space was roughly the same as last year, although rear legroom was down by 3 inches as was shoulder and hip room. The trunk however gained 4 extra cubic feet. The engine shrank to 7 liters. In 1979, a 5.7 liter diesel became available.
For 1980, the Fleetwood was facelifted with new headlights. The 7 liter V8 was replaced by Cadillac’s 6 liter V8-6-4 which was able to turn off 2 or 4 cylinders depending on speed to save fuel. But this system was a reliability nightmare and was dropped in 1982. In 1981 you could now get a V6 for the first time, a 4.1 liter from Buick, but that would be dropped in 1983, replaced by a 4.1 liter V8.
For 1985, things got confusing. A new car called the Fleetwood, without the “Brougham” suffix, was added to the lineup, sharing a platform with the cheaper Deville. It was front wheel drive and smaller than the Fleetwood Brougham. Plans were to drop the bigger rear drive model, but then gas prices crashed and people got back into traditional American sedans. To reduce confusion, the bigger model was simply called the “Brougham” after 1987.
1993-1996
For 1993, the front wheel drive Fleetwood was killed off and a new rear drive model effectively was a redesigned Brougham. It shared a platform with the Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster and carried their rounded aerodynamic styling. For 1994, the 185 horsepower 5 liter V8 was replaced by the 5.7 from the Corvette making 260 horsepower. In 1996, GM killed off all of its traditional rear drive body-on-frame passenger cars, the Fleetwood included.
1997-1999
This left the cheaper and smaller DeVille as Cadillac’s flagship. Despite looking similar to the Fleetwood, it was a very different car, being front wheel drive. Power came from Cadillac’s Northstar V8, the most powerful version producing 300 horsepower. At this point, Cadillacs had lost most of their prestige and were stereotyped as the cars driven by little old ladies from Florida. The stockbrokers, doctors, and lawyers were now buying Mercedes E classes and BMW 5 series.
2000-2005
For 2000, the DeVille was redesigned and moved from the K platform to the G platform shared with the Pontiac Bonneville, Buick Park Avenue, and Cadillac’s own Seville. The car got a more aerodynamic exterior and an all new interior and it became possible to get night vision, the first car ever to offer it. The system, designed with help from Raytheon, used infrared sensors to see further ahead at night. The option was discontinued in 2004.
2006-2011
For 2006, the Deville was redesigned and renamed DTS. This was an acronym for “DeVille Touring Sedan” and had historically been a trim level. The DTS was simply forgotten, being reserved for fleet sales and the last one rolled off the line on May 27, 2011.
2013-2015
GM tried to inject some quality back into its sedans in the 2010s. After a 1 year hiatus, Cadillac was once again selling a large front drive sedan, the XTS, sharing a platform with the Chevy Impala and Buick LaCrosse. The styling was much more aggressive and rakish than the DTS. The interior was also much nicer. Engines were also new, there was a turbo 2.0 liter 4 cylinder making 272 horsepower, a naturally aspirated 3.6 liter V6 making 304 horsepower, and a twin turbo 3.6 liter making 410 horsepower. But Cadillac was aiming higher still.
2016-2019
For 2016, Cadillac brought out the CT6, the most serious S Class fighter they’ve ever attempted. It’s Cadillac’s first full sized rear drive model since the Fleetwood and in its most powerful CT6-V guise makes 560 horsepower. It’s a good car, but it just wasn’t enough. GM announced it was discontinuing it along with most of the rest of its sedan lineup.
2020-
With the end of the CT6, the mammoth Escalade SUV takes over as their flagship. The Escalade is not the most politically correct vehicle, but it is a massive cash cow. In size and construction, it’s closer to the old big Cadillacs than the ones of the last 2 decades. It’s also powered by an old fashioned 6.2 liter pushrod V8. Cadillac is probably never going to be the last word in luxury ever again, but with the Escalade they should continue to survive.