Look inside world’s first EVER Cadillac – 1902 cutting edge masterpiece with single-cylinder engine & £600 price tag
THE WORLD’S first ever Cadillac was a cutting edge masterpiece built over 120 years ago.
Founded in 1902 by Henry Leland, the iconic US manufacturer started out with the Cadillac Runabout that was an instant game-changer at the time.
This two-seater ‘horseless carriage’, officially released in August 1903 at the New York Auto Show, was described by Cadillac itself as a cutting-edge model that blew attendees away.
This basic, single-cylinder motor boasted 10 hp and had a starting price of $850, approximately £680 at the time.
Adjusted for inflation, that would be roughly £70,000 today.
Later, the Runabout was renamed Model A, while an upgraded model, referred to as Model B, was introduced in 1904 and featured a transverse front suspension and an extended front.
During this time, both the Model A and B were sold as either a two-passenger runabout or a four-passenger rear tonneau.
In some cases, drivers could even request their new vehicles to be delivered to them.
These motors were offered on sale until 1908, with the S and T models the final two iterations.
Cadillac, while not particularly popular in the UK or Europe, is today considered an instantly recognisable name in the US.
In 2023, they sold around 350,000 vehicles across the globe in 34 different countries, with the brand’s major markets aside from the US being Canada and China.
Today, Cadillac is owned by General Motors alongside Chevrolet, Buick and GMC, and is considered a luxury carmaker within the US – although it is often outsold by European brands such as BMW and Mercedes.
However, Cadillac could expand its global appeal in the coming years after it was announced as the 11th team to join the Formula 1 grid from 2026.
Currently, the super-luxury Cadillac Escalade ESV is considered one of the biggest road-legal cars money can buy in Britain.
Twice the size of a Range Rover, this mighty vehicle costs an equally enormous £100k and includes seven seats and a spacious boot, all powered by a 420-horsepower V8 engine.
Elsewhere, a long-lost fast Ford with just 703 miles on the clock has recently been sold for a cool £150,000.
The highly sought after retro classic from 1992 was specially modified for motorsport and boasts a plethora of special features.
But the rare Escort Cosworth also holds a mystery – having disappeared from view for a number of years before it turned up in Australia.