The Cadillac DTS (DeVille Touring Sedan) is a full-size luxury sedan from the Cadillacluxury division of General Motors. The DTS replaces the Cadillac DeVille as that carmaker's largest luxury car for MY 2006, following the naming and styling direction set by the earlier CTSand STS. The design of the DTS was introduced in a unique way. A specially designed and outfitted presidential DTS limousine was used in the second inauguration of George W. Bush in theJanuary 20, 2005 parade. While details of the vehicle, codenamed Stagecoach, are highly classified, it is presumed to be heavily armored and feature advanced communication equipment. The production DTS was shown at the 2005 Chicago Auto Show on February 9. The DTS is manufactured at GM's Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly factory in Hamtramck, Michigan. The Luxury models are priced at US$41,990, while the Performance version is priced at US$50,490. The DTS is the best-selling full-size luxury car in North America. One major feature change from the Deville to the DTS was the elimination of the standard 6-passenger seating configuration for non-limousine models. However, such capability remains an optional feature. The Cadillac DTS is the largest sedan that General Motors offers. The DTS incorporates the K-platform as denoted by the 4th letter in the VIN, and is powered by the 32V Northstar V8, which produces 275 bhp (205 kW) in luxury trim. The DTS Performance Package horsepower increases this to 292 bhp (218 kW). The DTS has standard features such as eight airbags, Xenon high power headlamps, leather seating, and power seats. Options include navigation system, Magnetic Ride Control (magnetic ride control on performance models only), moonroof, chrome wheels, heated/cooled seats even a heated steering wheel is an option. A fully loaded DTS will top out at around $55,000(US) depending on your color choice and exact options. A new DTS Platinum Edition will be released sometime in mid to late 2007 with special interior trim, badging and other luxury features. No information has yet been confirmed on the engine performance. Many people believe the L37 engine will be put in, this also is not confirmed. Also the DTS-L was released with much improved rear legroom and a longer rear C-pillar reminiscent of the older Fleetwood 75 Series. Stabli-track remains standard on all but the base trim to help handling and with 3 choice of leather seating surfaces the DTS brings a new level of luxury to the Cadillac marque. A hood ornament and a digital display are also available. Coach Builders LTD of Florida manufactures a customconvertible version of the DTS. Along with the STS sedan, Cadillac has confirmed that both cars will be discontinued for MY2010. In an interview with Automotive News, General Motors executives said that they will be replaced with one performance sedan. This sedan is codenamed DT7 and will compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the BMW 7-Series.[ This continues a recent trend at GM that started in the late 1990s to consolidate redundant models. A 2006 hand-crafted, armored, and stretched DTS was forming the Presidential State Car for the former President of the United States (George W. Bush era). The version used by President Obama was speculated to use a GMC Topkick chassis, while maintaining the Cadillac exterior. The vehicle began testing in 2008. However, in Goodyear's press release, it claimed it was a heavily customized Cadillac DTS, using Goodyear Regional RHS 285/70R19.5 tires. Cadillac was formed from the remnants of the Henry Ford Company when Henry Ford departed along with several of his key partners and the company was dissolved. With the intent of liquidating the firm's assets, Ford's financial backers, William Murphy and Lemuel Bowen called in engineer Henry M. Leland of Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing Company to appraise the plant and equipment prior to selling them. Instead, Leland persuaded them to continue the automobile business using Leland's proven 1-cylinder engine. Henry Ford's departure required a new name, and on August 22, 1902, the company reformed as the Cadillac Automobile Company. Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing and the Cadillac Automobile Company merged in 1905. The Cadillac automobile was named after the 17th-century French explorer Antoine Laumet de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac, who founded Detroitin 1701. Cadillac helped to define advanced engineering, luxury and style early in automotive history and its vehicles would come to be known amongst the world's finest made. Precision manufacturing of truly interchangeable parts was an award-winning industry first in 1908. Cadillac was the first manufacturer to release cars with a fully enclosed cab as factory equipment in 1910. In 1912, Cadillac was the first manufacturer to incorporate an electrical system that consisted of cranking, lighting and ignition. In 1915 they were the first to regulate engine cooling by thermostatic means, and in 1922 the first to introduce thermostatic control of engine carburetion. Cadillac was also the first to build inherent balance in the V-8 in 1923. In 1912 Cadillac became the first manufacturer to offer an electric starter as standard equipment. It was developed by Charles Kettering and was marketed as a convenience device for female drivers. Anecdotally, Henry Leland insisted on this after a close friend was killed by a hand crank when his engine backfired[citation needed]. By allowing anyone to safely start a car, the electric starter ensured the dominance of theinternal-combustion engine over steam or electric, even though the internal-combustion engine was not necessarily superior to steam in emissions, fuel economy, range, or performance at that time. In July 1917, the United States Army needed a dependable staff car and they chose the Cadillac Type 55 Touring Model after exhaustive tests on the Mexican border. Several Cadillacs, used as testing platforms, passed the rigorous tests and as a result, 2,350 units of the Model 55 were supplied for use in France by officers of the American Expeditionary Force during WW I. Not one mechanical change was needed other than the requirement of khaki-brown paint. [4] Cadillac was the first manufacturer to utilize the skills of a designer to style a car's body instead of an engineer in 1927. It introduced shatter-resistant safety glass in 1926. In 1928, Cadillac's engineers were the first to design a fully-synchronized manual transmission using constant-mesh gears to prevent clashing upon executing a shift which increased drivability. Cadillac also introduced the 'turret top', the first all-steel roof on a passenger car. Previously the center of the roof was made from leather-covered wood. The turret top increased safety and was quieter. The marque was instrumental in the early development of the automatic transmission beginning in 1932; then in 1941, it became the first luxury car nameplate to offer an automatic transmission—GM's Hydra-Matic (introduced the previous year by sister division Oldsmobile). For the 1914 model year Cadillac introduced the first production V8 engine. Also about this time the MacManus advertising agency created the beautifully written "Penalty of Leadership", a one-time-only print ad[5] which became a huge success. Cadillac salespeople requested copies for themselves as well as their customers, and the sales immediately increased. In 1945 (nearly thirty years after it ran), this ad was voted the best ad of all time by those in the industry. According to Advertising Age, this campaign is ranked 49th out of the top 100 ad campaigns of all time (Advertising Age 1998). Cadillac offered the first production V-16 engine (that included the world's first hydraulic valve lifters) from 1930 through 1940, as well as a V-12 from 1931 through 1937. Cadillac, along with Buick and Oldsmobile, introduced the production of independent-wishbone front suspension in 1934. The marque introduced tailfins for 1948. The Eldorado Brougham of 1957 offered the first instance of a 'memory seat' function, allowing seat positions to be saved and recalled for different drivers. The first fully automatic heater/Air conditioning system was introduced in 1964. This system allowed the driver to set a desired temperature and the 'climate control' maintained the temperature automatically. From the late 1960s onward, Cadillac offered a fiber-optic indication system which alerted the driver to a failed light bulb. Dualairbags were offered on some Cadillac models from 1974 to 1977. Their first car was completed in October 1902, the 10 hp (7 kW) Cadillac. It was practically identical to the 1903 Ford Model A. Many sources say the first car rolled out of the factory on October 17; in the book Henry Leland — Master of Precision, the date is October 20; another reliable source shows car #3 to have been built on October 16. In any case, the new Cadillac was shown at the New York Auto Show the following January, where it impressed the crowds enough to gather over two thousand firm orders. The Cadillac's biggest selling point was precision manufacturing and, therefore, reliability; it was simply a better-made vehicle than its competition. In February to March 1908, three Model K Cadillacs (1907 production) were released from the stock of Frederick Bennett (UK agent for Cadillac) at the Heddon Street showroom in London to compete in the annual Royal Automobile Club's Standardization Test. They were driven 25 miles (40 km) to the Brooklands race track at Weybridge where they completed another 25 miles (40 km) before being put under lock and key until Monday March 2, 1908, when they were released and disassembled completely. Their 721 component parts were scrambled in one heap; 89 parts requiring extreme accuracy were withdrawn from the heap, locked away at the Brooklands club house and replaced with new parts from the showroom stock. Using only wrenches and screwdrivers the 3 cars were re-assembled and on Friday March 13 they completed a mandatory 500-mile (800-km) run. On completion of the test, one of the cars was placed under lock and key where it remained until the start of the 2,000 miles (3,200 km) Reliability Trials, several months later. It came out the winner of the R.A.C. Trophy. Parts interchangeability could not have been proven in any more appropriate way. As a result of these tests, the Cadillac Automobile Company was awarded the Dewar Trophy for 1908 (actual award date was February 1909). The Dewar Trophywas an annual award for the most important advancement of the year in the automobile industry. Cadillac was purchased by the General Motors conglomerate in 1909. Cadillac became General Motors' prestige division, devoted to the production of large luxury vehicles. The Cadillac line was also GM's default marque for "commercial chassis" institutional vehicles, such aslimousines, ambulances, hearses, and funeral home flower cars, the latter three of which were custom-built by aftermarket manufacturers. Cadillac does not produce any such vehicles in factory. Pre-World War II Cadillacs were well-built, powerful, mass-produced luxury cars, aimed at anupper class market. In the 1930s, Cadillac added cars with V12 and V16 engines to their range, many of which were fitted with custom coach-built bodies; these engines were remarkable at the time for their ability to deliver a combination of high power, silky smoothness and quietness. Automobile stylist Harley Earl, whom Cadillac had recruited in 1926 and who was to head the new Art and Color section starting in January 1928, designed for 1927 a new, smaller "companion" car to the Cadillac which he called the La Salle, after another French explorer,René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. That marque remained in production until 1940. In 1932, after Cadillac suffered from record low sales and charges of discrimination against black customers, Alfred Sloan created a committee to consider the discontinuation of the Cadillac line. At a fateful board meeting, Cadillac president Nicholas Dreystadt heard that legendary boxer Joe Louis could not go into a dealership to buy a car, because he was black, and resorted to having a white friend make the purchase for him. Dreystadt gave the GM board of directors a ten-minute speech in which he advocated advertising to black consumers so as to increase sales. The board agreed to give Dreystadt 18 months to produce results. Cadillac managed to survive the Great Depression by being part of GM. By 1940, Cadillac sales had risen tenfold compared to 1934. The year 1934 brought about a revolution in assembly-line technology. Henry F. Phillipsintroduced the Phillips screw and driver to the market. He entered into talks with General Motors and convinced the Cadillac group that his new screws would speed assembly times and therefore increase profits. Cadillac was the first automaker to use the Phillips technology, which was widely adopted in 1940. Postwar Cadillacs, incorporating the ideas of General Motors styling chief Harley J. Earl, innovated many of the styling features that came to be synonymous with the classic (late-1940s and 1950s) American automobile, including tailfins and wraparound windshields. Cadillac's first tailfins, inspired by the twin rudders of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft, appeared in 1948; the 1959 Cadillac was the epitome of the tailfin craze, with the most recognizable tailfins of any production automobile. Cadillac's other distinctive styling attribute was its front-bumper designs which became known as Dagmar bumpers or simply Dagmars. What had started out after the war as an artillery shell shaped bumper guard became an increasingly important part of Cadillac's complicated front grille and bumper assembly. As the 1950s wore on, the element was placed higher in the front-end design, negating their purpose as bumper guards. They also became more pronounced and were likened to the bosom of 1950s television personality Dagmar. In 1957 the bumpers gained black rubber tips which only heightened the relationship between the styling element and a stylized, exaggerated bumper design. For 1958 the element was toned down and was completely absent from the 1959 models. Despite record sales in 1973 and again in the late 1970s, Cadillac suffered from the malaise that set in to the American auto industry in the late 1970s to the late 1980s, primarily due to new government mandates on safety, emissions, and fuel economy. There were many high points, such as the launch of the front-wheel drive Eldorado in 1967 as a personal luxury coupe, with its simple, elegant design — a far cry from the tail-fin and chrome excesses of the 1950s. The 1970s saw vehicles memorable for excesses in dimensions and engine size before the downsizing era set in later in the decade. The new-generation engine that debuted with the 1968 models at a displacement of 472 cu in (7.7 L) was designed for an ultimate capacity potential of 600 cu in (9.8 L). Displacement was increased to 500 cu in (8.2 L) for the 1970 model Eldorado, then adopted across all models for 1975. Performance waned after peaking at 420 horsepower (310 kW) and over 550 foot-pounds force (750 N•m) of torque in the first year and further declined in 1971 and later years due to reductions in compression ratios necessitated by the advent of low-octane unleaded fuel and increasingly stringent emission requirements. The compact Seville was introduced in April 1975 as a 1976 model and came standard with the first electronic fuel injection system. The engine was a fuel-injected version of the Oldsmobile 350. The 1977 downsized full-sized cars and the Eldorado were fitted with a downsized 425 cu in (7 L) V8. This engine provided good performance and fuel economy for the downsized RWD models but was underpowered for the large Eldorado. The bore was further reduced for 1980-1981 to provide 368 cu in (6 L), again sharing the stroke of the original 472, as well as the weight and physical bulk. As with most American brands, Cadillac was forced to downsize its offerings between the 1973 and 1979 fuel crises. Its staple De Ville andFleetwood lines were downsized for 1977 and again for 1985 when the cars were also changed to a front-drive configuration. A downsized Eldorado debuted in 1979 with a new bustleback Seville sedan introduced on the same platform in 1980. Both the Eldorado and Seville were further downsized in 1986 into the compact-car class, with sales also shrinking. The "look-alike", "drive-alike" syndrome that affected most General Motors divisions under the administration of Roger Bonham Smith would have a negative effect on Cadillac as it tried to downsize its models. The DeVille, a generally successful model for Cadillac, would receive a complete redesign in 1985 that made the car heavily resemble its platform mates, the Buick Electra and Oldsmobile 98. Cimarron In an attempt to appeal to younger buyers, Cadillac launched the compact Cimarron in 1982. The Cimarron shared the J platform with the Chevrolet Cavalier, Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Firenza, Pontiac J2000, Holden Camira, Isuzu Aska, and Opel Ascona, and was expected to rival the BMW 3-series[citation needed]. As the Cimarron was rushed to production about three years ahead of schedule, only a four-cylinder engine was available (a V6 arrived in 1985) and, at first, minimal styling differences were made to distinguish it from the considerably cheaper Chevrolet version. Buyers generally dismissed the Cimarron as a "warmed-over Cavalier" with leather seats. Styling became much more in tune with other Cadillacs in its later years, but sales did not significantly improve after its initial rejection and it was discontinued in 1988. [original research?] Another nadir during the early 1980s was the variable displacement engine, branded the L62 V8-6-4 engine. Introduced in 1981, this 6 L (368 cu in) engine selectively activated and deactivated cylinders according to power demand. But it proved unreliable and was dropped the next year in favor of a family of smaller aluminum V8 engines rushed into production. The HT-4100 4.1 L (≈250 cu in) engine was used widely in Cadillacs from 1982 through 1987. The majority of HT4100's failed before 60,000 miles (97,000 km) and many of the 1,000,000 HT4100's installed in 1982-1987 Cadillacs were replaced by the factory under warranty although some motors went 200,000 miles (320,000 km) with extremely careful maintenance and no overheating episodes which this aluminum block engine does not tolerate. The HT4100's problems were far more serious and prevalent than those in the one-year only V8-6-4 and cost Cadillac the loyalty of many customers. Cadillac introduced the 4.5 liter aluminum v8 in 1988 which proved to be a very reliable motor, these motors often see well over 250,000 miles (400,000 km). This power plant was bumped up to 4.9 liters in 1991 and ran until 1993. The famous Northstar V8 would power the Eldorado from the 1992 model year through the next decade. 1987 saw Cadillac try to rebuild its image, aware that imported European and Japanese performance models were on a rise, and with Honda launching its American luxury division,Acura. Some new design approaches were tried: the Seville, for instance, was downsized to BMW 5 series proportions and had rounded wheel arches with only a hint of chrome. During this period, the greatest challenge to the import sports cars was the Cadillac Allanté, a convertible designed by Pininfarina of Italy, and built on what was touted as the world's longest production line—with the car's bodies fabricated in Italy and flown by Boeing 747 to the United States to meet their transmission and engine. In the initial two years of production, Cadillac offered no options for the Allanté except for the interior and body color. Like the Cimarron of a few years earlier, the Allanté was introduced with an engine which was below the expectations of its target market. The 170 horsepower (130 kW) HT-4100 engine was insufficient against more powerful competition. This introductory platform turned off many potential customers, who considered the vehicle to be underpowered for its $55,000 price tag, causing them to conclude that Cadillac was not genuinely committed to building a performance car. In 1989 the powertrain was improved with the 4.5 L engine producing 200 horsepower (150 kW). Finally, in 1993 the powertrain was again upgraded to respectable performance with the 4.6 L Northstar V8 producing 290 horsepower (220 kW). This turned out to be the final year of production, as Allanté sales never reached the volume which Cadillac hoped for. The Cimarron and Seville models marked a beginning of "smaller" cars for the Cadillac line. Throughout the 1980s, American auto makers downsized most of their models, and Cadillac was no exception. By the late '80s, the Brougham was the only Cadillac model that retained the style and size of the "big" DeVilles and Fleetwoods of the '70s. The Brougham was redesigned in 1993 and renamed the Fleetwood, with an optional Brougham package,towing capacity is up to 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg) with the L05 V8. In 1994 Cadillac replaced the L05 engine with the new more powerful LT1 engine. The Fleetwood was discontinued after the 1996model year. Following the demise of the Fleetwood, the Lincoln Town Car was left as the sole traditional full-sized luxury car remaining in the U.S. market. After GM phased out the D platform in 1996, Cadillac was left with a completely front-wheel drive lineup except for the European-based Catera, introduced for 1997. The GMC Yukon Denali-based Escalade, Cadillac's first sport utility vehicle, was introduced in 1998 for the 1999 model year, and featured standard all-wheel drive. It was quickly created to capitalize on the instant market success of the Lincoln Navigator launched as a 1998 model and seemingly destined to propel the Lincoln brand's sales total for the 1998 calendar year well ahead of Cadillac's. Had this happened, it would have been the first time Lincoln's sales total exceeded Cadillac's in the previous forty-eight years. By November 1998, Lincoln's year-to-date lead was a comfortable 6,783 vehicles, but Cadillac's December sales were reported as 23,861 vehicles, more than 10,000 ahead of its November sales. A prominent proportion of this increase was a rise in Escalade sales from 960 in November to 3,642 in December. The result was an overall lead for the Cadillac brand by a slim 222 vehicles. Subsequent audits of sales records during the first quarter of 1999, prompted by the unusual numbers posted in December plus the fact that Escalade sales had dropped to a mere 225 vehicles in January 1999, resulted in the discovery of an "error" of 4,773 units. With this corrected, it meant that Lincoln had in fact passed Cadillac in total sales for the 1998 calendar year (187,121 Lincolns sold vs. 182,570 for Cadillac). In the first week of May, 1999, a public retraction and apology was issued by GM spokesman Jim Farmer, admitting that "a combination of internal control breakdowns and overzealousness on the part of our team members" was the cause of the overstated figures, and adding that those responsible had been disciplined. However neither brand would have any reason to celebrate any sales success in the U.S. luxury market as their prior number-one and number-two positions had been overtaken by Japanese and German brands.[6] Cadillac has resisted the trend toward to producing "retro" models such as the revived Ford Thunderbird or the VW New Beetle. It has instead pressed ahead with a new design philosophy for the 21st century called "art and science"[1] which it says "incorporates sharp, shear forms and crisp edges — a form vocabulary that expresses bold, high-technology design and invokes the technology used to design it." This new design language spread from the original CTS across the line all the way up to the XLR roadster. A hybrid electric version of the Escalade is now available. New York Giants football player Eli Manning was awarded the keys to the Cadillac Escalade hybrid at the end of the Super Bowl XLII. Also the Cadillac Converj Concept was unveiled at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manufacturer General Motors Production 2006–2010 Assembly Hamtramck, Michigan, USA Predecessor Cadillac DeVille Class Full-size luxury car Body style(s) 4-door sedan Layout FF layout Platform K-body Engine(s) 4.6 L L37 V8 Transmission(s) 4-speed automatic Wheelbase 115.6 in (2936 mm) Length 207.6 in (5273 mm) Width 74.8 in (1900 mm) Height 57.6 in (1463 mm) Fuel capacity 18 US gallons (68.1 L; 15.0 imp gal) Founding
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Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Cadillac DTS
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Wednesday, March 4, 2009
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Discontinuation
Presidential State Car
Contributions to the automotive industry
Early vehicles
1908 parts interchangeability test
General Motors
La Salle "companion car"
The Great Depression
Postwar
Low points, and recovery
Excessive dimensions
Seville introduction and downsizing
"Look-alike, drive-alike syndrome"
Diesel V8
Due to gasoline shortages, Cadillac offered an Oldsmobile V8 engine that used diesel, the 'LF9' 350 cu in (5.7 L) unit, in its full-size cars from 1979 to 1985. Similar in appearance to the gasoline engines from which they were developed, they used much thicker and heavier castings, and a higher quality alloy was used for their block and heads. The main bearing journals were also increased to 3 inches (76 mm) to compensate for the higher operating stresses and pressures that diesel engines exert on their reciprocating parts. However, this engine gained a reputation for unreliability, mainly due to its inability to withstand the effects of the poor quality of the diesel fuel available at the time. The fuel system did not have an effective water separating system, and neither the buyers nor the dealer service staff were adequately informed about the products and procedures necessary for the proper maintenance of the engine. This led to corrosion in the fuel injection pump, leading in turn to incorrect injection cycles, cylinder head lift, stretching or breaking of cylinder head bolts, failure of head gaskets, hydro-lock from coolant leaking into the cylinder, and the breaking of engine components, thereby causing catastrophic engine failure. In the hands of an experienced diesel operator, these engines can (and often do) travel for hundreds of thousands of trouble free miles. However, for a society of people who just "gas and go", this engine was particularly ill suited to the task. Ironically, Detroit Diesel, another division of GM, had decades of experience building Diesel engines.
V8-6-4 and HT4100
Allanté
Downsizing and the Brougham
Competition with Lincoln - Escalade
The Art and Science Era
Electric vehicles
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