CADILLAC CTS-V 1 Cadillac Racing CTS-V Coupe Media Kit I Why We Race – Team Cadillac II Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Road Car to Race Car III CTS-V Coupe Race Car Development IV Andy Pilgrim - No. 8 V Johnny O’Connell - No. 3 VI Cadillac CTS-V and Brand Racing History VII Cadillac Racing History VIII Pratt & Miller Engineering IX 2014 SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge GT Schedule X SCCA Pro Racing XI Reference, web pages, Facebook, Twitter Cadillac Communications: Brian Corbett Cadillac Communications 586.612.6569 [email protected]@BrianCorbett3 on Twitter Kyle Chura Team Cadillac Communications 248.821.0468 [email protected]@kcacomm on Twitter
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CADILLAC CTS-V 1
Cadillac Racing CTS-V Coupe Media Kit
I Why We Race – Team Cadillac
II Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Road Car to Race Car
III CTS-V Coupe Race Car Development
IV Andy Pilgrim - No. 8
V Johnny O’Connell - No. 3
VI Cadillac CTS-V and Brand Racing History
VII Cadillac Racing History
VIII Pratt & Miller Engineering
IX 2014 SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge GT Schedule
Steering Wheel Adjustable leather wrapped with radio controls
Carbon fiber with six knobs and 12 buttons controlling everything from driver drink bottle to launch control
Rear Vision Rear vision camera Rear vision camera
Seating Heated and Ventilated driver and front passenger RECARO 14-way power-adjustable performance seats, optional
Single Pratt & Miller designed cool seat, custom fitted to driver
Safety Driver and passenger side airbags, Passenger Air Bag On/Off Switch, OnStar Automatic Crash Response, etc.
Pratt & Miller developed side impact reducing crush box, six-point driver restraint system with removable steering wheel
Radio
10-speaker Bose® 5.1 surround sound system; hard-drive device; navigation; AM/FM/RDS4/MP3/ DVD with USB audio connectivity and steering wheel controls and XM
Motorola two-way radio with steering wheel mounted press-to-talk button and single speaker connection to driver ear buds
CADILLAC CTS-V 5
III CTS-V Coupe Race Car Development
Design of the CTS-V race car kicked off in June 2010. Taking the strong underpinnings of the
CTS-V Coupe and making it a race car was not much of a stretch. When starting with a
thoroughbred Cadillac engineers and designers worked with Katech and Pratt & Miller to
re-shoe and train it to run at the next level to get it to the starting line.
Keeping within the tight confines of the SCCA Pro Racing Rule Book, the team took the CTS-V
Coupe down to zero body fat and began to add the elements that will make the race car
successful on not only natural road courses like Toronto’s Mosport, but on crowned, crack
filled street courses like Long Beach.
When the first key was struck, more than 6,300 hours of design work on the CTS-V Coupe
racer began. On July 26 clay hit the body to pull molds for key components. August 2
witnessed the first chassis going onto the surface plate for initial manufacturing. More than
17,000 hours of fabrication between the two cars was happening simultaneously with
engineering and the clay work. Design kept a watchful eye on the styling to assure that the
cutting-edge look of the CTS-V Coupe road car was successfully translated to the race car.
An aero exercise, known as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), was put into the timeline to
take maximum advantage of the air that flows over the hood and roof of the coupe to capture,
or in some cases reduce, that force managed by the imposing rear deck-lid spoiler.
On September 30 the clay molds were finished and production began. The first body was
completed October 27.
For Pratt & Miller, engineering the years of racing and winning with Cadillac and Corvette gives
the group based in New Hudson, Michigan, a large database to draw from. How the car will
react through the challenging Turn 11 downhill right hander at Road Atlanta to the ultra-tight,
last hairpin turn at Long Beach dictated the suspension geometry.
The first race car, No. 8, was completed on December 3 for a Cadillac marketing photo shoot
to support the unveiling at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. At this time
the build of the No. 3 car was accelerated.
After the car was retrieved from the Auto Show, Cadillac racing drivers for the 2011 season,
Andy Pilgrim and Johnny O’Connell flew in for their seat fittings, and pedal and steering
column length measurements. The No. 8 car was completed for the first test at Sebring
International Raceway, formerly a World War II military airbase, on January 16 at 3 a.m.
The car hit the track the next morning.
Prior to leaving, the team performed a Lap Time Simulation (LTS) test based on their
knowledge of Sebring to get the baseline set-up for that first crucial test. With only eight
months of engineering, development, computer simulation and build time, the 2011 Cadillac
Racing CTS-V Coupe racer put the rubber to the runway. Sebring was chosen because the
6 CADILLAC CTS-V
team holds a vault of data on the 3.7-mile, 17-turn Central Florida circuit. Florida resident and
multi-time Sebring winner Andy Pilgrim had the pleasure of turning the first laps in the CTS-V
Coupe racer. What was planned to be a three-day test was reduced to almost a day of
running. Rain and a couple of technical issues thwarted the Pratt & Miller test schedule. The
team went back home to Michigan with a list of improvements, typical of a first shakedown.
Meanwhile the rest of the team was working feverishly on the No. 3 O’Connell car back in the
Pratt & Miller shop.
Thirty-two days later the Cadillac squad returned to Sebring, February 21 and 22, to put both
cars on the track for a second run in before the first race. With photo shoots and final driver
comfort adjustments done, the team completed over 800 miles on both the long Sebring layout
and the tighter North Course.
June 2010 CTS-V racing program kicked-off
July 10 Begin Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to access aero data
July 15 Initial engineering data reviewed on Coupe body-in-white structure
July 29 Body-in-white arrives structural welding begins, with roll cage mock-up
Aug. 1 Final review of roll cage structure
Aug. 2 Chassis mounted on surface plate for initial manufacturing
Aug. 5 Clay modeling of key components begins
Aug. 11 Chassis build panels arrive from Lansing
Aug. 15 Suspension travels complete
Aug. 25 GM Design sign-off on styling
Sept. 2 Roll cage mock-up complete ready for complete weld-in
Sept. 5 Engine mounting and Xtrac transmission and differential placement complete
Sept. 13 Body casting complete
Sept. 25 Suspension initial design complete
Oct. 1 Body removed from surface plate, second body mounted chassis’ built concurrently
Oct. 22 Fabrication of stock suspension components to race ready finalized
Nov. 1 Engine received for mock-up in car with transmission and differential
Nov. 1 Chassis 01 complete
Nov. 1 Fuel cell mounted
Nov. 4 Chassis 01 back from paint
Nov. 10 Lexan windows mounted
Nov. 20 Wheels mounted and car on ground to check for interference
Nov. 27 No. 8 (01) car sent to paint and graphics for photo shoot (body)
Nov. 30 Electrical harness introduced to car
Dec. 3 Car 3 (02) build accelerates
Dec. 23 Chassis 01 completed for Cadillac Marketing photo shoot
CADILLAC CTS-V 7
Jan. 7, 2011 CTS-V race car unveiled at North American International Auto Show
Jan. 13 Pilgrim seat, pedals and steering fitting
Jan. 16 Differential arrives
Jan. 16 Test car ready for first shake down run
Jan. 17 First on track test at Sebring International Raceway Chassis 02
Jan. 24 Show car returned to Pratt & Miller
Feb. 10 O’Connell seat, pedals and steering fitting
Feb. 20-21 Second test at Sebring, long and short course runs
Aug. 4 O’Connell race to first victory for Cadillac CTS-V Coupe at Mid-Ohio
Oct. 29 O’Connell gets second victory for team at Road Atlanta
became the all-time leader in Sebring victories with his seventh career victory on the historic
circuit.
O'Connell notched his record-setting eighth Sebring win in the season-opening race in 2009,
and then became the first American to score four class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He
made a seamless transition to the GT2 class, finishing as runner-up in the competition debut of
the GT2 Corvette C6.R at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August. He was third in the next
round at Road America, and then scored Corvette Racing's first GT2 win at Mosport in his
record-setting 100th career ALMS start. At the conclusion of the 2009 season, O'Connell held
numerous ALMS records, including the most career starts (102), most podium finishes (80),
most top-five finishes (93) and most top-10 finishes (100).
O’Connell is coming off of a Hall of Fame career with the Chevrolet Corvette American Le
Mans Series (ALMS) team. He is a three-time ALMS GT1 champion. His 38 career ALMS
wins, record eight Sebring 12-hour class victories, hold ALMS records for most starts (102),
most podium finishes (80), most top-five finishes (93), and most top-10 finishes (100); first
American driver to win 24 Hours of Le Mans four times. He is also in a quest to take over the
most 24 Hours of Le Mans starts by an American from famed gentleman racer Mastin Gregory,
who has 16 Le Mans starts. O’Connell holds a black-belt in Karate and uses martial arts as a
significant part of his training regimen.
Career Highlights:
2013 O’Connell defended his GT driver’s championship title making it two in a row. Season
highlights included five wins at Circuit of the America’s (COTA), Detroit, Lime Rock, Toronto
and Houston; second place finishes at Detroit (race two) and Mid-Ohio; third place runs at St.
Pete (2) and at Lime Rock (race two). Strong season contributed to Cadillac winning the
manufacturer title for a second year. 2012 O’Connell led Team Cadillac to the series
championship for both driver and manufacturer, highlighted by a sweep of the top step of the
podium in both races at Detroit, with an additional win at St. Petersburg and podium finishes at
Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Mosport and Mid-Ohio. 2011 Earned the first two victories for
Cadillac in its return to the World Challenge ranks, at Mid-Ohio and at Road Atlanta. Finished
second in series points on the strength of that final victory. 2010 Challenging year in GT with
Corvette, posted a best finish of fifth on the season and ending the year ninth in the GT points
standings; 2009 Won class in Sebring 12-hour race for record eighth time; won GT1 in 24
Hours of Le Mans, the first American driver to score four Le Mans victories; finished second at
Mid-Ohio in competition debut for GT2 Corvette C6.R; scored first victory for Corvette Racing
in GT2 at Mosport in his record 100th career ALMS start; 2008 Won ALMS GT1 championship
(with Jan Magnussen) for third time; eight ALMS victories including Sebring 12-hour and
1,000-mile Petit Le Mans endurance races and career-high three fast qualifiers; runner-up in
GT1 class at 24 Hours of Le Mans for second consecutive year with Corvette; 2007 Runner-up
in ALMS GT1 championship, three ALMS wins, second in GT1 at 24 Hours of Le Mans with
Corvette; 2006 Fourth in ALMS GT1 championship, one ALMS win, one ALMS pole with
CADILLAC CTS-V 13
Corvette; 2005 Runner-up in ALMS GT1 championship, three ALMS wins with Corvette, first
ALMS pole; 2004 American Le Mans Series GTS co-champion, five ALMS wins with Corvette;
2003 American Le Mans Series GTS co-champion, three ALMS wins with Corvette; 2002
Seven ALMS wins with Corvette; 2001 Overall winner in 24 Hours of Daytona, five ALMS wins
with Corvette; 1999-2000 One win in American Le Mans Series with Panoz; 1996 Indy Racing
League season driving a Reynard; 1997-98 One win in PSCR World Sports Car Championship
in a Hawk and Panoz; 1995 GT1 class winner in 12 Hours of Sebring with Nissan; 1994 Two
wins in IMSA GTS, overall win in 12 Hours of Sebring with Nissan; 1993 GTS class winner in
12 Hours of Sebring with Nissan; 1991-1993 Two wins in IMSA GTO Nissan; 1989 American
Racing Series, one win; 1988 Formula Atlantic West, posted one win; 1984-85 Jim Russell
Racing School champion; 1987 Formula Atlantic West champion and Rookie of the Year with
five wins.
14 CADILLAC CTS-V
VI Cadillac CTS-V Racing and Brand History
Cadillac’s racing history was born at Sebring International Raceway on March 16, 2004. Two
CTS-V Sedans took to the track for their first SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge GT race,
celebrating the brand’s entry into professional sports car racing. At the wheel that day were
Andy Pilgrim and Max Angelelli. A very hopeful beginning, filled with anticipation for the
program’s debut, almost fizzled on the starting line. As the green flag was about to drop
Pilgrim, from his second row starting position, stalled his CTS-V Sedan. While teammate
Angelelli raced off into the lead, Pilgrim re-fired his four-door and took off after the field. In less
than six-laps he passed the entire GT field, setting fast lap of the race, and caught his
teammate who was leading and made it a commanding, statement-making, Cadillac one-two
finish.
The inaugural CTS-V World Challenge GT season witnessed Angelelli finishing third in the
season ending Driver’s Championship, with Pilgrim fifth. In 2004 the team posted two wins at
Sebring International Raceway and Road Atlanta. The two wins were supported by three pole
positions that year. GM’s John Heinricy made one start at Mid-Ohio where he finished third.
Cadillac won the double in 2005 with the Manufacturer’s Championship and Pilgrim won the
Driver’s Championship; teammate Max Papis finished in fifth. Pilgrim won the championship on
consistency, posting no wins, but finishing on the podium three times while amassing eight top
five finishes. Papis raced to two wins, Road Atlanta and the season ender at Laguna Seca with
GM’s John Heinricy competing at Mid-Ohio and Portland.
Pilgrim drove to a third place in the Driver’s Championship in 2006 on the strength of his win at
Road Atlanta. He also filed podium finishes at Sebring, Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.,
and Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. The team shuffled drivers Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell
and Max Angelelli through the seat of the team car. Fellows drove to a win at Long Beach and
also had podium finishes at Mosport in Toronto and Road Atlanta. O’Connell had a second
place run at the Streets of Long Beach, while Angelelli’s year was highlighted by a third place
at Laguna Seca.
Pilgrim and newcomer Lawson Aschenbach helped Cadillac to their second Manufacturer’s
title on the strength of wins by Pilgrim at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina
and Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Aschenbach won at Road Atlanta and had podium
finishes at Sebring, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen, New York, Mid-Ohio, and
Mosport, finishing the season third in the driver’s standings.
The 2007 season marked the end of the CTS-V Sedan racing era and would see the program
take a four-year hiatus in motorsports. In the period from 2004 to 2007, the team won a
Manufacturer’s Championship (2005), a Driver’s Championship (Andy Pilgrim, 2005), had 10
wins, seven pole position starts and 36 podium finishes, including wins.
CADILLAC CTS-V 15
Team Cadillac was reborn on the streets of St. Petersburg in March of 2011 after a four year
absence. Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim ushered in the new version of the team driving
the all-new Cadillac CTS-V Coupes in the ultra-competitive Pirelli World Challenge GT Series.
In that inaugural season O’Connell posted wins at Mid-Ohio and Road Atlanta, while Pilgrim
posted podium finishes at Sonoma and Road Atlanta.
In 2012, Team Cadillac returned the series with championship intentions. From the drop of the
green flag at St. Petersburg, Johnny O’Connell put the field on notice that he was going for the
championship. Winning the first race and placing second in the next race on the same
weekend, O’Connell went on to post additional wins at Detroit, sweeping the weekend winning
both races, and added podium finishes at Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Mosport, Mid-Ohio and
Sonoma to capture the Pirelli World Challenge GT Series driver’s championship and
Manufacturer Championship for Cadillac. Pilgrim posted a win on the streets of Long Beach as
well as podium finishes at St. Petersburg, Miller Motorsport Park, Detroit and Sonoma to finish
second in the GT series.
The 2013 season witnessed Team Cadillac driver Johnny O’Connell defending his Pirelli World
Challenge GT driver’s championship by winning five races over the 14 race season which
concluded in Houston. Teammate Andy Pilgrim finished the season in third, and Cadillac won
the GT manufacturer championship for the second year in a row. O’Connell took the
championship right down the last few laps of a very exciting final round in Houston, which was
a must win race. The Georgian posted wins at Circuit of the America’s (COTA), Detroit, Lime
Rock, Toronto and Houston to win the GT driver’s championship by a slim 57 point margin.
Teammate Pilgrim posted a win at Sonoma Raceway and was credited with eight podium
finishes on the season.
Since the team’s inception in 2004, Team Cadillac has amassed 23 wins, 77 podium finishes (including wins) and 19 pole positions. The team won the World Challenge Manufacturer Championship in 2005, 2006, 2012 and 2013. Team Cadillac drivers have won the World Challenge Driver’s Championship in 2005 with Andy Pilgrim and in 2012 and 2013 with Johnny O’Connell.
16 CADILLAC CTS-V
2013 Cadillac CTS-V Results Event Drivers Started Finished
St. Petersburg O’Connell Pilgrim
5 4 6 6
3 3 4 5
Long Beach O’Connell
Pilgrim
5
7
8
2
Circuit of the
America’s
O’Connell
Pilgrim
1
1
4
4
1
17
3
2
Detroit O’Connell
Pilgrim
1
3
4
4
1
2
3
8
Lime Rock O’Connell
Pilgrim
1
1
2
3
3
1
2
2
Toronto O’Connell
Pilgrim
1
4
1
2
Mid-Ohio O’Connell
Pilgrim
Taylor
5
3
8
5
3
8
2
11
5
4
7
12
Sonoma O’Connell
Pilgrim
1
2
11
1
Houston O’Connell
Pilgrim
2
3
1
3
2012 Cadillac CTS-V Results Track Drivers Started Finished
St. Petersburg Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O”Connell
2
2
4
3
5
3
1
2
Long Beach Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
2
3
1
3
Laguna Seca Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
4
2
4
2
Miller
Motorsports Park
Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
2
7
3
7
Detroit Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
3
3
2
1
3
4
1
1
Mosport Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
5
4
4
2
10
5
2
10
Mid-Ohio Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
3
5
5
4
4
5
3
7
Sonoma Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
4
3
2
5
2011 Cadillac CTS-V Results Track Drivers Started Finished
St. Petersburg Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O”Connell
8
7
6
6
11
8
4
7
Long Beach Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
9
7
8
7
Miller
Motorsports Park
Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
8
6
5
4
Mosport Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
4
4
6
3
5
5
4
2
Mid-Ohio Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
Jordan Taylor
7
7
5
8
4
3
4
6
8
1
2
4
Sonoma Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
4
2
1
3
4
2
2
6
Laguna Seca Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
7
3
14
4
Road Atlanta Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
4
1
3
1
CADILLAC CTS-V 17
2007 Cadillac CTS-V Racing History Track Drivers Started Finished
Sebring Andy Pilgrim
Lawson Aschenbach
4
5
6
2
Long Beach Andy Pilgrim
Lawson Aschenbach
Ron Fellows
2
8
1
2
11
26
Miller
Motorsports Park
Andy Pilgrim
Lawson Aschenbach
14
7
11
6
Lowe’s Motor
Speedway
Andy Pilgrim
Lawson Aschenbach
4
14
1
2
Watkins Glen Andy Pilgrim
Lawson Aschenbach
1
3
4
2
Toronto Grand
Prix
Andy Pilgrim
Lawson Aschenbach
Ron Fellows
4
8
3
4
6
2
Mid-Ohio Andy Pilgrim
Lawson Aschenbach
6
5
4
3
Mosport Andy Pilgrim
Lawson Aschenbach
Ron Fellows
5
1
4
4
2
21
Road Atlanta Andy Pilgrim
Lawson Aschenbach
Ron Fellows
2
4
6
7
1
2
Laguna Seca Andy Pilgrim Lawson Aschenbach Ron Fellows
2 8 4
1 6 7
2005 Cadillac CTS-V Racing History
Track Drivers Started Finished
Sebring Andy Pilgrim
Max Papis
4
5
2
5
St. Petersburg Andy Pilgrim
Max Papis
5
4
4
13
Road Atlanta Andy Pilgrim
Max Papis
Max Angelelli
7
2
1
2
1
3
Mid-Ohio Andy Pilgrim
Max Papis
John Heinricy
4
3
2
5
3
2
Cleveland Andy Pilgrim
Max Papis
Max Angelelli
6
1
5
3
18
2
Lime Rock Park Andy Pilgrim
Max Papis
Max Angelelli
7
3
2
6
2
1
Infineon Andy Pilgrim
Max Papis
Max Angelelli
14
8
7
8
21
20
Portland Andy Pilgrim
Max Papis
John Heinricy
15
8
23
10
8
11
Denver Andy Pilgrim
Max Papis
6
3
4
22
Mosport Andy Pilgrim Max Papis Ron Fellows
10 3 5
4 16 1
Laguna Seca Andy Pilgrim Max Papis Max Angelelli
12 2
10
4 1 2
2006 Cadillac CTS-V Racing History Track Drivers Started Finished
Sebring Andy Pilgrim
Max Angelelli
5
6
2
16
St. Petersburg Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
6
4
8
2
Long Beach Andy Pilgrim
Ron Fellows
4
5
7
1
Mid-Ohio Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
7
5
5
21
Infineon Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
3
5
3
4
Miller Motorsport
Park
Andy Pilgrim
Ron Fellows
5
6
3
4
Road America Andy Pilgrim
Ron Fellows
7
6
7
20
Mosport Andy Pilgrim
Ron Fellows
2
1
21
3
Road Atlanta Andy Pilgrim
Ron Fellows
Max Angelelli
2
6
5
1
3
22
Laguna Seca Andy Pilgrim
Johnny O’Connell
Max Angelelli
9
6
3
8
12
3
2004 Cadillac CTS-V Racing History Track Drivers Started Finished
Sebring Andy Pilgrim Max Angelelli
3 1
2 1
Lime Rock Park Andy Pilgrim Max Angelelli
6 5
5 3
Mid-Ohio Andy Pilgrim John Heinricy Max Angelelli
12 4 9
7 3 6
Infineon Andy Pilgrim Max Angelelli
4 6
4 22
Portland Andy Pilgrim Max Angelelli
5 2
4 19
Mosport Mosport (2)
Andy Pilgrim Max Angelelli Andy Pilgrim Max Angelelli
8 1 4 6
5 4 4 5
Road America Andy Pilgrim Max Angelelli
5 3
14 5
Road Atlanta Andy Pilgrim Max Angelelli Johnny O’Connell
4 1 8
6 1 9
Laguna Seca Andy Pilgrim Olivier Berretta Max Angelelli
12 32 8
22 17 7
18 CADILLAC CTS-V
VII Cadillac – Over a Century of Automotive Innovation and Racing
Cadillac’s groundbreaking Cadillac CTS-V race car is in keeping with the division’s high
standards. The marque has had a strong impact on design, technology and popular culture.
From magnificent V-16 engines and computer-controlled suspensions to soaring tail fins and
quad headlamps, Cadillac has set the standards in bold design and ingenious technology.
Features that are now taken for granted were hailed as technological breakthroughs when
Cadillac introduced them on production vehicles. The list of Cadillac innovations includes the
first self-starter, the first independent front suspension and the first synchronized transmission.
Cadillac raised the bar in powertrains with elegant V-8, V-12 and V-16 engines. Cadillac also
introduced America’s first transverse-V-8/front-wheel drive automobile.
Cadillac’s reputation for innovation reaches back to the first Cadillac automobile completed by
company founder Henry M. Leland on Oct. 17, 1902. With a background in manufacturing
firearms and fine tools, Leland brought a passion for precision to the fledgling automotive
industry. His first single-cylinder Cadillac engine produced a then-astounding 10 horsepower,
easily surpassing the output of his rivals’ powerplants. With variable intake valves and rack-
and-pinion steering, Leland’s Cadillac Model A was a technological tour de force. The public
responded to this advanced design; in spite of the Model A’s princely $750 price tag, the first
production run sold out at the 1903 New York Automobile Show.
Leland imported precision gauges from Sweden that allowed Cadillac craftsmen to
manufacture components with standardized dimensions. In 1908, Cadillac became the first
American automaker to win the Royal Automobile Club of Great Britain’s prestigious Dewar
Trophy for significant automotive advancements. Three randomly selected Cadillacs were
disassembled, their parts scrambled, and the three vehicles reassembled using only hand
tools. A 500-mile road test proved the interchangeability of each car’s 721 components. With
this impressive demonstration, Cadillac became the benchmark in automotive technology.
The pace of progress accelerated rapidly for Cadillac and the automobile industry. In 1910,
Cadillac introduced closed bodywork as standard equipment and offered Delco’s new coil and
point ignition system, a major improvement over unreliable magneto ignitions.
Two years later, Cadillac became the first automaker to use a sophisticated Delco electrical
system that combined self-starting, ignition and lighting functions. The Royal Automobile Club
awarded Cadillac the Dewar Trophy for the second time, making it the first car company to win
the award twice, and honored Cadillac as “the standard of the world.”
Cadillac’s tradition of great powertrains began in 1915 with the introduction of the first mass-
produced V-8 engine. This powerplant used a thermostat to control the flow of coolant, an
innovation that was universally adopted by other manufacturers. The engine, clutch and
gearbox were bolted together to form a single assembly.
CADILLAC CTS-V 19
Ten years later, Cadillac made another breakthrough in engine technology with a dual-plane V-
8 crankshaft. By arranging the connecting rod journals at 90-degree intervals and adding
counterweights to the crankshaft, Cadillac engineers produced a perfectly balanced V-8 engine
with exceptional smoothness.
The redesigned Cadillac V-8 signaled the beginning of an era of impressive multi-cylinder
engines. In 1930, Cadillac introduced the world’s first V-16 engine for passenger car use. With
overhead valves, hydraulic lash adjusters, twin carburetors, dual exhaust and an elegant
exterior design, the V-16 made an unmistakable statement about Cadillac’s standing among
the world’s finest automobiles. The 452-cubic-inch V-16 delivered 160 horsepower, while a V-
12 version introduced in the same model year produced 135 horsepower from 368 cubic
inches.
The Cadillac multi-cylinder motors were more than engines; they were automotive art. Cadillac
advertisements heralded them as “Works of the Modern Masters” and described the V-16 as
“the very finest of its kind.” That was no hollow boast. The motoring press hailed the V-16 as
“the last word in automotive design in America.” The public agreed, but as the Great
Depression descended, few could afford luxury motor cars.
Cadillac’s exquisite engines were coupled with a fully synchronized transmission design that
debuted in 1929. The Cadillac “Synchro-Mesh Silent-Shift” transmission employed bronze
cones to match the gear speeds while shifting. The days of double clutching and noisy gear
changes were over for Cadillac drivers, and the standard of the world was raised another
notch.
Manual gear changes could be eliminated altogether with the introduction of Cadillac’s optional
fully automatic transmission in 1941. Pioneered in 1940 by Oldsmobile, Cadillac’s General
Motors sister division, the Hydra-Matic four-speed automatic employed a fluid coupling and a
hydraulic “brain” that controlled gear changes.
Research on high-performance aircraft engines during World War II paid a peace dividend
when high-octane gasoline became available. Cadillac engineers designed a new high-
compression engine that took advantage of the power-enhancing properties of this new fuel. In
1949, Cadillac introduced the first modern mass-produced overhead-valve V-8. Rated at an
astounding 160 horsepower, the 331-cubic-inch Cadillac V-8 featured a short stroke and
lightweight construction. It weighed 200 pounds less than the flathead V-8 it replaced.
Racers quickly recognized the advantages of the new Cadillac powerplant. Famed Indy driver
Paul Russo won the 1949 Milwaukee 100 stock car race in a Cadillac, and Red Byron finished
third in the 1950 NASCAR Southern 500 in Darlington, South Carolina. Gober Sosebee took
the pole position and finished second in a 100-mile NASCAR Grand National race on a half-
mile dirt track in Columbus, Georgia, in June 1951.
20 CADILLAC CTS-V
In 1952, Buck Baker won a 250-mile race in NASCAR’s Speedway division in a Cadillac-
powered Indy-style car, and Tom Deal’s Cadillac finished second in the Carrera Panamerica