The Cadillac Truck?

Cadillac makes the Escalade, but is that a truck or an SUV?

This is a commonly known definition for "truck". Any of various heavy motor vehicles designed for carrying or pulling loads.

www.cadillac.com...|_2008_Cadillac_Retention_|_IMG_Cadillac_Truck_|_Cadillac_Truck_|_cadillac_truck

Here is some Wiki info on Cadillac. Cadillac was formed from the remnants of the Henry Ford Company when Henry Ford departed along with several of his key partners and the company was dissolved. With the intent of liquidating the firm's assets, Ford's financial backers, William Murphy and Lemuel Bowen called in engineer Henry M. Leland of Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing Company to appraise the plant and equipment prior to selling them. Instead, Leland persuaded them to continue the automobile business using Leland's proven 1-cylinder engine. Henry Ford's departure required a new name, and on August 22, 1902, the company reformed as the Cadillac Automobile Company. Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing and the Cadillac Automobile Company merged in 1905.

The Cadillac automobile was named after the 17th-century French explorer Antoine Laumet de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac, who founded Detroit in 1701

reply to post by Hazelnut


In general all SUV's are "trucks." The definition of a truck is typically based on the platform of the vehicle, ie the frame, axles, etc. Almost any shell can be bolted to a truck platform.

There are exceptions, especially in the "crossover" area of vehicles. The Nissan Murano, the Porsche Cayenne, etc. There are probably some trucks on car platforms and some car on truck platforms as well.

For the Escalade, it is certainly a truck and an SUV.

In addition, some trucks and SUV's are over 6000 lbs and are in the "Commercial" category and require higher licensing fees, and taxes, but have a lower restriction on fuel economy and emissions. A couple of examples are the H1/H2 Hummer, the Nissan Titan, F250/350 and up. Consumers may not realize they are buying a commercial vehicle until they go to renew their tags the first time. I am not sure if the Escalade is in this category or not, but I bet it is very close.

[edit on 26-5-2009 by getreadyalready]

El Camino, el, el, Camino. the front looks like a car, the back looks like a truck, the front is where you ride, the back is where you.......

......Put you beer.

--------------------------

I kind of hope there is an extra fee for having to use a commercial license. There is little need for ANYONE to be driving around in anything over 6 thousand pounds.

First and foremost I would never spend that much money for any vehicle.

I require very little from a vehicle. Take me where I want to go and bring me back safely and be stingy with the gas.

I live six miles out on a dirt road in the country woods and none of these would last one week out here.

It might look pretty on the highway but they would be useless out here in the true country.

I think all US cars were basically trucks, just smaller.
No new design for years.
The Corvette was a highly praised design.
I suppose the first Thunderbird as well.

Independent wheel suspension and rack and pinion steering
was foreign.

US had leaf springs used on wagon trains or horse cabs.
GM has a spring suspension.

Ground effects that even Lyne had a hand in is seen under
some chassis now.


ED: I want to add a thought I had about making a new design.
Look at the problem DeLorian had.


[edit on 5/31/2009 by TeslaandLyne]

I think thats how Cadillac started.
Making trucks.
Although a History Channel show about the car industry indicated
that the new company was the first to have a motor starter instead
of a hand crank.

Yet trucks were around and hardly think they had hand crank starters.
So taking the truck start technology to the car was first by Cadillac.

The 1997 - present Cadillac Escalade has 3 variants :

ESC - The short wheelbase wagon, 7 passanger.
ESV - Longwheelbase wagon
EXT - Mid Gate pickup.

ESV and EXT debuted in 2002 when the 2nd Gen launched in 02. Gen 3 launched 2007. Gen 4 scheduled for 2014 as a considerably smaller vehicle. Think 2010 GMC Terrain.

Cadillac is credited as being the first ever manufactuer to have electric starters that debuted in 1912 on it's legendary Model 30.

www.conceptcarz.com...

[edit on 24-3-2010 by TheImmaculateD1]

[edit on 24-3-2010 by TheImmaculateD1]

The name of Cadillac as a luxury car does not mean anything today.

Forbes magazine rated the Cadillac Escalade the worst made vehicle on the road today.

The worst made vehicles on the road today.

I use to see a one of a kind 1949 Cadillac "truck" when we went to the lake.

It must have been built on a hearse body from it's size.

It had two "seats" on each front corner and the bed was similar to a step side except the body was all one piece.It had a cab area with just a bench seat.

They had been made(actually) four vehicles for MGM studios for filming driving scenes and westerns.

The front wheel well seats could accommodate camera men and their cameras.The bed could hold a camera crew and a sound crew.

It was known for it's smooth ride which eliminated camera shake and powerful,quiet engine.

You could have replaced the front fenders with the correct ones for that year and you would have had one cool car.

Originally posted by TheImmaculateD1
The 1997 - present Cadillac Escalade has 3 variants :

ESC - The short wheelbase wagon, 7 passanger. SUV
ESV - Longwheelbase wagon - SUV
EXT - Mid Gate pickup. - SUT (Sport Utility Truck)

ESV and EXT debuted in 2002 when the 2nd Gen launched in 02. Gen 3 launched 2007. Gen 4 scheduled for 2014 as a considerably smaller vehicle. Think 2010 GMC Terrain.

Cadillac is credited as being the first ever manufactuer to have electric starters that debuted in 1912 on it's legendary Model 30.

www.conceptcarz.com...

Added automotive classifications.

Escalade EXT is pretty close to a truck. Well what they call trucks today.

www.trucksconnect.net...

Originally posted by InvisibleObserver
Escalade EXT is pretty close to a truck. Well what they call trucks today.

www.trucksconnect.net...

Those are not trucks........

THESE ARE TRUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!










The first one is similar to mine. Deisel Gussaler, but fun.

[edit on 8/10/2010 by Ghost of Chewie]

[edit on 8/10/2010 by Ghost of Chewie]

reply to post by Ghost of Chewie


Haha I know the EXT is not a truck, that's why I said "what they call trucks today".

They don't make them like they use to.

reply to post by InvisibleObserver


I know! Thats why I like the first one which is jus like mine, except that one has a Cat Diesel, and mine is powered by a Contenental Diesel, but otherwise exactly same. A bobbed deuce. Will haul anything ya get in it.

Its all in the frame design

A Cadillac Escalade is in actuality a rebadged GMC Yukon or Chevy Tahoe.

Typical badge engineering, the identical same thing except for the engines and spiffy interiors as well as the big Cadillac emblems they're essentially GM trucks. This is the cash cow for GM.

It's a truck based SUV vs a car based crossover SUV.

SUVs can be categorized as truck based or car based "crossover" SUVs. This has to do with their frame type.
A truck based vehicle will utilize a traditional ladder frame and a crossover will utilize a Unibody frame/chassis.

A hint as to their lineage lies in their towing capacity.

A truck based SUV will have a higher towing capacity than that of a car based Crossover SUV.
And why an 18 Wheeler or a Fire Truck all utilize a ladder frame for example.


The Chevy Equinox, for example is car based crossover SUV and has a towing capacity of ...1500 lbs.
The Chevy Tahoe has a towing capacity of 5000 lbs.
The Cadillac Escalade has a tow capacity of 5000- 8200 lbs. - Due to the larger engine.

The Unibody provides lighter curb weight as well as more rigidity as in safety and is more fuel efficient as a result. which is why many SUVs are now car based.

If you need to tow, a truck is the way to go !



buyersguide.caranddriver.com...
buyersguide.caranddriver.com...
buyersguide.caranddriver.com...

Cadillacs are reliable, good looking, smooth handling cars or trucks. So I have a thought. What if Cadillac started a pickup truck line up? Does anyone know if G.M. is working on a Cadillac pickup truck concept? I would love to see how they do with a pickup truck design.

Originally posted by paranormal78
Cadillacs are reliable, good looking, smooth handling cars or trucks. So I have a thought. What if Cadillac started a pickup truck line up? Does anyone know if G.M. is working on a Cadillac pickup truck concept? I would love to see how they do with a pickup truck design.

Trucks are for people to use for work, people that buy a brand new Cadillac don't work... at least in the sense most people know

Joking aside, I don't think a straight up truck is the image that Cadillac wants, basically for the previously mentioned reasons. A truck is a working class vehicle, a Cadillac is a status symbol for a different kind of people (or, at least that's what Cadillac WANTS to be)

Plus, if Cadillac were to release an actual truck, it would just be some re-badged Chevy, just like the Escalade is. If someone wants a truck for utility reasons, odds are they wouldn't pay 10 grand more for a Caddy vs. a Chevy. And if you are pretty well-off, what do you need a truck for? You hire illegal immigrants to do everything for you.

The only Cadillac I like is the CTS-V. That thing is a beast, and looks good too. I had a lot of trim driving a friend's V6 CTS, I liked it quite a bit, but WAY too much money for what you get. I'd rather buy a used Audi S6 to be honest. Although I do like the way the Cadillac looks more.

Speaking of untrucklike trucks (if that's a word) I LOVE the GMC Cylone. I used to have a Typhoon, those trucks are absolutely crazy fast. If someone agrees to race you, they probably don't know what they are, and will most likely loose. I used to love getting the "You want to try and race me in THAT!?" look from the ricers. Followed by the "I can't believe you just beat me in THAT!" look.

reply to post by paranormal78


Or you can just make your own. The Escalade front end conversion for GM trucks is a pretty popular option in the sport truck world.

Car companies make money by volume.

So they basically stamp out the same piece parts and reconfigure them into different Brands in order to increase profits.

Look at the muscle car era for example. The early Muscle Cars such as the GTO.

What was a GTO ? A Pontiac Tempest Lemans sedan (meaning bucket seats) with a GTO option meaning bigger V8 engine, suspension and badges. But thousands more than the standard Tempest.

What was a Plymouth Roadrunner ?
A plain jane Plymouth Satellite with a bigger Engine, suspension and Badges....

My people used to by the basic sedans and outfit them as GTOs .....and were called Sleepers.
Performed like a GTO but said Lemans on the side....for alot less than paying for the GTO badges.
AND saved you alot on your Insurance Premiums !!!



A Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon or a Cadillac Escalade are essentially the same vehicle.
The only difference being, the badge on the grill, the plastic grill itself and possibly the engine options.

If you were to take them apart they're essentially the same vehicle.

A Cadillac Truck ?!

Don't make me laugh, it's a marketing solution to use existing Truck parts and merely place a Cadillac badge on front and rear for Profit !

That's why you can bolt on a Cadillac Grill to a GM Truck for example...

It's as if you could take a $20. out of your wallet ....add a zero to the "20" instantly making it worth $200. !!

Wouldn't you do it , If you could ?!

This is essentially what the car companies are doing.


And That's also how the Car companies make money.....It's called Badge Engineering.

that's an awesome ride Cheesefacedogbone! Do you know the guy who did the work on this thing? It looks like someone took a Chevy Silverado and swapped the front end with a Cadillac.