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

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.