The Cadillac brand began in 1906 and has seen many faces, with the famous Cadillac crest having evolved with the brand. The basic shape of the crest has not been altered much through its century plus of growth, but the design around it has changed dramatically.
In 1906, the crest was centered in a circle of a crowned laurel wreath, the three swans offset by four etched blocks read “La Mothe Cadillac.” That held until 1933, when sings were added to replace the laurels and the crown became integral to the crest itself and two of the etched squares were blanked.
In 1942, the etches returned, but the wings were replaced by upright wings symbolic of a skyscraper with the crown of the crest once again removed, but still directly atop the symbol. In 1957, again befitting the times, the crown once again attached itself to the crest, which was flattened and elongated with the swans barely visible and a single chevron below cradled the symbol of Cadillac.
In 1964, the chevron was removed and the crown lifted over the much simpler, more minimalist look. The etches again blanked and the swans were once again more prominent. This held for years until 2000.
At the turn of the new century, Cadillac returned the laurel wreath, removed the crown and swans, and added color to make the crescent more symbolic of the new era with red, white and chrome offset by black and gold. Now, fourteen years later, that modern design is once again replaced with a similar look, but with heavier chrome edges, a wider, broader look, and the absence of the laurels. This new symbol of Cadillac will carry the brand forward as the premium General Motors symbol.
