Cadillac Wreath & Crest

[HarleyEarl]

[Intrepidation]

Neat, you should od this for other brands/carmakers too.

[HarleyEarl]

Here you go Harley!

Hey thanks!!....fantastic....it's now in my collection.

[HarleyEarl]

Because I'm such a Cadillac fan, I always thought if I got a tattoo, it'd be great to get the Wreath & Crest on upper arm....but what would you do, go for the earlier designs, say the 50s or the current more graphic one?

[HarleyEarl]

I like the 1982 version if I was going to get a tat.

Interesting you picked that one.....that's the one I usually associate as the classic Cadillac emblem and would most likely choose that one.

Edited June 15, 2008 by HarleyEarl

[bobo]

I miss the ducks, the merlettes. I think the streamlined current logo is a little too streamlined. Sometimes I wonder if that disastrous Catera marketing campaign, which included a commercial with the ducks coming off the crest with animation, had anything to do with it.

[balthazar]

My favorites are the '42 and '59 versions- but esp the '42's vertical wings. I also like the pronounced crown of '30.

And although I would prefer to see crown points on it, the current one is pretty slick- I like the 'streamlined' Wreath there.

[Intrepidation]

My picks are the current one, the 1971, 1959, and 1942.

The 1971 emblem would make for a hell of a key fob.

Edited June 17, 2008 by Dodgefan

[daves87rs]

47,57, and 82 I like.

[the_yellow_dart]

It had ducks on it?? LOL

Never noticed that before.

[PurdueGuy]

It had ducks on it?? LOL

Never noticed that before.

It's the caddy that zigs!

[Croc]

Then you have cars like the 1980 Sedan de Ville featuring the '71 vertical wings on the taillamps, the "'82" logo as the hood ornament, and then a hybrid of the '57 "V" under the wreathless crest on the C-pillars.

[balthazar]

For a long while the 'lower' tier Cadillacs used the 'V'd Crests, while the upper lines used the Wreath/Crest- so a deVille wearing a V is consistant; E's, Sevilles & Fleetwoods would used the Wreath/Crest.

The vertical wings were used numerous years on the taillamps, but I always read those as more of an 'accented' Crest, not a diffrent emblem. But never did a Crest & V appear on the SAME emblem.

[HarleyEarl]

Was there any significance to that 'V'?

[balthazar]

Well, I would assume -even tho it did not appear close to when Cadillac debuted their V-8 (1914) - it signified V-8 engines. The V began appearing in the late '20s (likely with knowledge the V-12 & V-16s were coming) in the engine emblems on the grilles, and were used heavily in the early-to-later '30s, then reappeared in the marque emblem for '46 and running for decades afterward.

[XP715]

For a long while the 'lower' tier Cadillacs used the 'V'd Crests, while the upper lines used the Wreath/Crest- so a deVille wearing a V is consistant; E's, Sevilles & Fleetwoods would used the Wreath/Crest.

The vertical wings were used numerous years on the taillamps, but I always read those as more of an 'accented' Crest, not a diffrent emblem. But never did a Crest & V appear on the SAME emblem.

I thought the wreath and shield (as we know it today) originated on the '67 Eldorado and then moved to other models as time passed, no? Mine has it on the front of the hood and on the C-pillars in the top. Think of the DeVilles and Fleetwoods from their beginning to the late 70's/early 80's: only a shield, or a shield and V on the hood depending on how fancy it was. Standup ornaments were shields ONLY, never with a wreath unless it was on an Eldorado at least until 1979 if I'm not mistaken. I think Sevilles in 1980 got the wreath because they were Eldorados underneath, and the Fleetwoods got them short after. I've seen DeVilles with just shields as late as 1985; I think they were finally given a wreath and shield when they all went front wheel drive.

[Croc]

Well, I would assume -even tho it did not appear close to when Cadillac debuted their V-8 (1914) - it signified V-8 engines. The V began appearing in the late '20s (likely with knowledge the V-12 & V-16s were coming) in the engine emblems on the grilles, and were used heavily in the early-to-later '30s, then reappeared in the marque emblem for '46 and running for decades afterward.

Maybe originally, but our 1980 has the "V" and is one of the rare 6-cyl. models.

[Sixty8panther]

Vertical Vs are where its at! The 1930s emblems

are gorgeous but I've often said IF I ever get a

tatoo it will be a combo of the '30s narrow angle

V emblem and the vertical wings in the style of

the '70/'80s tail light decor.

Was there any significance to that 'V'?

Dude, have you LOOKED at my Avatar like ...ever?

[balthazar]

>>"I thought the wreath and shield (as we know it today) originated on the '67 Eldorado and then moved to other models as time passed, no? Mine has it on the front of the hood and on the C-pillars in the top. Think of the DeVilles and Fleetwoods from their beginning to the late 70's/early 80's: only a shield, or a shield and V on the hood depending on how fancy it was. "<<

It's older than that. Wreath & Crest (W/C) first appeared on the Fleetwood cars (Eldorado, S60S) for '63, and here it was the V/C (V/Crest) on the hoods and the W/C on the rear quarters. In '64- these models featured the W/C in all exterior locations. DeVilles always wore V/Cs until '70.

What always struck me as unusual (and I learned this from somone pointing it out a few years ago on the 'net)- was that in '70-71, deVilles had ONLY a Crest with NO V or Wreath (S60S & E still had the W/C). Looked.... naked. By '72, the V returned. BTW- the Cimarron also only used a Crest.

>>"Standup ornaments were shields ONLY, never with a wreath unless it was on an Eldorado at least until 1979 if I'm not mistaken."<<

Stand-up hood ornaments appeared (this is after the flying goddeses of the '50s and earlier) with the '71 Eldorado (W/C). The next Caddy to get one was the Seville in '76 (W/C). Then in '77, the rest of the line got them, and here, yes, they were Crests only (Fleetwoods were probably W/Cs here, too).

>>"I think Sevilles in 1980 got the wreath because they were Eldorados underneath, and the Fleetwoods got them short after. I've seen DeVilles with just shields as late as 1985; I think they were finally given a wreath and shield when they all went front wheel drive."<<

Sevilles always wore W/Cs. Fleetwoods have had W/Cs since '63. Devilles would have Cs only as hood ornaments, but had V/Cs on the decklids up thru '84, which is the last time a V was used. You're right: Devilles went to W/Cs for '85.

>>"Maybe originally, but our 1980 has the "V" and is one of the rare 6-cyl. models."<<

Yes, but things change. 1980 is a long way from 1928 (first appearance I see -at quick glance- of a 'V' engine emblem). As I stated earlier, The 'V' as a symbol originally signified V-8 engine types, later it became the marque ID regardless of engine.

Does the 'i' in bmw model names still denote 'injected' as it used to 30 years ago? I hope that, too, is no longer as literal.

[HarleyEarl]

[Sixty8panther]

This mkight be a generational thing but I'm not impressed by wreaths.... Vs are way more cool.

Wreaths = late 1970s & 1980s junk

Vs = 1950s, 1960s & EARLY 1970s coolness...

[HarleyEarl]

Wreath & crests have a long history in heraldry. I don't associate it with junk, I like the current Cadillac treatment alot. I also like the retro 'V'.

They both look great. Hey maybe Cadillac should use the crest & 'V' for the V-Series and the wreath & crest for the regular Caddies.

[balthazar]

wow... that makes real sense there, HE.

[Croc]

I like that idea!

Me too!

The "V" doesn't even need any modernization, especially if it is the same as used on the de Villes in the early 80s.

This would also eliminate the cheap-looking "V-series" logo/badging. Just a chromed V under the crest.

Edited June 20, 2008 by Croc

[balthazar]

I do not think the current V-Series badging looks cheap at all.

But I do think if a 'V' was incorporated instead of the current emblem, it should be a much narrower & tighter 'V' than used in the past; that's a wide V and the Cadillacs are a LOT narrower than they were in the '80s. Something more to the proportion of the '39 or '48 style.

[Drew Dowdell]

Would you mind making this same thing but with just the center logo? I use this as my desktop wallpaper and it looks great, I get lots of compliments. I'd like to also use it on my new blackberry as the background, but the smaller logos make it too busy on such a small screen.