[ last update:
02.05.2012 ]
The (new)
Cadillac Database©
Cadillac and La Salle
Merchandising and
Advertising Literature
Preamble
The Hobby of Collecting Automobile
Literature
Return to
The (New) Cadillac Database©
Index Page
or select the appropriate years from the tables, below
| Other
literature sections |
Booklets |
A list of product brochures mentioned in early Cadillac ads |
|
Ce que disaient de la Cadillac les publicistes
francophones dans les années trente [cliquez sur le drapeau] |
UPDATE 2012
You will see that the bulk of the illustrations in
this Database lack somewhat in size and
definition. They were created in the early 90s with the
imaging techniques available to me at that time. Many
of these images could be improved upon, today, as I have
still on file a high percentage of original or good copies.
Unfortunately, I do not have time to both add new inmages to
the Web site AND go through some 50,000 images - ONE AT A
TIME - to reprocess them using the latest version(s) of
PhotoShop. Plewase bear with me when I say: "better to
have small, low resolution images then NO IMAGE AT ALL.
NEW FOR 2012
What this section on Cadillac and LaSalle
merchandising literature lacks in pure pictorial detail will
be compensated gradually (very gradually, I'm afraid) by
larger, better images of some of the finest items I
acquired some years ago, thanks to the kind generosity of
the late Z. TaylorVinson. Taylor had collected such sales
catalogs and folders since the age of 9, that is to say for
almost seven decades. When we met, on a number of occasions
in the 70s, 80s and 90s, he graciously allowed me, first, to
photograph the cover pages of those items that were missing
in my own collection and, later, to optically scan the
rarest and finest of items in his collection. It is
the latter that you will be able to admire here.
|
The purpose of auto sales literature is to sell automobiles. In this respect it is
interesting to note how the sales pitch has evolved over the last more than half a
century.
In the early thirties, for example, art and literature combined to produce
literary and artistic masterpieces like the 1930 portfolio of Fleetwood offerings,
obviously to be appreciated by those prospective car owners of refinement and wealth
for whom it is intended. That statement was made by Cadillac in a press release
published in Automobile Topics for August 31, 1929. The
copywriter added that Contributions of rare merit to the world of art or
literature receive commendatory notice in the journals of the day. Equally
conspicuous talent devoted to sales literature and printed art, however, unfortunately
wins less acclaim by reason of its commercial aspect. Yet art it still remains in
its truest form, elevating modern sales methods to levels undreamed of. According to
the writer, Along with other works of art it [i.e. the portfolio in question]
deserves a prominent position on their library tables.
That may explain why, today, this particular promotional item comprising
thirteen advertising portfolios for ten different Cadillac and three different La Salle
models will fetch a few thousand dollars at auction. Not in the league of the Grand
Masters, yet mucho moolah for a few sheets of printed paper.
Let's compare the literary prowess of the 1930 copywriters, epitomized in one
of the latter portfolios describing the 1930 Fleetway all-weather phaeton, with
the bare-facts terminology used, at the dawn of the new millennium, to describe Cadillac's
new Escalade - EXT sport-utility vehicle.
1930: one's motor
car, being as it were a visible statement of one's social status, it is no more than mete
that the consummate elegance and artistic savoir faire should be commandeered for
the purpose of properly reflecting individual prestige. A superior smartness of
design, well modulated contours, urbane originality of colour embellishment, superb
opulence of upholstery, ultra-refinement of fittings; these impressive glamours bespeak in
no uncertain terms the pre-eminence of the owner. They are embodied magnificently in
the Cadillac Fleetway, a sport car specially designed and built to comply with the
exceptional requirements of distinguished taste. Equipped for luxurious faring in all
varieties of weather, the Cadillac Fleetway is a pleasure car dedicated to the lordly ease
which is possible only when social punctilios of fine appearance are splendorously
fulfilled. Among the special features of the Fleetway were genuine Aero
leather upholstery [...and not just on part of the seating areas], carpeted foot hassocks,
entry step lights, two (inner) corner lights and a robe strap. The range of exterior
colors was well-nigh infinite.
2001: [The Escalade] EXT
balances Cadillac's vision of art and science. With a bold, chiseled appearance and cheer
lines, EXT makes a design statement. The seven-spoke wheels and egg-crate grille
speak to the Cadillac form vocabulary. In addition, the Cadillac wreath and crest is
prominently displayed on the grille. As to its main features we are told that the
Escalade ...has supple Nuance leather seating areas [not the whole seat and seat
backs], a wood trimmed steering wheel, six-disc in-dash CD changer and Bose 250-watt
sound system.
Yes, times have changed, as have also the needs of today's car owner! Which of
the two Cadillacs described above would best suit YOUR image?
In this section of The (New) Cadillac Database©,
are (or will be, in time) listed all the sales and merchandising literature items in my
collection, as well as items seen in other collections or sales listings. Each item
is described in detail. The information includes cover dimensions [where known],
expressed in centimeters and/or inches; first the width is shown, then the
height. The format may be vertical, i.e. "portrait" format [shown as
"pf"]), or horizontal, i.e. "landscape" format [shown as
"lf"]. The number of pages [shown as "pp."] generally includes
the front and rear covers. Also given, where known (i.e. where the item is in my
collection or at least if I had access to it) are the main title text and a
description of the cover illustration or design (if any), and the principal illustrations.
Gradually, I will add digital images of these sales literature items; they will
generally be restricted to the front covers and, occasionally, one or two inner pages.
This section of The (new) Cadillac Database ©
has become a huge one, requiring considerable research, scanning, photographing or copying
items in my collection or received from far and wide. You will see that much more effort
has been put into describing the pre-WW2 and early post-WW2 items. When I began work on
the Database, much of the later catalogs and folders were still readily
available, so I decided to keep descriptions to a minimum, intending to expand on them at
some later date.
The trouble is, with a "later date" comes creeping "old
age", resulting fatigue and gradual loss of interest. That's why you will find many
blanks and possibly also quite a few errors in the descriptions of literature items from
1970 and later. So, be a good sport, point them out to me and together we may expand the
listing and improve on the quality and accuracy of the entries for the benefit of all
Cadillac collectors and admirers.
The author and his wife in S. Carolina, 1999,
holding the large, spiral-bound Fleetwood color catalog for 1939
[ they don't make them as nice as this any more ! ]
The Appeal of Collecting
[by the late Z.
Taylor Vinson - one of the foremost authorities on automobile related literature ]
Automobile sales literature can be appreciated on a number of levels.
For me, the first appeal was to the imagination: at an age in the single
digits I could fantasize myself behind the wheel of a convertible or in the back seat of a
chauffeured limousine. Later, when I started to save the things instead of cutting
them up, the thrill was in the accumulation. Over time, more subtle reasons emerged:
the beauty of the items as examples of the printer's art, the recordation of
advancing technology, the depiction of the changing attitude of society towards women and
blacks, the variations in the appeal to the prospective purchaser caused by good or bad
economic times.
The art of sales materials has changed with the decades.
Initially, the cars were illustrated with heavily air-brushed black and white
photographs. Catalogues tended to have card covers slightly larger than the size of
the pages. The covers of the most elaborate of these were embossed and string-tied.
Around 1910 the cars began to be illustrated in color. Slightly later, around 1912,
when the public had begun to be accustomed to the automobile, literal representation of
the product through photographs was no longer deemed necessary, and the cars began to be
pictured in line drawings and etchings. The car was pictured in social and
commercial settings to demonstrate the utility and versatility it could bring to an
owner's life.
From the 1920s through the early 1970's, color renderings, frequently
exaggerated, were the principal means of depicting the automobile, with the use of
photography restricted for secondary sales materials such as direct mail solicitations.
Advances in color photography and printing resulted in a return to the literal
depiction of the car almost coincident with the first fuel crisis in the early Seventies.
The sober times then and since have caused manufacturers to emphasize the
practicability of their products rather than the romance of them, hence the revival of
photography and the virtual disappearance of color renderings which had long held sway.
Today's catalogues are essays in modern technology, often elaborate, and of a size
that only a few years ago was used by luxury makes only.
In the Eighties, new forms of direct mail sales material appeared, the
video cassette and the computer disk (CD-ROM). True to the Nineties, manufacturers
introduced interactive media, going online by posting ads on America OnLine, Prodigy,
CompuServe and World Wide Web. At the present time, a number of catalogues are provided
with CD-ROMs tucked in the back (e.g., 2004 Oldsmobile and Chevrolet Impala).
Further, the large majority of press kits today are simply CD-ROMs. The use of
holographs, facsimile sales materials and "virtual reality" has yet to occur,
but manufacturers can be expected to experiment with new visual technologies as they come
to market. However, the principal piece of sales material will always be the one
deemed by the manufacturer to be most likely to result in the purchase of his product.
For the foreseeable future this will be the printed word with color photographs in
the catalogue format.
Z. Taylor Vinson,
Alexandria, VA - 2005
|
Categories of Automobile Literature
1. Sales catalogs
These are printed and assembled like a book or magazine with the
binding being either at the LH side or (sometimes) at the top. Any item of no more
than 4 printed sides or pages is a folder rather than a catalog.
In a catalog, where the publisher has not shown page numbers, I am counting the front
cover as page #1. Below are sample Cadillac and La Salle catalogs that find
favor among collectors today; from left to right : 1939 La Salle
folder, 1956 Cadillac dealer mailer and 1957 mailer; mailers were
sent by the network of Cadillac dealerships to potential buyers.
2. Booklets
The same basic description as above applies although generally the format is
smaller than for catalogs (e.g. approx. 5x8" [approx. 13x20cms] or less).
Contents range from information on specific Cadillac models to merchandising material of a
general nature. The small booklet, below, measuring approx. 3 x 4 inches, was
published first in 1918 and again in 1919, 1943 and 1960 [there may have been also other
years]; it describes and explains the Cadillac coat of arms or crest that has graced
the vast majority of Cadillacs since 1906. It mentions also Cadillac's proud
slogan: Craftsmanship a Creed, Accuracy a Law.
3. Folders
These are large sheets, which may be folded a number of times. Folders are not
as easy to consult as booklets and catalogs. The latter may be read by turning the
pages, like a book or magazine; folders, on the other hand, tend to wear around the
corners of the folds and along the folds themselves.
While some of them are printed only on one side, most are printed recto-verso.
Not all folders are folded the same way; I have come across half a dozen different ones.
In describing their contents, I have assigned numbers to each fold or
"page" in the logical sequence of unfolding them. Descriptions include
cover sizes (folded and open), orientation (which again may be vertical [pf] or horizontal
[lf]) and the number of printed folds ("pages").
This Cadillac folder is typical of the early
fifties.
During the Korean conflict, there was a slowing down
of Cadillac production and fewer merchandising
catalogues and pamphlets were published
4. Portfolios
These consist of a stiff outer cover or envelope, containing one or more
sheets, drawings, cards or folders. Below is an example of a
Cadillac merchandising portfolio for the 1937 Fleetwood models. It consists
of an outer envelope (left), a descriptive booklet (right) and a number of colored
cards (center) illustrating some of that year's models and body styles. In this
example, the portfolio contains thirteen colored cards; shown is the Fleetwood
convertible sedan (style #5780) for 1937. Interiors are described on the
reverse of each card. The descriptive booklet contains other general information and
specifications:
5. Data Books [dealer]
These were intended to inform salespersons in the vast Cadillac dealership
network of the major styling features and technical advances in the new models for each
year. They consist of anything from 50 to 200 pages or more and are
generously illustrated with all body styles and interiors). They contain a wealth of
information not usually found in merchandising material distributed to potential buyers.
They are rarely in color, although some of them do have inserts in two or three
color tones to brighten them up. I have ceased to collect these data books on account
of their rising cost [$200-500 each, depending on the year].
For some years now, a number of literature vendors have been making available
reproduction copies; however, in my opinion, these are not always of very high quality,
considering in particular the rapid advances made in today's offset printing techniques
and laser photocopying equipment. In addition, I find even these to be too expensive
for mere reproductions! Nonetheless, they are very useful
works of reference for the collector or restorer who owns a car of the year and model in
question.
My friend Jean-Michel Roux, in Switzerland, graciously loaned me his Data Book
collection from 1950 through 1966 and allowed me to copy them for the benefit of The (new) Cadillac Databse©. I have also those for
1938, 1941, 1942 and 1946. Therefore, if any users require more in-depth information
about Cadillacs of these particular years, I may be able to help.
Above: cover and a sample page
from the 1942 Cadillac Data Book
6. Single sheets
These are usually printed on gloss paper or card, 8½ x 11 inches,
printed on one or both sides. They generally describe new features available with
certain models of a given year. The samples below illustrates the sunroof available
on the 1970 Cadillac models.
Two-sided product bulletin on the 1970 sunroof models
Technical Documentation
7. Operating Instructions and
Owner/Operator manuals and booklets
These generally consist of small, instruction booklets explaining how to
operate the vehicle and use its various items of standard and optional equipment.
Some are quite voluminous so I have limited the descriptions to size, format (principally
"pf"), number of pages and cover illustration where appropriate.
In this fanned out grouping are the manuals for
1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 19851, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955,
1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
Above: selection of covers of Cadillac owner/operator
manuals for the
1920-21 Type 59, 1926-27 Series 314-314A, 1952, 1955 and 1980
8. Service Literature [other
than Shop Manuals]
The most common type is that issued by the company for internal use and for
dealership service departments. Service bulletins were generally issued monthly as a
complement to previously issued Shop Manuals (see below). As I have only a few items
of such service literature, I have not included a listing in The (New) Cadillac Database©. Below, from left to right are some Serviceman
issues from 1959, 1966 and 1978 (the poor picture quality is a combination of digital
camera and artificial light; I may get around to improving them).
9. In-House Magazines and Information
Bulletins
These company bulletins or magazines, of which the most well-known are The
Crest and Cadillac Clearinghouse [pre-WW2] and The Cadillac Craftsman
and Cadillac Insider [post-WW2], often contain a wealth of information on new or
special models. Once again, as I have only a few of these in the collection, I have not
included a listing in The (New) Cadillac Database©.
"GM Folks" was a multi-divisional, in-house
magazine for the corporation's
FIVE divisions: Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Buick and, of course, Cadillac;
these covers are from issues of 1954 to 1956
Buyers of Cadillac cars in the late 20th and early
21st centuries
got an automatic (?) subscription to Cadillac "Vision" magazine
10. Shop Manuals, Body Manuals
These were issued for most years, for internal use and for dealership service
departments. For some years, when there had been no major technical or design
changes, the company merely issued a supplement to the previous year's manual (e.g. the
years 1946 and 1960).
Left is the service manual for 1936, right the one for 1961. As I have
few of these manuals in the collection, once again I have not included a listing of them
in The (New) Cadillac Database©.
11. Parts Lists
Any user with a large collection of Cadillac technical
publications who might want to participate in this project may prepare for me a
detailed list of his/her holdings and send it to:
N.B.: Many of the early items in my collection are
reproduction copies. They are marked thus {*}. Entries followed by the symbol
{***} are missing from the collection. I may have seen them either in other collections,
museums or on Cadillac-LaSalle literature listings. Naturally, I am keen to obtain
good photocopies of the latter items, or a more detailed description, to complete the
Database.
Sample catalogs from the collection (above), include
1928, 1929, 1942, 1946, 1953, 1955, 1956 1957 and 1959
| Other
literature sections |
Booklets |
A list of product brochures mentioned in early Cadillac ads |
|
Ce que disaient de la Cadillac les publicistes
francophones dans les années trente [cliquez sur le drapeau] |
Return to The
(New) Cadillac Database© Index
Page
or select the appropriate years from the table, above
© 1996, Yann Saunders and the Cadillac-La
Salle Club, Inc.
[ Background image: Montage of Cadillac catalog, ad, photo ]