Category Archives: Book Review

Cadillac Books: The Cadillac Story, The Postwar Years

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I recently have been re-reading The Cadillac Story, The Postwar Years, by Thomas E. Bonsall.

I enjoyed this book very much.  It tells the ‘behind the scenes’ story of Cadillac and their competitors from the depths of the great Depression to the early 2000s.  From Cadillac’s early struggles against Packard, to the emergence of Mercedes and BMW, then later Lexus and Acura, this book tells the good decisions and the bad decisions that defined Cadillac’s path for over 50 years.  As the cover flap says, although the book is focused on Cadillac, it also is the story of the overall Luxury Car business during this period.

The Author addresses who was in charge at GM or Cadillac at the time, explains the context of their situation relative to contemporary competitors, and what the outcome was of the choices they made.  I found this approach very informative, and thought provoking.

This book is NOT a detailed year to year reference; check the Standard Catalog of Cadillac for that.  This book is the story of the people and the situations and the competition to make the best luxury cars available.

This is a book I have read twice, and I suspect I will read it again in the future.  It is one of the books that has given me the impression that the Automobile business has ALWAYS been a highly competitive endeavor.

My copy was published in 2004, but originally the book was first printed in 2003.  So this book is best if you are seeking information about the development of Cadillac from the end of the 2nd World War until around 2000.

I like the chapter segregations, because this really gives one a capsule summary (the Cliff Notes Version) of Cadillac’s fortunes:

In the beginning 1946-47 [Cadillac began in 1902 but this book picks up in 1946]
The Tail Fin Era: 1948-49
Of Tail Fins and Bathtubs 1950-53
Fending Off the Competition: 1954-58
Cadillac Hits Its Stride: 1959-64
At the Apex: 1965-70
Trouble Brews: 1971-79
Crisis in Paradise: 1980-84
A Division in Limbo: 1985-91
Cadillac Fights Back: 1992-2001
Looking to the Future: 2002-Up

This book also discusses how Cadillac developed a TERRIBLE relationship with the Automotive Press, and the extent to which Cadillac was punished by the Press for their part in that relationship.  That in itself is a primer for our time.

I give The Cadillac Story, The Postwar Years, by Thomas E. Bonsall.
4 stars (out of 5):

Cadillac Books: Standard Catalog Of Cadillac 1903-2005, by John Gunnell

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This is one of my most frequently used Cadillac reference books:

Standard Catalog of Cadillac

Standard Catalog of Cadillac by John Gunnell

It contains some historical articles about Cadillac, and LaSalle.  But the heart of the book is year by year descriptions of each model, powertrains, options, and features.  Some historical facts are noted along the way by year, which adds some context to the vehicle descriptions.  This is very much more a reference book than a “coffee-table” book.  John Gunnell, a life-long automotive historian, is the automotive books editor for KP Books.

The book is 10.7 x 8.3 x 1 inches and is paper bound, but I have not had any problems with my copies holding up to heavy use over time.

This book has been updated about every 5 years.  I have one that ended in 1990, and one that ended in 2000.  The current edition ends with 2005.  Hopefully we will see a new one out next year that stretches through 2010.  If a person could subscribe to this series of updates, I would.

As a reference book, the Standard Catalog is not perfect.  But it is tremendously useful if you are interested in the Cadillac marque at all.  While I was writing this blog post I went ahead and ordered a copy of the 3rd edition.  I recommend this book for any Cadillac library.

Standard Catalog of Cadillac on Amazon: Amazon.com: Standard Catalog Of Cadillac 1903-2005, 3RD EDITION (9780873492898): John Gunnell: Books.

Update:  I received my copy of the 3rd Edition.  This edition has been updated throughout with color photos, and is now on a higher quality, glossy stock.  It still has the same reference goodness of the previous version that I liked so well.  I am happy with the updates, and look forward to the (hopefully) 2010 release.