Don't forget the time when Elvis Presley was at his height of popularity, he went one day to a Cadillac dealership and he noticed an old and obviously poor African American woman looking at some of the cars and he said to her, "Which one are you going to buy?" She replied laughingly, "I love this one, but I could never afford it" Elvis told her to wait there. In a few minutes, he came out with the keys and handed them to her.
***Elvis was never apart of the Civil Rights Movement like other whites because he knew the majority of his fans are white Klan loving racist**** So fk that Shxt‼️‼️‼️‼️
He bought a black woman a 77 Eldorado Biarritz. He didn’t know her at all. I don’t know the background of how that occurred but she was rolling in an Eldog. ❤️
I'd never heard that 1 but certainly not impossible. I don't think he was as racist as some have claimed. He once gave an expensive Rolex watch to Redd Foxx as a gift. IRS confiscated it.
The moral of the story: respect your customers, and they will support your business. This is especially true for people who have sometimes been treated poorly because of their identity (which should never have happened to begin with)
@Mike theBike Damn right! The atrocities of 1619 onwards SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. Slavery, Jim Crow, Emmett Till, the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the burning of the Freedom Rider bus, the killing of innocents of all ages, the assassinations, the redlining, the segregation, the dumb-@$$ stereotypes...
We know that now but back back in 50's and 60s Dell I'm not many BMW and Rolls-Royce a Mercedes-Benz in the us at the time they were being shipped to only famous and rich people at the time Cadillac was the Mercedes and the road of the USA I had three of them in my family that once we had a brand new one and two 64 Cadillacs
I'm glad this is getting talked about. My maternal great-grandfather lost his wife in 1947, and he got remarried to a wealthy widow named Georgia Dreystadt, who was the widow of Nick Dreystadt (the main guy in this video who convinced Cadillac to sell to black people). I started reading more about him in random articles and ended up learning about all of the stuff that is mentioned here in this video. He was a fascinating, brilliant man. It's a shame he died so young. He was the frontrunner to become the head of GM. Who knows how much better they could've ended up. But at least we have him to thank for Cadillac still existing, and obviously for helping break the color barrier in auto sales. May he rest in peace.
Great intel Matt, thanks. Also Branch Rickey who determined Jackie Robinson would break the color "barrier" in MLB. Some were not kool with that. First heard of unwritten Cadillac "Gentlemen's Agreement" about 30 years ago. I'm sure Cadillac wasn't only party guilty of the practice. Selling expensive luxury cars to blacks would've made them "social equals" ( Circa Civil War Era) & they couldn't have that could they?
@@musiclover5023 Unfortunately all too true. If it wasn't the "crackers" & "peckerwoods,' we were too often@"war" with each other. He was a miserable failure as a man & in terms of character, but I still admire & respect Jack Johnson not only for his boxing skills, but he was his own man. No one was gonna tell him how to live, what he could or not do.
@@a.leemorrisjr.9255 I Think that is the secret that Jack Johnson discovered for himself really And If more people did have the "Ill do What suíts me" kind of attitude with respect to personal success And progress, a Lot more people would bê a Lot more happy And stop the "in fighting".
@@lamargettens2370 before then, from the 40’s till the late 80’s. Don’t forget about Cadillac Records in the 50’s and all the Motown people back in the 60’s driving those Cadillacs.
There's is some truth to what you're saying, both Cadillac & Lincoln have been arch luxury rivals well over 100 years now. But remember, back in "bad old days" if you didn't own a Packard, Peerless, or a Pierce-Arrow, you weren't even considered in the same league Jay. Packard would survive the Depression, Peerless & Pierce-Arrow did not. Nor did Marmon or the mighty Franklin Air-cooled. I've never heard of 1 overheating.
@@lamargettens2370 yup cars were big in the 70s but they were also just as big in the 40s,50s,and 60s, it really wasn’t until the 80s that gm really began downsizing
Like my Dad used to say, “We buy things, too” Chuck Berry and Dizzy Gillespie among other Black celebrities drove a “Caddie” It was a symbol that one had “made it” in society.
My grandfather worked for GM in the 50s 60s and 70s (25yrs) and according to my Mom & Aunts he alway had a Caddy.... Not New but 1-2yrs old and got another 1 every 3-4yrs
As an Australian observer, I always thought that part of why African Americans were so into Cadillacs was that it was not only a "badge of rank" for those that were successful, but also, let's face it, even a basic sedan of the older Caddies could fit a decent sized family. There would have been a certain amount of pride involved in owning one. Also, they weren't exactly "fragile cars either. They were built like a tank, and compared to their European counterparts, much easier to maintain.
ALL people loved Caddilac in American and around the world! It was the pinnacle of luxury and people love luxury and style. As people love Mercedes’, Lexus & BMW today!
The late great Redd Foxx answered it best when asked why are there so many new Cadillacs in the hood ? Well, Redd replied, we may not own them long but, we own them first.
My grandfather literally drove nothing else...he had his truck for the country--but in the city... he would cruise his cadillacs around town...I remember his back plates would say "David Taylor Cadillac"... part of my childhood♥
There was a Black car manufacturer in Ohio. His last name was Patterson, I don't recall his first name. He was before Henry Ford. He also made cassidy for coaches, some of the finest cassidies ever made. His company went under after his death, due to the depression and other factors.
@@Imissyoulou Frederick Douglas Patterson. Vehicle was Greenfield-Patterson. Cars were built 1915-18. Sadly, none of them remain today. Patterson family had been custom carriage makers prior to auto making. A few of those do still exist today. Underfunded, they returned to building bus & truck bodies. Family closed Ohio based business for good in 1939. The cars were well advanced for their era, built to order, & meant to compete with Ford's T-Model.
@@problactive285 Yes, C.R. Patterson had been a Virginia slave. In Ohio he & a man named Loew established a carriage making business. When Loew died, C.R. continued the firm in own name. Car service & repairs eventually followed & son Frederick Douglas Patterson moved company into car making 1910.
@@problactive285 The word here is economic EMPOWERMENT. Until you actually OWN means of production/distribution of goods & services you're just another "consumer." History has already proven we can do more than just sing, dance, & play sports! I too have an "issue" with handing over our cash to those who don't particularly like or respect us, but we must trust & respect each other first. We as a people here in USA don't do that!
Growing up Black in a small, working class town during the 60's I learned that the connection between Blacks and Cadillacs was an ugly stereotype. Very impoverished people buying way over their means to impress everyone. I was fed the image of a pimpish looking gangster type strutting next to a Cadillac. Up until now, I didn't know this connection had a legitimate history that is really nothing to be ashamed of. Thanks you.
I worked in auto parts stores for years, and blacks 1000000% do own a lot of Cadillacs. Lincolns also. They also ALWAYS want the cheapest parts and still get sticker shock over the prices. I saw this countless times.
My elderly neighbor still has his retro looking Cadillac still in use next few doors to me, lived in a mixed middle class neighborhood (filipino-americans, latinos and mostly blacks) I cant help stare seeing such 60's looking vintage car up and running like a living history until this video got recommended to me.
Thanks for giving us this background. I never liked or intended to buy a Cadillac. Then the CTS came out and I fell in love with the design. After that, my next car was an ATS. They last a long time if you take good care of them.
Unfortunately, Cadillac lost their way when they built the CTS, it more sports car than luxury, Cadillacs used to be comfortable, and had technology way ahead of its time, the last Cadillac that was true to it's heritage was the DTS and it's discontinued
I had a neighbor, who was about my grandfather's age who'd mount a hitch to them and tow a horse trailer when he'd go hunting in another part of the state.
My CTS is the biggest maintenance hog I've ever owned; the quality is just not there. It's a pretty car, handsome design, and the only saving grace I can give it is that it burns 87 octane. I can't wait to get rid of it and I will not recommend it to anyone who asks me! Pure POS!
I am in LOVVVVVVE with my Cadillac Deville on 22's. Got from an old lady that never drove it. I bought it 8 months ago and fell in love, I barely drive it as well. I knew that cadillacs were a thing back in the day, but this shed so much more light on the history. Thank you for this video.
My Dad didn't buy Cadillacs He bought Lincolns, one Sunday afternoon while We were washing His 1957 Premier convertable a man walked up to Pops and asked Him how could He afford such a car, Pops answer was that He couldn't afford to be without it!
@@johnswanson3741 1st Of All I Will Disagree With Your Statement I Definitely Take Pride Of Being A Cadillac Owner And I Make Sure I Take It To My Local Cadillac Dealership For Schedule Maintenance & I Keep It Clean Because I Love The Style & Ride Of My CTS & Recently I Could Have Upgraded To The New CT5 , But I Wanted To Keep My CTS Because It's The 2nd Generation CTS And I Just Love The Body Style Of The Car , So All People Don't Abuse A Cadillac Especially If You're A Proud Cadillac Owner
@Mario Avila sweet my 05 was a manual and I loved it got it as soon as I got back from Iraq did 3 tours saved my money bought it flat out and never has a problem with it I have let the guys down in Texas Hennessy modify my 2018 from 640 to about 820 hp and man it's looks like a sleeper smaller pully better supercharger and a few other things new exhaust I love it
I grew up in Dallas Texas where my dad was a mechanic in a shop in a mostly black area . I remember that all the black folks that had caddy's we're extremely proud of them and they were always polished and spotless . Those big old cars were more than a car , They were a life style .
I am definitely a Cadillac Man,,,,, had my first one at 22 years old 1981 DeVille,,,,,, yes truly a status symbol,,,, of American beauty,,,,, and class,,,,, I'm 49 years old now,,,,, and owned eight so far,,,,, now it's the XTS for me,,,,,, back in the day,,,, country folks label this car,,,,,(a HOG),,, simply because,,,,, it was huge,,,(brother's got to have THEM)👍💯👍🚘
I have the 2017, 2 door ATS. It's the big ass for me and yes, the features. Just take a look at her from behind as she burns off. P.S. I am all woman so perhaps it's my lack of ass is the reason I am so impressed. 😂
My father and all of his friends always had Cadillacs. I grew up in the 50's & 60's and that's what I always aspired to own. Others of my "Boomer" Generation, loved their Tri-Five Chevy's, but not me. It was Cadillac or, maybe, Thunderbird for me. I have owned three of both brands.
Don't know what it was like@other showrooms, but we definitely were not welcome@Cadillac dealers@1 time, that was out of our "place," somehow not as "good" as others. Pure unadulterated B.S. It was never anything written down, but GM did finally issue memo ending the practice. Another irony of the era, when former boxing champ Jack Johnson sold his Harlem based "Club Deluxe" to Irish-British mobster Owney Madden it was remodelled & opened as the "Cotton Club." The entertainers were black, but black patrons were not welcomed there either. The club was segregated.
@Paul Lunsford I think Ford always built a decent car for the money, but I 'spose they made their share of "lemons" also like anyone else. 1 of the best cars I ever had was a Ford. 'Ol man Henry was known for being anti-semitic which was wrong, thought Hitler was a great guy (as did Joe Kennedy Sr., Lindbergh, & others until Nazis started raising hell in europe.) He did care about his workers if somewhat paternally. He'd work hell out of you, but always paid well for the era, & in business he could be ruthless. He didn't like unions because he hated Communism & feared it's influence in organized labor. Not a highly educated man, but he was far from being stupid. He could think, put his ideas down on paper & hire the people who'd carry out what he wanted. He was a man of his era & had many flaws, but I can still admire/respect him & his family because they were willing to give blacks & other visible minorities a chance in early days of manufacturing.
They (GM) maybe sold other cars to blacks, but not "Caddies." That was a social "taboo." It made us appear to be as good & worthy as anyone else. Such attitudes were probably true of other luxury marques as well. The black man's always had a hard way to go in this world & it wasn't much better for the black woman. But we've always persevered. Either that or give up, lay down, & die. That's not an option! But people of "colour" must learn to respect themselves & others again. I'm 68 now & over the years I've seen less & less of this.
Wow. I am just finding this channel and it has beem around for years. Your content is severely needed. We need to hear the true history not taught in school, and the information they are trying to outlaw under the CRT banner.
Cadillacs were superb cars by almost every measure. Their only shortcoming, by the 70s, was the lack of dash gauges, save for the gas gauge, but it is easy enough to find somebody to create a dash to your liking for you. If you can afford the car, you can afford to have some customization done to it.
Just proves how much buying power we have. If we would keep our money in our communities longer we could be a power to recon with. Or at least we could demand better treatment in the places we spend our money.
Thanks for all the great info. My mother told me Folks like the Cadillac brand because. When there were places that Folks couldn't get hotel or motel rooms. Or it was too dangerous to stop. Folks could one sleep in the Cadillac cars. they were big enough and were very comfortable for 4 people. Plus they were reliable cars for long distance driving. Again when it was too dangerous for Folks to stop and rest. And my family owned a lot of Cadillac's. For those reasons and more. Plus they always had all the latest bells and whistles.
Growing up in the 70’s we had a black man in our town who had a custom 70 ish Caddy that was gold with a white fur landau top, wire wheels,curb feelers, wide whitewalls and purple window tint. He had SUPERFLY painted at the top of the windshield. He even dressed the part! Dont know what ever became of him or his car but he just disappeared. But back to what I meant to comment on was that most of the black people my family knew usually always drove Pontiacs or Buicks.
A nice luxury brand of car ruined with outright over the top tackiness by a no taste, no talent having moron seeking validation because of mindless, soulless vanity. I think that's part of what's wrong with the black culture in regard to their touch on cars, ruining already once decent looking nice cars with their level of being gaudy. You clearly see examples of this with the donk customs in the south and the slab culture of Houston, Texas. It's equivalent to Chimpanzees flinging their shit on canvas and referring to it as "Art" is the best analogy that I can describe as what's being done to these cars by them. Never in my life has the "Superfly" custom look on Cadillacs resonated with me, which I rightfully call "Superfoul" instead. Even as a child I thought that they were hideous and that there was something seriously wrong with the people that owned them doing that shit to them. That aftermarket custom potruding grill that so many blacks put on their Cadillacs thinking that they were being stylish and looking cool, has never looked right to me. I think I read somewhere that a black New Jersey man was the first one to put that hideous potruding grill on his brand new Cadillac in 1969 setting the trend for others to foolishly follow willingly. So, there you have it, a nice luxury brand of car ruined by retards seeking validation because of their vapid vanity. And before anyone gets their panties in a bunch accusing me of being racist, this is all coming from a black man himself, so that's that.
Simple...because it was a status symbol. It was a sign of prosperity, success and got whatever lucky guy who owned one lots of poontang. Or as Robin Harris once said: "That's why brothas drive Cadillacs. 'Cause ya can't get all that ass in a Volkswagen!"
You would be surprised what you can do in a Volkswagen Beetle. I had a 1969 bug and got plenty. It's not the size of the car but the skill of the driver. Of course, good looks and a good personality helped.
@@punothebear Nowadays for the most part SUVs have that coveted title. The Mercedes Benz G-Wagon in my opinion would be number one. Along with the Cadillac Escalade and Range Rover.
A good Black friend of mine dad had a `56 Sedan de Ville , emerald green with factory air. It was about 10 years old at the time and in immaculate shape.When his dad came to pick him up from our Catholic school he would drive me home. When I complimented him on his beauty, his son said 'my father treats his car better than me (jokingly, of course) Then his dad would play punch him and they would both laugh. Great times, great friends, and great memories from a different- and better time.
Amazing series man. As a white Dutch person (highly colonial country) born from the 90's who tries as much as possible to be an ally these videos are higly enlightening and they also make me feel a lot of anger for all that happened to the black community and is still happening. I am trying to be more vocal and outspoken about racist commentary in my workplace and people around me in general. We still even in this day have so far to go. I hope we live to see the day that these things cease to be an issue.
@@jed-henrywitkowski6470 I think he is.....he is taking action, and I do not think it is White Guilt. Now, if it were someone in the 1970s, 1980s, I would say it's white guilt. In the 2010s and 2020s, people are more progressive and some individuals might be angered but not only racism, but also other issues like environmental pollution. I've visited the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has had a "checkered" past. I've also visited the Republic of Suriname, located in South America - a lot of Dutch influence there!
You understand that people are the same and skin is just skin. The tactics used in the past were deplorable, but understanding and remembering their lessons, we stop them from being repeated.
@@terrypatterson2822 Many today do not resalise just how blatant racism & discrimination once were in USA, even in the north. In fact, it could be worse because it was "camouflaged."
Quite an educational video. I live in the San Antonio metro, in a community with a heavy military presence, and a growing population of middle class, upwardly mobile African Americans. I've notice that African American people also have a fondness for Buicks.
My grandother was just talking about how my great-grandmother went and bought a brand new Cadillac DeVille sedan with cash. I was a really young child but my main memory of her is seeing her driving up in it to my grandma's house one Christmas.
Being raised in a south west side Detroit red-lined neighborhood where the only way to own a home was to pay cash. It was frustrating for a lot of autoworkers making a good living yet were restricted from home ownership. Henry Ford told his minority workers at the Rouge in Dearborn, "you can work here, but you can't live here". Owning a Caddy, back then known as the standard of the world, Lincoln, Buick deuce & a quarter & others gave them a sense of accomplishment & self esteem. Different unfair world back then seeing folks being suppressed by their ethnicity.
@@richardcooke9948 I think it's dramatically changed in the Detroit area which has just about every ethnic group. In my old hood, every street had a different group. Off Michigan Ave, Blacks lived on Springwells, Mexicans on Lawndale, Polish was Trenton & Ogden, Renville was Ukranian, etc & seemed to get along. This has been going on for over 100 years since Ford announced the $5 working day & building the Rouge. My high school, Chadsey, was quite the melting pot. We all had & still do have a sense of empowerment to change & Federal "help" just hasn't happened. There has been a lot of major issues over the years, the '43 &'67 riots, busing, drugs, bankruptcy, corruption, etc. We're not perfect, but I sure like the direction going forward.
Ol' man Ford was no saint, but I still can respect him & his family because they did give visible minorities & people of color a chance back in those early industrial days.
Great info. I will say this growing up in the NYC area a black owned dealership named Dick Gidron Cadillac sold to lots of black families including mine. I believe he was from Chicago originally and was the top salesman for the first Black owned Cadillac dealership in the United States “Al Johnson Cadillac”. I mention this because Ebony and Jet as well as WBLS in NYC gave a lot of press to Gidron and Johnson. The 1970s were key because Black movies as well as Black churches gave almost “free advertising” during that era as I was growing up.
There's always been those who excelled in spite of the cutthroat competition & oppression. Read awhile back of a man (don't recall name) whose relative had owned a successful Chrysler dealership in Chi-town area.
Lawrence P. Fisher, one of the famous seven Fisher Brothers was president of the Cadillac Division. He would always color coordinate his suit with the color of car he was driving. Since he was president of Cadillac he could just take a new Cadillac out of the plant anytime he wanted. If he showed up in a green suit he drove off a lot with a green Cadillac. His mansion on a canal off of the Detroit river is still there. The next time you open up the door on a a pre 1996 GM vehicle look at the rocker panel plate and you will see a logo with a coach that reads Body By Fisher. That represents the Fisher Body company the Fisher Brothers started.
some loved and some people still loves the cadillac. for me the steering column is too heavy compared to the Lincoln. and it's slow but it's a smooth ride none the less.
Thank you so much for this informative report. I have never been attracted to the Cadillac....or to the people who drive them. It became a stereotype that the why folks profited off of and ridiculed.
You have to wonder if sweeping generalizations characterizing an entire race are harmful when they are constantly reinforced by constant reputation in our media. It seems that a person's individuality is compromised just because they were born black. Then again, I think every race experiences this to some extent.
@@kjaze No..for me, it was/is a personal opinion based upon my own likes, dislikes and whatever appeals to me. My comment was not "sweeping". It was specific...tho.
I'm a White guy, And I have ALWAYS loved Cadillacs. (At least until modern times, as they no longer look like Cadillacs). Over the years I had a 1963 Sedan De Ville, a 1970 Fleetwood, A 1975 Coupe De Ville, as well as an 1987 and 1992 Brougham. I currently have a 2008 Buick Lucerne (A DTS with different sheet metal, LOL)
It's True, My oddest brother, my cousin and all the Black People during the eary 1970's and until this day, The Cadillac was all about I've made it to the big time, It's about status as Black people rose up out of poverty....
I don’t think that still stands today. I was born in the 80’s and never associated these cars with high luxury, unless you mean they’re still a status in the hood.
It's sad that at age 68, 23 years into the 21st Century, I'm still learning about the evil effects of racism in America, something that we all need to do.
To the extent that Florida is concerned about teaching the truth about Black AMERICAN history, that is a good thing. To the extent that CRT is not true, then it is a bad thing, and not relevant or helpful to Florida's students. CRT exists for those who want to study it, whether it's taught in the classroom or not.
We don’t know the half of it! Never realized how much trouble they went through to disassociate themselves from Black anything. It was the American way across the board .
It's all about the $$$ bruh, NOT because GM & others suddenly accepted visible minorities as social "equals.";Perhaps the name did mean something@one time, but today I'd be somewhat reluctant to lay down that kind of cash for an expensive "Chevrolet."
The joke used to be an Olds was a "poor man's" Caddy. Buick now has that slot. Hell, they're run off the same lines today, but you're gonna PAY for that Cadillac nameplate.
Growing up in a Black neighborhood in the late 1950's and 60's, I remember Blacks having brand new Caddy's and pips driving the Fleetwood's. They also drove the Rocket 88's of that era.
"Virginia, in this critical hour, has the opportunity to give direction and destiny to our troubled South. As Virginia goes, so goes the South, perhaps America, and the World."- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
So true. I grew up in the 50s and the most respected man in my dad’s ten person work force was JB James, known for his love of Cadillacs. His whole generation would talk about these cars with love and affection. Buicks nope, Caddys yep. Forget Ford.
WORD OF ADVICE. If you want to have people avoid calling your subtext racisist, don’t marginalize an entire population of any race or gender by asking questions like “why do all (people of that group) do something?” Example: If you ask me: “Why do all Whites love mayonnaise?” The Answer is: We don’t and that is a clueless, racist stereotypical question.
To “rage against the machine. This is a new metal rock band from the 1990s. The guitar player was half Kenyan and worked as a congressional staffer at one point. The lead rapper for a amazing resemblance to young Bob Marley, but actually was the son of a Chicano activist. Everybody in the band was leftist. Leaning towards revolutionary Socialism. Here is the quote.” they’re deep in your pocket son, they got you thinking that buying is rebelling.’ this video is really insightful and it confirms the statement.
@@CharlesCoderre-yv1cu I Don't Need To Lie I Know What Type Of Automobile That Sit Up Under My Carport & I Have Photos Of That Beautiful Automobile In My Phone , So I Don't Need To Prove Anything To You Especially To Someone Who Is A Troll
Actually the brand was founded by Henry M. Leland, a White American businessman in 1902. He named it after the French explorer Antoine De La Mothe Cadillac who founded the city of Detroit, Michigan. The company was then purchased by General Motors in 1909 which was also founded by a White American businessman, William C. Durant. So, I find no conclusive evidence to substantiate your claim that the company in question was founded by Black Americans.
Any person no matter their color recognizes quality and buying a Cadillac symbolized that one was successful and had arrived. It was the pinnacle of ones success in our thriving capitistic economy.
Literally, the ONLY Cadillac that I've ever seen that I liked is the CT5-V. And a lot of the reason for that is because there's not a lot of options for a 700HP engine under $100K.
Cadillac's were great cars and they were the top car for Black Americans from the 1940's , but I think in the late 1960's Cadillac lost a little luster among black people to the Buick Electra 225 and the Oldsmobile 98. I've had several generations of all three, and my overall favorite is the Buick Electra 225 hands down when it came to styling, power, interior comforts, and wheels. The Buick could not be beat. It was almost perfect out of the box. The Oldsmobile 98 was a close second, with the 1980-84 body being the best version. The pillow top seats were the best. The cadillac's made after 1977 were not the best quality and were not reliable at all. The interior and exterior styling were marginal compared to Buick and Oldsmobile at the time. Only the cadillac's name and past reputation carried them for a long time and caused people to overlook their current shortcomings at the time.
I owned 4 Cadillacs in the 70s. Later I had an Oldsmobile Delta 88(1986) Royale Brougham. It was a prototype that had features they were trying out for future use in Cadillacs and Buicks. The pillow top seats were absolutely the most comfortable of any car I've owned.
I get a kick out of a comment made by a Jewish owner of a Mercedes Benz. A friend questioned his buying a German car, he replied "If those Nazis in Stuttgart knew how happy their car made this Jew they would kill themselves" Ha ha ha.
In the 70s there were lots of black men driving Cadillacs in my neighborhood with curlers in their hair. They also lived in houses that should have been condemned. Of course, they didn't drive them for long before the repo man took them back.
@@a.leemorrisjr.9255 No, technically it is an asset. Because as with many other things, it's under the same category of personal property. So, I think that's where you've made an error.
@@BeverageGuzzler True, if you own vehicle outright it's personal property but an asset puts cash in your pocket, liabilities take it out. Payments, depreciation, license, plates, registration, insurance, maintenance, etc. make a car a liability.
Caddys were the mercedes of the black community back in the day. My uncle said those fins were saying something! All of my uncles had em. My cousin worked for GM back in the early 60s after graduating from college in the motor city. He sold plenty of caddys to the Motown staff back then. He had a brand new caddy every 2 yrs. I'm actually looking for a 79 - 80 el dog convertible biarritz to add to my collection. I think it's kool to own whatever you want as long as got some real estate planted first to park your caddy in your garage! You only got one life, might as well get yours while you're here & enjoy the fruits of your hard work!
Good news, Our products have greatly improved in terms of quality control & attention to detail (they had to,) GM & Ford in particular. Bad News, So have the Japanese with Honda, Toyota, & Subaru setting the pace.
@@earlinebeaman684 Japan is still hard pressing the European makes globally. Don't know their situation now, but in recent years premier European makes have been full of Gremlins hard to diagnose & correct because of all the Hi-Tech involved with some of them. Build quality had also become an issue.
Actually, that's false. General Motors was founded by William C. Durant, a White American businessman in Flint, Michigan 1908. The Chevrolet car brand was founded by Swiss brothers Louis and Arthur Chevrolet in Flint, Michigan 1911. The brand was then purchased by General Motors in 1918. I haven't found any proof of your claim that the companies in question were started by Black Americans.
Exactly Floyd. That's why I had strong mixed feelings about "bail-outs." Since when do you reimburse those who caused the trouble in the first place? I'm already planning ahead while waiting for other axe to fall.
@@a.leemorrisjr.9255 Especially when they claim free market everything.... it's to help the mostly white-run industries out there. Privatize profits.... socialize losses...and those losses will come at the expense of black labor (wages) and black customers (raised prices).
I never understood why because I grew up with my grandparents and my grandfather was always adamant about buying my grandma a Cadillac in 98 after years of driving an Oldsmobile 98 and when that Cadillac was wrecked because of a young woman running a stop sign as my grandmother was leaving church in 2000 they went back to the Cadillac dealer and bought a new one.
Both of my grandparents on my mother said & father said of the family had Cadillacs they loved 🥰 Cadillacs even my uncles on both sides of my family still love American cars & Cadillacs it’s they’re favorites.
This was great and quite informative! There’s a reason I would NEVER purchase a domestic luxury brand over an import solely due to the history behind it all! And for the life of me, will NEVER understand why ANY group of people that were never allowed to buy into and enjoy any high dollar luxury goods or service that their Anglo counterparts could easily enjoy without question. African Americans with money should have heavily invested in the European or even the Japanese brands instead, as it turned out they (eventually) produce/d much more refined and technologically advanced vehicles anyway! Besides that, once record companies, sports teams, etc realized how much African Americans loved and coveted Cadillacs, they would just put them in a new Cadillac and spending money and keep the BIG bucks for themselves and ACTUALLY lived the “American Dream”, while black performers were disillusioned into “believing” they were living it with their shiny new Cadillacs! Just saying….
Yeah, I'm sure those Europeans and the Japanese were far less racist to blacks. Be real. They'd let blacks buy their cars because they're not stupid. More cars sold equals more money for them. Took GM a while but they eventually figured that out.
🤔 Good point for the most part, but I don’t believe the Europeans nor Japanese love us anymore than the Caucasians here in the U.S, so what would be the difference? Unless you’re talking about quality, you’re still giving your money to people who couldn’t care less about you. *MATTHEW 24:19* Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
Well, when you've been beaten up for 400 years, enjoyment of a status symbol is sort of a low bar. Can't expect much else out of these people.... so might as well have an expensive toy to play with until they arbitrarily pull you over and pretend you stole it.
@@osaji922 The only reason why those people would be racist towards blacks is all of the American media sent around the world for the last 300-400 years saying we were worthless.
Some are so sold on that "prestige" illusion they'll lay down hard earned cash for "prestigious" junk. Don't get me wrong, not saying Caddy's are worst cars on the road, but I wouldn't call them the best either. They're nice, expensive "Chivvies" & Lexus is "eating their lunch"! But to each his own.
This is honestly the first time that I had heard of Cadillac directly marketing to black customers so early in the game to save their skins. Especially hearing the analogy of “Pontiac“ when I was growing up from some folks.
@@HughJass-jv2lt poor old n thinks it’s a Cadillac. And the weird thing is I’ve heard from black and white folks when I was younger. Because I’ve been a Pontiac man myself all the way up until the brand was discontinued. I’ve owned at least five of them. So I guess this would be the tie into what I heard, which really made me scratch my head when I heard it.
Because of the title I almost didn't click on this video thinking it was going to be some tasteless joke. I clicked nonetheless and I'm glad I did. America sure has some embarrassing moments in its history (and still does). Thank you for your research and illumination.
I did not own a caddy, but I have owned 5 experiment cars for the caddy, and I currently own two of them. They were Oldsmobiles. I have had three Cutlass Supremes, a 72, a 74, a 79, and an 81. I currently have a1978 Delta 88 Royale Brougham and the 74 Supreme @ present. Would not have another "computer controlled" car. My two Oldsmobiles are classics and I really enjoy driving them. Very trouble free. Thank You.
I believe Cadillac and Lincoln we’re both founded Henry Leland. Henry Ford and Leland had a disagreement of some sort. Can’t remember the full story, but Cadillac was purchased by GM and Lincoln went to Henry Ford. I believe Cadillac, Ford and Dodge all have roots together. Cadillac was purchased by GM and the Dodge brothers went their own way and Ford grew to become FoMoCo.
Correct Eric, Leyland was the genius behind both Cadillac & Lincoln motorcars & Ford sat on the board of Cadillac. He & Leyland fell out because Ford wanted to buy Cadillac, Leyland blocked him. "Cadillac's not for sale, not to you." Yes, many of those "car guys" back then knew each other & had even worked together. Some became auto moguls, others went broke, others & the cars bearing their names went to side of the road & are history now.
Believe it or not Billy Durant (Mr. GM)@1 time made a bid for Ford. He told ol' man Henry to, "Name your price." Ford did, Durant's financiers balked, & that was the end of it.
Don't forget the time when Elvis Presley was at his height of popularity, he went one day to a Cadillac dealership and he noticed an old and obviously poor African American woman looking at some of the cars and he said to her, "Which one are you going to buy?" She replied laughingly, "I love this one, but I could never afford it" Elvis told her to wait there. In a few minutes, he came out with the keys and handed them to her.
Whoa is that true?
***Elvis was never apart of the Civil Rights Movement like other whites because he knew the majority of his fans are white Klan loving racist****
So fk that Shxt‼️‼️‼️‼️
He bought a black woman a 77 Eldorado Biarritz. He didn’t know her at all. I don’t know the background of how that occurred but she was rolling in an Eldog. ❤️
I'd never heard that 1 but certainly not impossible. I don't think he was as racist as some have claimed. He once gave an expensive Rolex watch to Redd Foxx as a gift. IRS confiscated it.
ive heard of the story, i think she was with her husband or something. Rumours have it that Elvis was extremely generous
The moral of the story: respect your customers, and they will support your business. This is especially true for people who have sometimes been treated poorly because of their identity (which should never have happened to begin with)
🏍️ We've got to get in that modern day obligatory disclaimer at the end.
@Mike theBike Damn right! The atrocities of 1619 onwards SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. Slavery, Jim Crow, Emmett Till, the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the burning of the Freedom Rider bus, the killing of innocents of all ages, the assassinations, the redlining, the segregation, the dumb-@$$ stereotypes...
It’s about seeking profit, not respect.
Subaru did this to become a success. People will support the companies that support them.
The reason why Lexus Japanese is so successful
"The only color that matters is green"
--George Jefferson
....from that one episode.
I loved George and Weezy!
The ONLY color that should matter anyways.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As a young black male , I always said “ to own a Cadillac is like owning an entry level RR “. I love gm and all divisions besides buick lol
I beg to disagree. An entry level Rolls-Royce would actually be a BMW since they own the car brand. Bentley is underneath the VW umbrella.
@@vwaudiporsche11 I never said it was dude … obviously I know that.
What’s wrong with Buick they’ve made plenty beauties i actual perfect buick
@@DakahriGT Buick is over hated and underrated
@@bobbiebaucom2023 lol 😂 that’s funny
Cadillacs were the Mercedes-Benz of the USA at the time and African-Americans all wanted to drive nothing but the best❤️❤️❤️
Disagree with the comparison to MB, more RR than MB !
Now I see 👀 alot of black people drive merecedes and BMW 's
We know that now but back back in 50's and 60s Dell I'm not many BMW and Rolls-Royce a Mercedes-Benz in the us at the time they were being shipped to only famous and rich people at the time Cadillac was the Mercedes and the road of the USA I had three of them in my family that once we had a brand new one and two 64 Cadillacs
@@lisamccray9079 😂
Why they drive rolls Royce now
I'm glad this is getting talked about. My maternal great-grandfather lost his wife in 1947, and he got remarried to a wealthy widow named Georgia Dreystadt, who was the widow of Nick Dreystadt (the main guy in this video who convinced Cadillac to sell to black people). I started reading more about him in random articles and ended up learning about all of the stuff that is mentioned here in this video. He was a fascinating, brilliant man. It's a shame he died so young. He was the frontrunner to become the head of GM. Who knows how much better they could've ended up. But at least we have him to thank for Cadillac still existing, and obviously for helping break the color barrier in auto sales. May he rest in peace.
Great intel Matt, thanks. Also Branch Rickey who determined Jackie Robinson would break the color "barrier" in MLB. Some were not kool with that. First heard of unwritten Cadillac "Gentlemen's Agreement" about 30 years ago. I'm sure Cadillac wasn't only party guilty of the practice. Selling expensive luxury cars to blacks would've made them "social equals" ( Circa Civil War Era) & they couldn't have that could they?
His interest was about fiat NOT equality!
@@a.leemorrisjr.9255 Its ALL about pschycology And It clearly didnt work that way did It
@@musiclover5023 Unfortunately all too true. If it wasn't the "crackers" & "peckerwoods,' we were too often@"war" with each other. He was a miserable failure as a man & in terms of character, but I still admire & respect Jack Johnson not only for his boxing skills, but he was his own man. No one was gonna tell him how to live, what he could or not do.
@@a.leemorrisjr.9255 I Think that is the secret that Jack Johnson discovered for himself really And If more people did have the "Ill do What suíts me" kind of attitude with respect to personal success And progress, a Lot more people would bê a Lot more happy And stop the "in fighting".
Cadillac was always the premier American luxury brand car back in the day until the late 80’s when the German imports became popular.
Tbh the 70’s back when they big and long no homo
@@lamargettens2370 before then, from the 40’s till the late 80’s. Don’t forget about Cadillac Records in the 50’s and all the Motown people back in the 60’s driving those Cadillacs.
@@JayBelafonte facts well Motown was riding anything GM
There's is some truth to what you're saying, both Cadillac & Lincoln have been arch luxury rivals well over 100 years now. But remember, back in "bad old days" if you didn't own a Packard, Peerless, or a Pierce-Arrow, you weren't even considered in the same league Jay. Packard would survive the Depression, Peerless & Pierce-Arrow did not. Nor did Marmon or the mighty Franklin Air-cooled. I've never heard of 1 overheating.
@@lamargettens2370 yup cars were big in the 70s but they were also just as big in the 40s,50s,and 60s, it really wasn’t until the 80s that gm really began downsizing
Like my Dad used to say, “We buy things, too” Chuck Berry and Dizzy Gillespie among other Black celebrities drove a “Caddie” It was a symbol that one had “made it” in society.
Why support a scumbag company?
I grew up near where Fats Domino lived in the mid 50's. He would have a new Pink & Blue Cadillac every year or two.
No, it is a symbol that Backs are the biggest consumers of capitalist commodities.
My father was a vocalist and guitarist in the late 40’s though the 60’s he liked Dizzy Gillespie, they worked together briefly
? How many Cadillac's did Elvis give away
My grandfather worked for GM in the 50s 60s and 70s (25yrs) and according to my Mom & Aunts he alway had a Caddy.... Not New but 1-2yrs old and got another 1 every 3-4yrs
Are you from Detroit?
👍
@@mrflynn01 Buffalo N.Y
@@da900smoove1 did your grand dad work in Detroit?
@@mrflynn01 No a GM Plant in Buffalo N.Y and USPS back to back full-time... retired from both with double pensions back in the mid 70s
As an Australian observer, I always thought that part of why African Americans were so into Cadillacs was that it was not only a "badge of rank" for those that were successful, but also, let's face it, even a basic sedan of the older Caddies could fit a decent sized family. There would have been a certain amount of pride involved in owning one. Also, they weren't exactly "fragile cars either. They were built like a tank, and compared to their European counterparts, much easier to maintain.
ALL people loved Caddilac in American and around the world! It was the pinnacle of luxury and people love luxury and style. As people love Mercedes’, Lexus & BMW today!
😂 🤣 🙄 🤡
Some but not all.
The late great Redd Foxx answered it best when asked why are there so many new Cadillacs in the hood ? Well, Redd replied, we may not own them long but, we own them first.
😂
😂😂😂
My grandfather literally drove nothing else...he had his truck for the country--but in the city... he would cruise his cadillacs around town...I remember his back plates would say "David Taylor Cadillac"... part of my childhood♥
Same with my own grandfather. He's had around 3 generations of caddilacs. Currently, he has a 2020 CT6, and a 2013 CTS-V.
@@ebonymystery Mercedes
We gotta get back to being manufacturers we can build our own cars stop making the people who have no love for us wealthy.
There was a Black car manufacturer in Ohio. His last name was Patterson, I don't recall his first name. He was before Henry Ford. He also made cassidy for coaches, some of the finest cassidies ever made. His company went under after his death, due to the depression and other factors.
@@Imissyoulou Frederick Douglas Patterson. Vehicle was Greenfield-Patterson. Cars were built 1915-18. Sadly, none of them remain today. Patterson family had been custom carriage makers prior to auto making. A few of those do still exist today. Underfunded, they returned to building bus & truck bodies. Family closed Ohio based business for good in 1939. The cars were well advanced for their era, built to order, & meant to compete with Ford's T-Model.
@A. Lee Morris Jr. The company name was "C R PATTERSON AND SONS" named after Frederick's father Charles Richard Patterson
@@problactive285 Yes, C.R. Patterson had been a Virginia slave. In Ohio he & a man named Loew established a carriage making business. When Loew died, C.R. continued the firm in own name. Car service & repairs eventually followed & son Frederick Douglas Patterson moved company into car making 1910.
@@problactive285 The word here is economic EMPOWERMENT. Until you actually OWN means of production/distribution of goods & services you're just another "consumer." History has already proven we can do more than just sing, dance, & play sports! I too have an "issue" with handing over our cash to those who don't particularly like or respect us, but we must trust & respect each other first. We as a people here in USA don't do that!
Growing up Black in a small, working class town during the 60's I learned that the connection between Blacks and Cadillacs was an ugly stereotype. Very impoverished people buying way over their means to impress everyone. I was fed the image of a pimpish looking gangster type strutting next to a Cadillac. Up until now, I didn't know this connection had a legitimate history that is really nothing to be ashamed of. Thanks you.
I worked in auto parts stores for years, and blacks 1000000% do own a lot of Cadillacs. Lincolns also. They also ALWAYS want the cheapest parts and still get sticker shock over the prices. I saw this countless times.
My elderly neighbor still has his retro looking Cadillac still in use next few doors to me, lived in a mixed middle class neighborhood (filipino-americans, latinos and mostly blacks) I cant help stare seeing such 60's looking vintage car up and running like a living history until this video got recommended to me.
@@disunityholychaos7523 Hope he shows it in car shows. I've changed my opinion about our people and Caddies. Feels great.
Saw the same dumb fuckery. Even dumber is when a dude had rims that were worth more than the beater he put em on.
Research is important.
keep delivering my guy. I appreciate your platform and education.
This channel is nothing but racist stereotypes of the black community. Y'all should be ashamed!
Thanks for giving us this background. I never liked or intended to buy a Cadillac. Then the CTS came out and I fell in love with the design. After that, my next car was an ATS. They last a long time if you take good care of them.
Unfortunately, Cadillac lost their way when they built the CTS, it more sports car than luxury, Cadillacs used to be comfortable, and had technology way ahead of its time, the last Cadillac that was true to it's heritage was the DTS and it's discontinued
XTS??
I had a neighbor, who was about my grandfather's age who'd mount a hitch to them and tow a horse trailer when he'd go hunting in another part of the state.
My CTS is the biggest maintenance hog I've ever owned; the quality is just not there. It's a pretty car, handsome design, and the only saving grace I can give it is that it burns 87 octane. I can't wait to get rid of it and I will not recommend it to anyone who asks me! Pure POS!
I love Cadillac in Lincoln I have a cts4 top of line there now more sportier an luxury at the same time
I am in LOVVVVVVE with my Cadillac Deville on 22's. Got from an old lady that never drove it. I bought it 8 months ago and fell in love, I barely drive it as well. I knew that cadillacs were a thing back in the day, but this shed so much more light on the history. Thank you for this video.
My Dad didn't buy Cadillacs He bought Lincolns, one Sunday afternoon while We were washing His 1957 Premier convertable a man walked up to Pops and asked Him how could He afford such a car, Pops answer was that He couldn't afford to be without it!
The real question is Why Doesn't Cadillac Love Black People Back..
It's all about the greed & greenbacks bruh, love the loot & use people instead of the opposite.
Because they are so abusive and neglecting to their vehicles!
Question is why is Cadillac so stupid? Turning down money?????
Japan, Germany, don’t love you either, they want MONEY!
@@johnswanson3741 1st Of All I Will Disagree With Your Statement I Definitely Take Pride Of Being A Cadillac Owner And I Make Sure I Take It To My Local Cadillac Dealership For Schedule Maintenance & I Keep It Clean Because I Love The Style & Ride Of My CTS & Recently I Could Have Upgraded To The New CT5 , But I Wanted To Keep My CTS Because It's The 2nd Generation CTS And I Just Love The Body Style Of The Car , So All People Don't Abuse A Cadillac Especially If You're A Proud Cadillac Owner
Cadillac earned the respect and business by extending a hand and showing respect first.. learn from that
Facts I've had an 05 Caddilac CTS V a 2010 CTS V and now a 2018 Caddilac CTS V, and they are very well built cars, not to mention fast as can be
@@jdrayton7224 just because you can't afford something doesn't mean others can't. NO CAP
Omg I had an 04 cts-v silver, a 2012 cts-v wagon, then a 16 cts-v. They were all modded and fast. I now have a c7 Z06 trackhawk and 2020 platinum f350
@Mario Avila sweet my 05 was a manual and I loved it got it as soon as I got back from Iraq did 3 tours saved my money bought it flat out and never has a problem with it I have let the guys down in Texas Hennessy modify my 2018 from 640 to about 820 hp and man it's looks like a sleeper smaller pully better supercharger and a few other things new exhaust I love it
@Paul Lunsford Classic
fact - no one cares... you think people came here hoping to find out if Kevin has had a CAddy?!?! Get over yourself Princess
I grew up in Dallas Texas where my dad was a mechanic in a shop in a mostly black area .
I remember that all the black folks that had caddy's we're extremely proud of them and they were always polished and spotless .
Those big old cars were more than a car , They were a life style .
Still is.
I am definitely a Cadillac Man,,,,, had my first one at 22 years old 1981 DeVille,,,,,, yes truly a status symbol,,,, of American beauty,,,,, and class,,,,, I'm 49 years old now,,,,, and owned eight so far,,,,, now it's the XTS for me,,,,,, back in the day,,,, country folks label this car,,,,,(a HOG),,, simply because,,,,, it was huge,,,(brother's got to have THEM)👍💯👍🚘
My granddad put his 1970 Deville in my name not gone lie I don’t know if I’m going to drive it’s long and heavy
Big hog’s with candy paint 🔥🔥🔥
I have the 2017, 2 door ATS. It's the big ass for me and yes, the features. Just take a look at her from behind as she burns off. P.S. I am all woman so perhaps it's my lack of ass is the reason I am so impressed. 😂
@@lamargettens2370 ❤
That part
My father and all of his friends always had Cadillacs. I grew up in the 50's & 60's and that's what I always aspired to own. Others of my "Boomer" Generation, loved their Tri-Five Chevy's, but not me. It was Cadillac or, maybe, Thunderbird for me. I have owned three of both brands.
Thank you for that Info.I had NO idea GM had a policy of NOT selling to Black Folks
Don't know what it was like@other showrooms, but we definitely were not welcome@Cadillac dealers@1 time, that was out of our "place," somehow not as "good" as others. Pure unadulterated B.S. It was never anything written down, but GM did finally issue memo ending the practice. Another irony of the era, when former boxing champ Jack Johnson sold his Harlem based "Club Deluxe" to Irish-British mobster Owney Madden it was remodelled & opened as the "Cotton Club." The entertainers were black, but black patrons were not welcomed there either. The club was segregated.
@@a.leemorrisjr.9255 The pschycology of This stuff is purê Crazy And nothing more.
If you're black it shouldn't surprise you.
@Paul Lunsford I think Ford always built a decent car for the money, but I 'spose they made their share of "lemons" also like anyone else. 1 of the best cars I ever had was a Ford. 'Ol man Henry was known for being anti-semitic which was wrong, thought Hitler was a great guy (as did Joe Kennedy Sr., Lindbergh, & others until Nazis started raising hell in europe.) He did care about his workers if somewhat paternally. He'd work hell out of you, but always paid well for the era, & in business he could be ruthless. He didn't like unions because he hated Communism & feared it's influence in organized labor. Not a highly educated man, but he was far from being stupid. He could think, put his ideas down on paper & hire the people who'd carry out what he wanted. He was a man of his era & had many flaws, but I can still admire/respect him & his family because they were willing to give blacks & other visible minorities a chance in early days of manufacturing.
They (GM) maybe sold other cars to blacks, but not "Caddies." That was a social "taboo." It made us appear to be as good & worthy as anyone else. Such attitudes were probably true of other luxury marques as well. The black man's always had a hard way to go in this world & it wasn't much better for the black woman. But we've always persevered. Either that or give up, lay down, & die. That's not an option! But people of "colour" must learn to respect themselves & others again. I'm 68 now & over the years I've seen less & less of this.
Wow. I am just finding this channel and it has beem around for years. Your content is severely needed. We need to hear the true history not taught in school, and the information they are trying to outlaw under the CRT banner.
Cadillacs were superb cars by almost every measure. Their only shortcoming, by the 70s, was the lack of dash gauges, save for the gas gauge, but it is easy enough to find somebody to create a dash to your liking for you. If you can afford the car, you can afford to have some customization done to it.
Just proves how much buying power we have. If we would keep our money in our communities longer we could be a power to recon with. Or at least we could demand better treatment in the places we spend our money.
Take care of our own 1st,we own a small drink company, I say it again take care of your own ,then ever 1 else.
Stagger like a drunk..
@@kelvintorrence5994 Mention the company to get business.
A lot of wealthy black people have and do try to start enterprises in their communities but guess what happened during the George Floyd riots?
@@kelvintorrence5994 please name your company or post web site. Thank you
Thanks for all the great info. My mother told me Folks like the Cadillac brand because. When there were places that Folks couldn't get hotel or motel rooms. Or it was too dangerous to stop. Folks could one sleep in the Cadillac cars. they were big enough and were very comfortable for 4 people. Plus they were reliable cars for long distance driving. Again when it was too dangerous for Folks to stop and rest. And my family owned a lot of Cadillac's. For those reasons and more. Plus they always had all the latest bells and whistles.
Now THAT'S interesting. Reminds me of the book _The Gold Cadillac_
Black's had to travel using the "negro green book and travel guide " to know where it was safe to rest and eat.
@@aarondigby5054 In this crazy world we're living in, it might not be a bad idea to bring it back. 😑
@@greenbyrd3665 I went "hold on" at first and then realized you wanted it back for safety purposes. At least, that is why. Right?
Where it was dangerous to stop?
Love your site its a history lesson that I never knew great topic keep them coming
Nobody cares Pedro why are you immigrants so obsessed with blk folks
The Mafia like them you could get at least 4 body's plus shove's and lime in the trunk !
@@geomcc39 dam og triple og status 💪💯✌️✌️
Growing up in the 70’s we had a black man in our town who had a custom 70 ish Caddy that was gold with a white fur landau top, wire wheels,curb feelers, wide whitewalls and purple window tint. He had SUPERFLY painted at the top of the windshield. He even dressed the part! Dont know what ever became of him or his car but he just disappeared. But back to what I meant to comment on was that most of the black people my family knew usually always drove Pontiacs or Buicks.
He traded the car ,after turning out your mommy
A nice luxury brand of car ruined with outright over the top tackiness by a no taste, no talent having moron seeking validation because of mindless, soulless vanity. I think that's part of what's wrong with the black culture in regard to their touch on cars, ruining already once decent looking nice cars with their level of being gaudy. You clearly see examples of this with the donk customs in the south and the slab culture of Houston, Texas. It's equivalent to Chimpanzees flinging their shit on canvas and referring to it as "Art" is the best analogy that I can describe as what's being done to these cars by them. Never in my life has the "Superfly" custom look on Cadillacs resonated with me, which I rightfully call "Superfoul" instead. Even as a child I thought that they were hideous and that there was something seriously wrong with the people that owned them doing that shit to them. That aftermarket custom potruding grill that so many blacks put on their Cadillacs thinking that they were being stylish and looking cool, has never looked right to me. I think I read somewhere that a black New Jersey man was the first one to put that hideous potruding grill on his brand new Cadillac in 1969 setting the trend for others to foolishly follow willingly. So, there you have it, a nice luxury brand of car ruined by retards seeking validation because of their vapid vanity. And before anyone gets their panties in a bunch accusing me of being racist, this is all coming from a black man himself, so that's that.
"Reparations ain't gonna do nothing but make Cadillac the #1 dealership in America"!! Eddie of Barbershop 1.
No me I drive a Toyota tundra pickup and care less about caddys ,I leased 1 years ago.for my wife I hated it 2 small
I Brought A Cadillac Without Reparations Money , I Got Mine & Paid It Off Because Of Having A Good Paying Job & By The Way Good Credit To Get It
Prefer Lexus
No it’s not. Not for me … I would invest my money. You don’t know me, Don’t speak on me! You don’t know me!
This was an eye-opening presentation.
Thank you so much!
Simple...because it was a status symbol. It was a sign of prosperity, success and got whatever lucky guy who owned one lots of poontang. Or as Robin Harris once said: "That's why brothas drive Cadillacs. 'Cause ya can't get all that ass in a Volkswagen!"
You would be surprised what you can do in a Volkswagen Beetle. I had a 1969 bug and got plenty. It's not the size of the car but the skill of the driver. Of course, good looks and a good personality helped.
@@punothebear Funny thing is Cadillac's cars have gotten smaller while Volkswagens have gotten larger.
@@TheTallMan50 I don't drive anymore but am curious about what brands of cars are status symbols nowadays.
@@punothebear Nowadays for the most part SUVs have that coveted title. The Mercedes Benz G-Wagon in my opinion would be number one. Along with the Cadillac Escalade and Range Rover.
@@punothebear Depends on where you are and who you are. If you are black in 1969 getting a lot in a bug, you must be at Woodstock.
A good Black friend of mine dad had a `56 Sedan de Ville , emerald green with factory air. It was about 10 years old at the time and in immaculate shape.When his dad came to pick him up from our Catholic school he would drive me home. When I complimented him on his beauty, his son said 'my father treats his car better than me (jokingly, of course) Then his dad would play punch him and they would both laugh. Great times, great friends, and great memories from a different- and better time.
Because they recognize good style and design.
th-cam.com/video/LzGPIcR6jLM/w-d-xo.html
👍
Amazing series man. As a white Dutch person (highly colonial country) born from the 90's who tries as much as possible to be an ally these videos are higly enlightening and they also make me feel a lot of anger for all that happened to the black community and is still happening. I am trying to be more vocal and outspoken about racist commentary in my workplace and people around me in general. We still even in this day have so far to go. I hope we live to see the day that these things cease to be an issue.
Do what is right, just do not have White Guilt.
@@jed-henrywitkowski6470 I think he is.....he is taking action, and I do not think it is White Guilt. Now, if it were someone in the 1970s, 1980s, I would say it's white guilt. In the 2010s and 2020s, people are more progressive and some individuals might be angered but not only racism, but also other issues like environmental pollution. I've visited the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has had a "checkered" past. I've also visited the Republic of Suriname, located in South America - a lot of Dutch influence there!
You understand that people are the same and skin is just skin. The tactics used in the past were deplorable, but understanding and remembering their lessons, we stop them from being repeated.
Pathetic Dutch beta
Good for you Hugo
☀️☀️
We need our own car company
ok start one then.
ND everything else....
@@earlinebeaman684 I will
When you see a $50,000 Cadillac sit in front of a $10,000 home you know who lives there
Where can i get a house for 10gs good sir?
@@thearena22 go look in the black neighborhoods you'll find one
@@theexorcist2605 appreciate your help
Owning a caddy meant you were socially moving up in the world back then
I'm half african-american and have always loved Cadillac since childhood and have owned three , 1990,2003,2011 and will buy another one at some point.
I always seem to learn something new every time you upload a new video, Thank you! Love the content!
My great uncle needed a white man permission to buy a packard
@@terrypatterson2822 Many today do not resalise just how blatant racism & discrimination once were in USA, even in the north. In fact, it could be worse because it was "camouflaged."
Quite an educational video. I live in the San Antonio metro, in a community with a heavy military presence, and a growing population of middle class, upwardly mobile African Americans. I've notice that African American people also have a fondness for Buicks.
My grandother was just talking about how my great-grandmother went and bought a brand new Cadillac DeVille sedan with cash. I was a really young child but my main memory of her is seeing her driving up in it to my grandma's house one Christmas.
Being raised in a south west side Detroit red-lined neighborhood where the only way to own a home was to pay cash. It was frustrating for a lot of autoworkers making a good living yet were restricted from home ownership. Henry Ford told his minority workers at the Rouge in Dearborn, "you can work here, but you can't live here". Owning a Caddy, back then known as the standard of the world, Lincoln, Buick deuce & a quarter & others gave them a sense of accomplishment & self esteem. Different unfair world back then seeing folks being suppressed by their ethnicity.
Truth at the basis of the whole American experience.
Actually nothing has changed. Driving, banking, walking while black. And this is from a white guy.
@@richardcooke9948 I think it's dramatically changed in the Detroit area which has just about every ethnic group. In my old hood, every street had a different group. Off Michigan Ave, Blacks lived on Springwells, Mexicans on Lawndale, Polish was Trenton & Ogden, Renville was Ukranian, etc & seemed to get along. This has been going on for over 100 years since Ford announced the $5 working day & building the Rouge. My high school, Chadsey, was quite the melting pot. We all had & still do have a sense of empowerment to change & Federal "help" just hasn't happened. There has been a lot of major issues over the years, the '43 &'67 riots, busing, drugs, bankruptcy, corruption, etc. We're not perfect, but I sure like the direction going forward.
Ol' man Ford was no saint, but I still can respect him & his family because they did give visible minorities & people of color a chance back in those early industrial days.
@@a.leemorrisjr.9255 Right on- paid blacks same as whites 5 bucks a day- when no one else made that.
Great info. I will say this growing up in the NYC area a black owned dealership named Dick Gidron Cadillac sold to lots of black families including mine. I believe he was from Chicago originally and was the top salesman for the first Black owned Cadillac dealership in the United States “Al Johnson Cadillac”. I mention this because Ebony and Jet as well as WBLS in NYC gave a lot of press to Gidron and Johnson. The 1970s were key because Black movies as well as Black churches gave almost “free advertising” during that era as I was growing up.
There's always been those who excelled in spite of the cutthroat competition & oppression. Read awhile back of a man (don't recall name) whose relative had owned a successful Chrysler dealership in Chi-town area.
THATS RIGHT DICK GIDRON & FATHER & SON GETS THE JOB DONE. WE USE TO SAY DICK GIDRON BEFORE HE DICKS YOU, ELDORADO WAS MY RIDE BACK THEN.
He had a dealership on Fordham rd and had a Ford Dealership in Mt Kisco. Mr Gidron was a solid man.
I remember Dick Gidron Cadillac. I am not familiar with Al Johnson, however.
I’m from Detroit, we had Caddilac’s all over the place!!!
Lawrence P. Fisher, one of the famous seven Fisher Brothers was president of the Cadillac Division. He would always color coordinate his suit with the color of car he was driving. Since he was president of Cadillac he could just take a new Cadillac out of the plant anytime he wanted. If he showed up in a green suit he drove off a lot with a green Cadillac. His mansion on a canal off of the Detroit river is still there. The next time you open up the door on a a pre 1996 GM vehicle look at the rocker panel plate and you will see a logo with a coach that reads Body By Fisher. That represents the Fisher Body company the Fisher Brothers started.
All my aunties and uncles had Cadillacs lol 😂
some loved and some people still loves the cadillac. for me the steering column is too heavy compared to the Lincoln. and it's slow but it's a smooth ride none the less.
I love history and your channel is a very welcome guest in my home. THANK You. Looking forward to seeing more.
Thank you so much for this informative report. I have never been attracted to the Cadillac....or to the people who drive them. It became a stereotype that the why folks profited off of and ridiculed.
You have to wonder if sweeping generalizations characterizing an entire race are harmful when they are constantly reinforced by constant reputation in our media. It seems that a person's individuality is compromised just because they were born black.
Then again, I think every race experiences this to some extent.
@@kjaze No..for me, it was/is a personal opinion based upon my own likes, dislikes and whatever appeals to me. My comment was not "sweeping". It was specific...tho.
That’s why I drive a Lincoln 🤷🏾♂️
@@Arguy1683 All Right!!! 8 cylinders b n the day💥
@@reggaelove7223 you knowww🔥🔥😁
I ❤ this video my granddad always had a Cadillac right before he went home I told get the Cadillac SUV he never seen them 😢 rest in power granddad ✊🏿❤
I'm a White guy, And I have ALWAYS loved Cadillacs. (At least until modern times, as they no longer look like Cadillacs). Over the years I had a 1963 Sedan De Ville, a 1970 Fleetwood, A 1975 Coupe De Ville, as well as an 1987 and 1992 Brougham. I currently have a 2008 Buick Lucerne (A DTS with different sheet metal, LOL)
God nobody cares you colonizers think the world revolves around y’all
White pride shows very well on you..
🤣😂.. ya even with white folks dig em'
And I bet the Buick had a Cadillac Northstar engine
@@brandedmcgowan9414 It was an option for them, but most had the Buick 3800 V6 which is one of the best engines GM made.
Because Pontiac has rather an unpleasant abbreviation for black folks.
It's True,
My oddest brother, my cousin and all the Black People during the eary 1970's and until this day,
The Cadillac was all about I've made it to the big time,
It's about status as Black people rose up out of poverty....
I don’t think that still stands today. I was born in the 80’s and never associated these cars with high luxury, unless you mean they’re still a status in the hood.
I had a 1986 Cadillac Eldorado.
The very first year the car became computerized.
Every morning my car’s computer screen would wish me a good morning!
Thank you for your work
youtube.com/@UNFFILMStv
Great Video! Very informative as I am a total Cadillac guy and have been a Caddy owner since 1983. Learned some things here I was no
t aware of.
It's sad that at age 68, 23 years into the 21st Century, I'm still learning about the evil effects of racism in America, something that we all need to do.
Amen my friend. As a white millennial in a blue state, I see racism everywhere. Sad this still happens in 2023
Was hidden. Much like Desatan is attempting to do in Florida. This is why History is important. CRT in particular.
To the extent that Florida is concerned about teaching the truth about Black AMERICAN history, that is a good thing. To the extent that CRT is not true, then it is a bad thing, and not relevant or helpful to Florida's students. CRT exists for those who want to study it, whether it's taught in the classroom or not.
We don’t know the half of it!
Never realized how much trouble they went through to disassociate themselves from Black anything.
It was the American way across the board .
The reason this is because the black leaders for generations failed their community by not creating their own history books.
This video is funny and informative because I’ve always wondered this growing up,
I'm a Cadillac man by preference. I've had three of em in my life time
💯Facts 👍
no one cares even a little bit
@@slowery43 Well, you cared enough to comment, so, there's that.
Thanks for the interesting video approaching the topic of classic cars from a new direction.
My dumbass got a Cadillac tattoo on me 🤦🏿♂️🤦🏿♂️
It's all about the $$$ bruh, NOT because GM & others suddenly accepted visible minorities as social "equals.";Perhaps the name did mean something@one time, but today I'd be somewhat reluctant to lay down that kind of cash for an expensive "Chevrolet."
Is what it is. Many of us have tatts we regret. Could always be worse I suppose 🤷🏾♂️
Thank you for the information. I'm really glad I found this channel.
I’m from Detroit and a Caddilac is no more than a rebadged Buick, #facts.
The joke used to be an Olds was a "poor man's" Caddy. Buick now has that slot. Hell, they're run off the same lines today, but you're gonna PAY for that Cadillac nameplate.
Now Cadillac is nothing more than a dumbasses Chevrolet.
Growing up in a Black neighborhood in the late 1950's and 60's, I remember Blacks having brand new Caddy's and pips driving the Fleetwood's. They also drove the Rocket 88's of that era.
"Virginia, in this critical hour, has the opportunity to give direction and destiny to our troubled South. As Virginia goes, so goes the South, perhaps America, and the World."- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
🏍️ Never heard that one, and i'm from Richmond.
So true. I grew up in the 50s and the most respected man in my dad’s ten person work force was JB James, known for his love of Cadillacs. His whole generation would talk about these cars with love and affection. Buicks nope, Caddys yep. Forget Ford.
WORD OF ADVICE. If you want to have people avoid calling your subtext racisist, don’t marginalize an entire population of any race or gender by asking questions like “why do all (people of that group) do something?” Example: If you ask me: “Why do all Whites love mayonnaise?” The Answer is: We don’t and that is a clueless, racist stereotypical question.
Wow...a good reason to not buy GMC and Cadillac. We have to stop giving our money to jerks that hate us.
But they will take our money 💰 without thinking twice 🤔 🙄
Where do you get that from? Cadillac had a racist sales policy that they did away with in 1934. How was not being racist a bad thing?
To “rage against the machine. This is a new metal rock band from the 1990s. The guitar player was half Kenyan and worked as a congressional staffer at one point. The lead rapper for a amazing resemblance to young Bob Marley, but actually was the son of a Chicano activist. Everybody in the band was leftist. Leaning towards revolutionary Socialism. Here is the quote.” they’re deep in your pocket son, they got you thinking that buying is rebelling.’ this video is really insightful and it confirms the statement.
Because we created Caddillac
What Did Say Buno Mars " Take A Ride In The Caddy Gotta Put Some Miles On It " That Says It All Right There 👍
you have done no such thin
@@CharlesCoderre-yv1cu I Don't Need To Lie I Know What Type Of Automobile That Sit Up Under My Carport & I Have Photos Of That Beautiful Automobile In My Phone , So I Don't Need To Prove Anything To You Especially To Someone Who Is A Troll
Actually the brand was founded by Henry M. Leland, a White American businessman in 1902. He named it after the French explorer Antoine De La Mothe Cadillac who founded the city of Detroit, Michigan. The company was then purchased by General Motors in 1909 which was also founded by a White American businessman, William C. Durant. So, I find no conclusive evidence to substantiate your claim that the company in question was founded by Black Americans.
Any person no matter their color recognizes quality and buying a Cadillac symbolized that one was successful and had arrived. It was the pinnacle of ones success in our thriving capitistic economy.
Literally, the ONLY Cadillac that I've ever seen that I liked is the CT5-V. And a lot of the reason for that is because there's not a lot of options for a 700HP engine under $100K.
Cadillac's were great cars and they were the top car for Black Americans from the 1940's , but I think in the late 1960's Cadillac lost a little luster among black people to the Buick Electra 225 and the Oldsmobile 98. I've had several generations of all three, and my overall favorite is the Buick Electra 225 hands down when it came to styling, power, interior comforts, and wheels. The Buick could not be beat. It was almost perfect out of the box. The Oldsmobile 98 was a close second, with the 1980-84 body being the best version. The pillow top seats were the best. The cadillac's made after 1977 were not the best quality and were not reliable at all. The interior and exterior styling were marginal compared to Buick and Oldsmobile at the time. Only the cadillac's name and past reputation carried them for a long time and caused people to overlook their current shortcomings at the time.
I owned 4 Cadillacs in the 70s. Later I had an Oldsmobile Delta 88(1986) Royale Brougham. It was a prototype that had features they were trying out for future use in Cadillacs and Buicks. The pillow top seats were absolutely the most comfortable of any car I've owned.
interesting info, im looking up the 225s ( Im in England so not always familiar with exact models )
It’s ironic how black well to do people are willing to spend a small fortune on brands that do not care for them in any form or fashion🤔
I get a kick out of a comment made by a Jewish owner of a Mercedes Benz. A friend questioned his buying a German car, he replied "If those Nazis in Stuttgart knew how happy their car made this Jew they would kill themselves" Ha ha ha.
In the 70s there were lots of black men driving Cadillacs in my neighborhood with curlers in their hair. They also lived in houses that should have been condemned. Of course, they didn't drive them for long before the repo man took them back.
DANG! Amagine what they feel about other things like land buying houses clothes furniture etc.
An automobile is NOT an asset, it's a liability. You wanna buy assets, they put cash IN your pocket, not take it out!
Back then same thing as the Cadillac. No minorities. And all about image.
@@a.leemorrisjr.9255 No, technically it is an asset. Because as with many other things, it's under the same category of personal property. So, I think that's where you've made an error.
@@BeverageGuzzler True, if you own vehicle outright it's personal property but an asset puts cash in your pocket, liabilities take it out. Payments, depreciation, license, plates, registration, insurance, maintenance, etc. make a car a liability.
Caddys were the mercedes of the black community back in the day. My uncle said those fins were saying something! All of my uncles had em. My cousin worked for GM back in the early 60s after graduating from college in the motor city. He sold plenty of caddys to the Motown staff back then. He had a brand new caddy every 2 yrs. I'm actually looking for a 79 - 80 el dog convertible biarritz to add to my collection. I think it's kool to own whatever you want as long as got some real estate planted first to park your caddy in your garage! You only got one life, might as well get yours while you're here & enjoy the fruits of your hard work!
I have to find me a new favorite car brand, and I can tell people because of this video......
Good news, Our products have greatly improved in terms of quality control & attention to detail (they had to,) GM & Ford in particular. Bad News, So have the Japanese with Honda, Toyota, & Subaru setting the pace.
Dont bê só stupid, enjoy your life, youve worked for it
the range rover, bmw, mercedes, etc. seem to be good choices.
@@earlinebeaman684 Japan is still hard pressing the European makes globally. Don't know their situation now, but in recent years premier European makes have been full of Gremlins hard to diagnose & correct because of all the Hi-Tech involved with some of them. Build quality had also become an issue.
Mel Farr was the king of black folks back in the day. The largest dealership chain in the midwest.
GM and Chevrolet were originally a black owned brand in Oakland, California.
Actually, that's false. General Motors was founded by William C. Durant, a White American businessman in Flint, Michigan 1908. The Chevrolet car brand was founded by Swiss brothers Louis and Arthur Chevrolet in Flint, Michigan 1911. The brand was then purchased by General Motors in 1918. I haven't found any proof of your claim that the companies in question were started by Black Americans.
Keep looking
@@BeverageGuzzler
Every oldhead in my sphere still swear by caddies.
That’s funny, but I was born in the ‘50’s and seem to recall pretty near EVERYONE loving (and wanting) Cadillacs.
I'm a White person and I love Cadillacs. I've owned 5 Cadillacs in a row.
The best looking Cadillac was the short body 76,78, model
That's the reason why Chuck Berry made songs about crusing in them.
6:57 …yup and you see how that has worked for them 70/80 yrs later …more of them dying than be born and once again THEY NEED US!!
My grandfather used to show out in his Coupe de Ville! Worked for GM for nearly 40 years.
Amazing how often black labor and the black dollar was a "bail out plan" for struggling companies. Wait, is that some feared notorious CRT?
Exactly Floyd. That's why I had strong mixed feelings about "bail-outs." Since when do you reimburse those who caused the trouble in the first place? I'm already planning ahead while waiting for other axe to fall.
You forgot to put white....struggling white companies and businesses.
@@a.leemorrisjr.9255 Especially when they claim free market everything.... it's to help the mostly white-run industries out there. Privatize profits.... socialize losses...and those losses will come at the expense of black labor (wages) and black customers (raised prices).
I never understood why because I grew up with my grandparents and my grandfather was always adamant about buying my grandma a Cadillac in 98 after years of driving an Oldsmobile 98 and when that Cadillac was wrecked because of a young woman running a stop sign as my grandmother was leaving church in 2000 they went back to the Cadillac dealer and bought a new one.
Both of my grandparents on my mother said & father said of the family had Cadillacs they loved 🥰 Cadillacs even my uncles on both sides of my family still love American cars & Cadillacs it’s they’re favorites.
Why do white people like Cadillacs?
Cadillac's was the epitome of wealth 🤑💰
This was great and quite informative! There’s a reason I would NEVER purchase a domestic luxury brand over an import solely due to the history behind it all! And for the life of me, will NEVER understand why ANY group of people that were never allowed to buy into and enjoy any high dollar luxury goods or service that their Anglo counterparts could easily enjoy without question. African Americans with money should have heavily invested in the European or even the Japanese brands instead, as it turned out they (eventually) produce/d much more refined and technologically advanced vehicles anyway! Besides that, once record companies, sports teams, etc realized how much African Americans loved and coveted Cadillacs, they would just put them in a new Cadillac and spending money and keep the BIG bucks for themselves and ACTUALLY lived the “American Dream”, while black performers were disillusioned into “believing” they were living it with their shiny new Cadillacs! Just saying….
Yeah, I'm sure those Europeans and the Japanese were far less racist to blacks. Be real. They'd let blacks buy their cars because they're not stupid. More cars sold equals more money for them. Took GM a while but they eventually figured that out.
"We don't need no more movies about pimpin' & whoring because WE'RE the biggest whores they got." - Richard Pryor
🤔 Good point for the most part, but I don’t believe the Europeans nor Japanese love us anymore than the Caucasians here in the U.S, so what would be the difference? Unless you’re talking about quality, you’re still giving your money to people who couldn’t care less about you.
*MATTHEW 24:19*
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
Well, when you've been beaten up for 400 years, enjoyment of a status symbol is sort of a low bar. Can't expect much else out of these people.... so might as well have an expensive toy to play with until they arbitrarily pull you over and pretend you stole it.
@@osaji922 The only reason why those people would be racist towards blacks is all of the American media sent around the world for the last 300-400 years saying we were worthless.
I love all my cadillacs this was a really interesting bit of the history I didn't know, thank you for sharing this knowledge!🎉
This is so not true I see more black folks expensive foreign cars
Some are so sold on that "prestige" illusion they'll lay down hard earned cash for "prestigious" junk. Don't get me wrong, not saying Caddy's are worst cars on the road, but I wouldn't call them the best either. They're nice, expensive "Chivvies" & Lexus is "eating their lunch"! But to each his own.
This is honestly the first time that I had heard of Cadillac directly marketing to black customers so early in the game to save their skins. Especially hearing the analogy of “Pontiac“ when I was growing up from some folks.
What's the PONTIAC story?
@@HughJass-jv2lt poor old n thinks it’s a Cadillac. And the weird thing is I’ve heard from black and white folks when I was younger. Because I’ve been a Pontiac man myself all the way up until the brand was discontinued. I’ve owned at least five of them. So I guess this would be the tie into what I heard, which really made me scratch my head when I heard it.
Because of the title I almost didn't click on this video thinking it was going to be some tasteless joke. I clicked nonetheless and I'm glad I did. America sure has some embarrassing moments in its history (and still does). Thank you for your research and illumination.
Every country does, but they also have some excellent moments, like being able to watch this video on the Internet and comment on it.
I did not own a caddy, but I have owned 5 experiment cars for the caddy, and I currently own two of them. They were Oldsmobiles. I have had three Cutlass Supremes, a 72, a 74, a 79, and an 81. I currently have a1978 Delta 88 Royale Brougham and the 74 Supreme @ present. Would not have another "computer controlled" car. My two Oldsmobiles are classics and I really enjoy driving them. Very trouble free. Thank You.
I believe Cadillac and Lincoln we’re both founded Henry Leland. Henry Ford and Leland had a disagreement of some sort. Can’t remember the full story, but Cadillac was purchased by GM and Lincoln went to Henry Ford. I believe Cadillac, Ford and Dodge all have roots together. Cadillac was purchased by GM and the Dodge brothers went their own way and Ford grew to become FoMoCo.
Correct Eric, Leyland was the genius behind both Cadillac & Lincoln motorcars & Ford sat on the board of Cadillac. He & Leyland fell out because Ford wanted to buy Cadillac, Leyland blocked him. "Cadillac's not for sale, not to you." Yes, many of those "car guys" back then knew each other & had even worked together. Some became auto moguls, others went broke, others & the cars bearing their names went to side of the road & are history now.
Believe it or not Billy Durant (Mr. GM)@1 time made a bid for Ford. He told ol' man Henry to, "Name your price." Ford did, Durant's financiers balked, & that was the end of it.
Back in the fifties, my Dad used to say a Buick was just as good as a Cadillac but a hell of a lot cheaper .So for years. We were a Buick family.