Few brand names in the world have achieved the accomplishments that Cadillac has. The word itself has gone on to mean luxury even when applied to non-automobile items. But, here are 7 Things You Don’t Know About: Cadillac.

1. The Cadillac Automobile Company was formed from the remnants of the Henry Ford Company after Henry Ford left the company with several key parters to form the Ford Motor Company.

2. The Cadillac company is named for Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, a 17th century French explorer who founded Detroit in 1701.

3. The United States Government bought over 2,300 Cadillac Type 55 Touring Model cars to use as staff cars during World War I. Contrary to what has happened to other cars when being produced for military use, the Type 55 by Cadillac didn’t need one mechanical change to be accepted by the government, unless you count the khaki paint.

4. In 1927, Cadillac became the first auto maker to use a designer to design the body of the car instead of using an engineer as was the normal practice.

5. From 1979 to 1985, Cadillac offered a diesel version of its V8 engine available only in its full size cars.

6. The vehicle New York Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning won as a result of being named the most valuable player of Super Bowl XLII was a Cadillac Escalade hybrid.

7. Popular songs that reference Cadillacs:
One Piece At A Time - Johnny Cash
Throw Some D’s - Rich Boy
Maybellene - Chuck Berry
Beep Beep - The Playmates
Sandpaper Cadillac - Joe Cocker
Living Loving Maid - Led Zeppelin
You Don’t Mess Around With Jim - Jim Croce
Bad Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce
Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) - Billy Joel
Boot Scootin’ Boogie - Brooks & Dunn
Gone - Montgomery Gentry
Pink Cadillac - Bruce Springsteen
Slick Black Cadillac - Quiet Riot
Shut Up And Drive - Rihanna

Cadillac has conquered the luxury automobile market and many other cars can only hope to be favorably compared to it. Cadillac will continue to be one of the more well thought of car brands for years to come.