1938 Cadillac V16 - GM Heritage Center

kinds, are continually
being tested
at the General
Motors Proving
Ground. New
models are driven
hundreds of thousands
of miles over
every conceivable
kind of road and
under all weather and temperature conditions to determine ani
possible defect in design before being released for production
In addition, nearly all makes of automobiles, American anc
European, are purchased annually and subjected to comparative
tests with General Motors cars. Only divisional engineers of the
Corporation have access to the findings. They are totally unbiased
for Proving Ground engineers are interested solely in facts,
not in manufacturers. As an ethical policy, their reports can
never be used for advertising or comparative sales presentation
purposes.
Of equal importance to the Proving Ground for advancements
in design is the Proving Ground of Public Opinion. The Customer
Research Division contacts hundreds of thousands of
automobile owners each year to determine what features they
desire in their next cars. Cadillac designers are thus enabled
to build Cadillacs and LaSalles by and for the people who purchase
them. This guarantees a high public acceptance before new
models even leave
the assembly line.
Style leadership
and luxurious
interior appointments
for which
Cadillac has always
been famous,
originate at
General Motors
Art and Color
Section. Cadillac's
own designers and
Customer Research make recommendations. The Art and Color
Department puts these designs in concrete form, final approval
resting with Cadillac.
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