Cadillac® Service Information & More
Milito’s has Serviced Cadillac in Chicago since 1968.
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The luxury automotive space is a crowded one, and as you can tell by the myriad advertising messages sent out every day, dozens of brands compete for consumers to buy into a message that resonates with them personally while still portraying exclusivity in the finest of ways. Enter Cadillac, and their simple yet poignant slogan to “Dare greatly.”
They’ve dared greatly with their distinctive design. If you’re driving down the road and look behind you, you can immediately tell it’s a Cadillac. If you’re behind a Cadillac, you know it by the design of the head and tail lamps.
From the first mass-produced, V-8 engine to feature a coolant reservoir to the debut of electric lights, Cadillac has changed the automotive industry for almost a century — and it shows no signs of easing off the gas any time soon.
Who Is Buying a Cadillac?
According to Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen, Cadillacs aren’t just for the older generation anymore. In fact, half of its customers are now younger than 56 years old. More than 40 percent of Cadillac’s best-selling Escalade buyers belong to Generation X and Y.
Cadillac research predicts that by 2020, 80 percent of new vehicles will be purchased by members of Generations X and Y.
And in addition, Cadillac is most likely the only luxury automaker whose most expensive car — the Escalade — is owned by its youngest demographic. (The average age of an Escalade buyer is under 50, down significantly when compared with the average age of the Cadillac customer, which is 60.)
While the Cadillac is mostly a well-oiled machine with only minimal owner complaints, there were a few issues that may need to be addressed.
All of these problems and more can be fixed by the Cadillac service mechanics at Milito’s Auto Repair in Chicago.
If you’re looking for a luxury car but don’t want to pay for a brand new model, a used Cadillac is the way to go.
Here are five things that you should do:
If you’re looking for hands-free driving, look no further than Cadillac. Using precision LiDAR mapping data, a state-of-the-art driver attention system, and a network of camera and radar sensors, Super Cruise “is unlike any other driver assistance system, period.” Advanced software helps make sure your eyes are on the road, and alerts you when you need to pay more attention or take back control.
This communication helps make the road a safer place for everyone by alerting you when other V2V-enabled vehicles that may be out of your sight are braking hard, disabled, in a crash, or experiencing a slippery road.
If you’re looking for a statement piece, this is the vehicle you’ve been waiting for. The 4.2L Twin Turbo V8 engine delivers an estimated 550 horsepower and powerful 627 lb-ft of torque. In addition, each Blackwing Twin Turbo V8 engine is handcrafted by a single person in Bowling Green, Kentucky, who signs their Blackwing engine once it’s complete.
Advanced in-vehicle technology connects drivers to a world of information, communication, and entertainment with simple touch or voice commands. This includes Apple Carplay, customizable home pages in the dash, map-integrated Doppler weather reports, access to your phone’s contacts list and more.
The Cadillac brand has a rich history, but it can be traced back to a mechanic and entrepreneur by the name of Henry Leland who is credited with starting the company under the Cadillac name in 1902. It was formed by the remnants of the Henry Ford Motor Company, as a dispute between Ford and his investors forced the company to shut down. Lemuel Bowen and William Murphy (Ford’s Financial Bankers) were told they had to call in an engineer to prepare for the liquidation of the company’s assets.
That engineer was Henry Leland, who thought it was useless to let go of the company and persuaded Bowen and Murphy to continue producing vehicles using his single-cylinder engine. The engine was tested and proved to be working, which earned Bowen and Murphy’s trust and gave rise to the Cadillac Automobile Company,named after a famous French explorer — Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac — who founded Detroit in 1701.
The Innovations
The following years saw Cadillac breaking new automotive ground, as the company was first to offer an electrically-assisted engine starter. While other manufacturers’ engines had to be hand- cranked in order to start them — which led to many injured wrists — the Cadillac owner could simply start the vehicle from inside the vehicle cabin.
Other technologies were soon introduced, like an electric ignition, a curved glass windshield, and electric lighting, including high-beams, or “brights.” Cadillac would also be the first manufacturer to offer an enclosed cabin, which made their vehicles more versatile for owners as they could operate them in any type of weather.
When it came to the engine and transmission design, Cadillac would go on to mass-produce the first V8 engine that included a cooling reservoir and would allow their vehicles to reach a speed of 65 miles per hour, which was unheard of at the time. It turned out to be so reliable that the United States Government bought more than 2,000 of them to shuttle officers around during World War I.
Changing Hands – And the Industry
Cadillac would go on to be part of a larger entity, the General Motors company, then run by William Crapo Durant — who paid $4.5 million for Leland’s company to merge with GM. From that point on, there was no looking back, although it would be without Leyland, who left the company in 1917.
Cadillac would go on to create automotive firsts such as V-12’s and even V-16’s that would deliver what at the time was an unprecedented 165 horsepower. In 1926, Cadillac’s reach and customer base expanded, due in large part to the fact that the company brought on Harley Earl to design such vehicles as the 1927 Cadillac LaSalle. This would make them the first American carmaker to hire an automotive stylist, and it helped their designs to stand out and would go on to symbolize exclusivity and refinement.
Creating an American Icon
In the early 1940s the company introduced cars with fully automatic transmission, known as the ‘Hydra-Matic Transmission,’ and by the end of the decade, the company introduced a new, small and more economical and efficient V8 engine.
But it was in the 1950s when Cadillac would cement their place in automotive history with the “American Dream Car” — the Cadillac Eldorado, with those iconic fins. They would go on to add innovations that included the first automatic headlight dimmer, signal-seeking automotive radio, and the first wrap-around windshield.
In the ‘60s, Cadillac would add the first automatic vacuum operated parking brake release, first sidelights in the front fenders, automated air-conditioning and heating system, the first tilt or telescopic steering wheel, and the first car with power steering solution.
The ‘70s saw Cadillac offer an advanced computerized rear-wheel skid-control braking system, and also become the first automaker to roll out airbags. In the 80s, Cadillac introduced not only the catalytic convertor, but also cars that came equipped with electronic fuel injection systems.
In the 90s, Cadillac became the first American luxury car manufacturer to offer the 365-days a year, 24 hours, 7 days a week, roadside assistance program. Additionally, it also introduced the first V8 engine that had 32-valves and even pioneered the thermal-imaging technology or night-vision.
Cadillac Today
The company has gone on to not only introduce innovation and luxury to dozens of makes and models, but has also won the Car of the Year award five times. They’re responsible for a majority of technologies seen in cars today, and stand as one of the most famous and best manufacturers in the world.
Whether you want performance or luxury, gas or electric, a sedan or a crossover — Cadillac can fit your needs and send you off on the road in style. Look for the company to continue on a path that blends the design of nostalgia with modern looks, never forgetting to “dare greatly.”
Al Capone’s Cadillac was the first presidential bulletproof limo, and Capone also owned one of the Cadillacs used in “The Godfather” and “The Untouchables”. His favorite getaway car was a 1929 model, complete with bullet holes in it.
Cadillac is named after a Frenchman — Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac — an army officer who founded a town called Ville d’Etroit — also known today as Detroit, Michigan.
The term “cranky” originally referred to the fact people would get ticked off after struggling to turn the crank while starting their car. Cadillac fixed this in 1912 when they introduced the first electric starter on the Model 30.
Cadillac was the first car equipped with electric lights, and they also introduced the first set of high-beams, or “brights.”