1910

(1) "Cadillac Motor Car Co" catalogue (reproduction copy), 16x23cms, 36pp. [pf], cover design like 1906 but date "1910", illustrated are auto and engine factories (p.1), front view of car (p.2), "Thirty" motor LH side (p.6), same RH side (p.7), cylinder, piston and water jacket (p.8), "Go / Not Go" gauges (p.9), motor with gear cover removed (p.10), oil pan & crankshaft (p.11), bird's eye view of dash, clutch and transmission (p.13), sectional view of crank case and crank shaft (p.14), transmission (p.16), rear spring suspension (p.18), steering wheel and steering gear (p.19), brake and control levers (p.20); [lf views] "Thirty" chassis [lf] (p.22), (1) touring car, shown with folded top (p.24), (2) demi-tonneau, also with folded top (p.25), (3) gentleman's roadster with rumble seat (p.26), (4) same with deck (p.27), (5) limousine (p.28), tops (p.30), printed by Dickinson Bros., Grand Rapids, MI {*}.

 

1911

(1) "Cadillac Motor Car Co." catalogue (reproduction copy), slight increase in size, now 16x25cms [pf], cover like previous year but no date shown, car and engine factories (p.1), photo of Cadillac employees massed in front of buildings [lf] (p.2), "Thirty" motor and gear case LH side (p.6), cylinder, piston and water jacket (p.7), "Go / Not Go" Johansson gauges (p.8), motor and gear case RH side, plus oil pan and crankshaft (p.9), lower motor LH side (p.10), clutch and open gear case (p.11), sectional view of crank case and crank shaft (p.13), transmission (p.14), steering gear and steering wheel (p.15), rear spring suspension (p.16), brake and control levers (p.17); [lf views] plan view of chassis (p.19), (1) touring car (p.20), (2) demi-tonneau (p.21), [new] (3) 4-door touring car (p.22), [new] (4) torpedo (p.23), (5) roadster with rumble seat (p.24), (6) roadster with deck (p.25), (7) limousine (p.26), limousine interior ([pf] - p.27), [new] (8) coupe (p.28), tops (p.30), printed by Dickinson Bros., Grand Rapids, MI {*}.

(2) "Cadillac Motor Car Co." advanced sales brochure

 

 

(3) Parts list for 1911 cars

 

1912

(1) Like 1911, front cover with more ornate wreath & crest; rear cover shows La Mothe Cadillac landing at self-named "Ville d'Etroit" [site of future Detroit] in 1701; pictures of car and engine factories omitted, principal illustration on p.2 captioned "The Car that has no Crank" (new electric starting); other illustrations [pf unless otherwise specified] motor LH side (p.6), cylinder, piston, water jacket (p.7), lower engine LH side (p.8), "Go / Not Go" gauges (p.9), oil pan and crankshaft (p.10), sectional view of crank case and crank shaft, clutch (p.11), engine RH side showing electric plant and automatic starting device (landscape, p.12), transmission (p.14), steering gear and steering wheel (p.15), rear spring arrangement (p.16), bird's eye view of operating mechanism (p.17), plan view of chassis (p.21), other body illustrations [lf unless otherwise specified] (1) 4-door touring car [$1800] (p.22), [new] (2) phaeton [$1800] (p.23), (3) torpedo [$1900] (p.24), (4) roadster [$1800] (p.25), (5) limousine [$3250] (p.26), limousine interior ([pf] p.27), coupe interior ([pf], p.28), (6) coupe [$2250] (p.29), tops (p.31), printed by Dickinson Bros., Grand Rapids, MI.   Floyd Clymer issued a good reproduction of this catalog in 1973; the latter is printed on glossy pages, whereas the original was printed on mat stock{*}

       
Rear cover (right - enlarged portion) has Sieur Lamothe-Cadillac
landing at the site of the future Detroit

I believe this is a reproduction copy
of the preceding brochure

Owner-operator instruction manual

 

(2) Non-Cadillac catalog describing the new Delco electrical lighting and starting systems {*}

 

1910-1912?

I saw two folders in the archives of the Ford Museum in Dearborn in 9/94; one was on the Victoria model, the other on the convertible coupe {***}.

 

1913

(1) small brochure 12x15cms, 14 pp. [pf], (reproduction copy), no illustrations, dated July 1, 1913, entitled "Some Can'ts that Did" ("a few sidelights on automobile industry"); written on theme that Cadillac was not given to false promises and that what "Can't be done" by other auto manufacturers CAN BE DONE by Cadillac On p.13 is a "prediction" regarding the coming [1914] Cadillac 2-speed direct drive axle {*}.

(1a)  These typewritten sheets were located in the collection of the late Zachary Taylor Vinson ["ZTV" in the following pages]. They could be an early manuscript for the preceding item.  Transcribed below the illustrations is the author's text.  Note how the language is similar to that used by Theodore F. MacManus in his 1915 Cadillac advertising piece, "The Penalty of Leadership", considered to be one of the greatest and most influential advertisements of all time.

       

 

[Note pinned to the piece] If possible, have this news item run in your papers without alteration. [Intro paragraph partly illegible] …sidelights on …History … THAT DID.

CANTO I - The worthwhile accomplishments in this world are usually things which the wiseacres with one accord, have loudly proclaimed “IT CAN’T BE DONE”. To where, perhaps, has this been more strikingly illustrated than in the automobile industry and its products.The first significant example occurred back in the year 1902. When Henry M. Leland announced that he would build 5,000 single-cylinder automobiles, immediately all hands went up. “It can’t be done.” “They’re crazy.” “Why, they can’t sell 5,000 automobiles in this whole world.” But within a year they were 2,000 more built, and within five years they were 3,000 single-cylinder Cadillac cars manufactured and marketed. No, it couldn’t be done. But it was.

CANTO II - The next important step in the automobile industry was in 1908, and in June 1909 the world was again startled. This time the Cadillac Morot [sic] Car announced that it would produce a high-grade, powerful motor car to sell at $1,400. Again all hands went up. “It can’t be done.” “Absurd.” “It’s a bluff.” “They’ll go broke.” “They’ll ruin the business.” But it was done. It wasn’t absurd. It wasn’t a bluff. The didn’t “go broke.” They didn’t ruin the business. On the contrary it was one of the best things that ever happened to the industry. It set a pace that other makers were compelled to, at least, try to follow. The pace has been set and the lead has been established, but the distance between the pacemaker and the slowest followers has never diminished.

CANTO III - The next important step in the industry occurred when the Cadillac Company announced for 1912 that its output of motor cars would be equipped with an electrical self-starting device. It was not something simply to give the enginer [sic] a push over and then stop, but something which would actually crank it and keep on cranking it if necessary. Not only this but the device would also furnish current for electric lights and for ignition. Up went the hands again. “It can’t be done.” They sounded the chorus. But it was done and done more successfully than even its makers had dared hope for. It was the greatest and most important single improvement since the inception of the motor car. It proved its case from the beginning. In the face of this, it was berated and it was envied. It was misrepresented and stories of almost every conceivable kind were circulated about it. Of course we had no idea how or by whom. After a few thousand of these Cadillacs had been delivered other makers woke up to the fact that the Cadillac electrical system was meeting with tremendous favor and success. Then there was a wild scramble for almost anything that bore the name “self-starter.”. Nearly every car adopted something which would serve as an excuse for the name. And what was the result? Let the buyers tell you. And all the time the Cadillac electrical system was growing in favor because it was proving itself to be right, and proving itself to be the only one that was actually doing what was expected of it. Then there was another unpinning. The handwriting was seen upon the wall. The electrical cranking device came into its own and now you see it rapidly displacing the other kinds. There are electrical cranking devices and electrical cranking devices and some more electrical cranking devices. It is not the purpose to dismiss them here. But there is a difference. Some of them are real ones. No, it couldn’t be done. But it was.

CANTO IV - And now comes another revolution: The Cadillac two-speed direct drive axel [sic]. Like preceding Cadillac innovations, it marks the beginning of another epoch in motor car progress. We will not go into details here concerning the manifold advantages of this axel [sic] further than to say that by it the Cadillac endows the motor car with: a new element of efficiency, a new quality of luxury, a new source of economy. We simply was [want?] to make a prediction: to prepare you for what is to come and to forewarn you as to what you may expect. Expect hands to go up as usual. Expect the chorus “It can’t be done.” Expect most anything. Be surprised at nothing you hear. But remember.

(2) product brochure, like 1912 edition but slightly smaller (reproduction copy), 36 pp. [pf unless otherwise stated], buff-brown covers, pictures of expanded Cadillac factories [lf] on p.1, "The Car that has no Crank" (front view, p.2), dynamometer testing room (p.6), RH side of engine (p.7), cylinder, piston water jacket (p.8) Johannson "Go / Not Go" gauges (p.9), front of engine showing chain drive (p.10), bottom of engine, crank case open (p.11), clutch (p.12), LH side of engine (p.13), transmission (p.15), steering gear and steering wheel (p.16), bird's eye view of operating mechanism (p.17), rear spring shackle (p.18), body styles [lf unless otherwise stated] chassis (p.22), (1) touring car (p.23), (2) 6-passenger touring car (p.24), (3) torpedo (p.25), (4) phaeton (p.26), (5) roadster (p.27), (6) limousine (p.28), limousine interior [pf] (p.29), coupe interior [pf] (p.30), (7) coupe (p.31). Printed by Dickinson Bros., Grand Rapids, Michigan. {*}.

         
Rear cover (right) again has Sieur Lamothe-Cadillac
landing at the site of the future Detroit

 

(3)  Photo catalog with limousine embossed on white card covers [costly item]. Many photos showing a black limousine in various road and country scenes [info from ZTV - 4/99].

 

(2) Owner's instruction manual/booklet {***}

 

(3) Non-Cadillac catalog describing the Delco electrical lighting and starting systems for 1913 {*}

 

(4)  Booklet (not illustrated) entitled "Cadillac School of Applied Mechanics" (seen in ZTV collection)

 

(5)  Merchandising text in the form of a series of "Cantos"; these originals were photographed in the collection of ZTV

 

1914

(1) 4-page folder, two-tone sepia/reddish-brown and black, with oval shield at top marked "Cadillac 1914" and the statement "Cadillac leadership in scientific motor car development is once more strikingly demonstrated". First page mentions, inter alia, the new two-speed rear axle, the improved Delco electrical system of automatic cranking, lighting and ignition, the improved carburetor, the rear springs that are longer by six inches, the folding driver's seat allowing front passengers to enter from either side of the car. Page two illustrates the seven body styles as well as the new, folding steering wheel. Page three summarizes the car's technical specifications.  The last page enters into considerable detail about the new, two-speed rear axle [this original piece currently is for sale: $45]

   

(2) Full set of seven original factory sepia-colored photo-drawings by Peninsular, Detroit,  including (1) 7-pass. car [$2075], (2) 5-pass. touring Car [$1975], (3) 4-pass. phaeton [$1975], (4) roadster [$1975], (5) 3-pass. landaulet coupe ($2500), (6) 5-pass.  inside-drive limousine [$2800] and (7) standard 7-pass. limousine [$3250].

 

(3)  Mid-year merchandising item:  4-page brochure asserting that Cadillac had no intention of  of marketing a car with a six-cylinder motor. The new V-8 was already on the drawing boards, although not yet mentioned in any factory literature.