Actress Jean Harlow, known as the Blonde Bombshell and the Platinum Blonde, poses next to her Cadillac in 1934
Tough guy: John Wayne, named by the American Film Institute as the 13th
Greatest Male Screen Legends of All Time, also owned a Cadillac
Shaking on it: Actress Kim Novak, best known for her role as Judy Barton
in the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo, picking up her Cadillac in
1957
Driving happy: Actress Angie Dickinson bought a Cadillac in 1962
via Daily Mail:
For the biggest stars of cinema's
golden age, success meant a multi-million Hollywood Hills mansion, a
luxury Manhatten apartment - and a brand-new Cadillac. The classic cars became a symbol of success bought by the rich and famous - from American Presidents to Elvis Presley. But
it was also the car of choice for many film stars - and a remarkable
archive of photos uncovered in America shows how some of the biggest
names went personally to the factory to collect their Cadillacs.
Even British-born stars including Bob
Hope and David Niven joined the queue of big-screen celebrities wanting
to get behind the wheel of a Detroit-built convertible or limousine. Hard-man
actors like John Wayne and Gary Cooper, entertainers Bing Crosby, Danny
Kaye, Sammy Davis Jnr and Liberace and screen godesses including Kim
Novak and Jane Russell all insisted on picking up their new chrome-clad
Caddys themselves. The firm boasted at the time: 'Our customer list is a Who's Who of the Highway'.
But the Detroit factory closed in
1997 during a downturn in the American auto industry that has left
Detroit a ghost town. But General Motors launched a heritage centre in
2004 to mark 'Motor City's' contribution. There
were few photographs on display - until an ex-employee turned up with a
boxful of old black and white photos of the stars arriving to collect
their new cars.' The A-listers were even invited to 'finish' their new vehicles by tightening the last screw and given a tour of the factory. A
spokesman for the heritage centre said: 'The 50's and 60's were a
golden age in the US motor industry - and Cadillac was the most
prestigious badge. 'The stars of the time were always invited to the plant to collect their cars and to see how they were made 'They took a genuine interest in the vehicles and often spent time talking with the workers.'
Founded in 1902 Cadillac limped on into the 80's and 90's before its owners General Motors filed for bankruptcy in 2009. The
company was re-launched with 60 per cent US Government funding in
November 2010 and its models sell in 37 countries, the giant 4x4
Escalade one of its most popular models. But in 2010 it sold just 147,000 cars world-wide - by comparison Ford sold more Fiestas and Focus cars in the UK alone.
Finishing touches: Bing Crosby with his brand new and custom made Cadillac in 1947
Funnyman: Danny Kaye, a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian, puts the final touch on his Cadillac in 1956
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