The first Cadillac design started in September and was completed on October 17, 1902 and received its first test drive from Alanson P. Brush, the twenty-four-year-old L&F engineer who had contributed substantially to the design of the car and who would later build the Brush Runabout . In January, the Cadillac was taken to the New York Automobile Show where the company's sales manager, William E. Metzger (formerly Olds Motor Works, later the "M" of EMF) took 2,286 orders with a down payment of just $10 before he went halfway through. the week stated that the Cadillac had 'sold out'. Production started in March.

It is no longer possible to find out who designed the first Cadillac. There were certainly similarities with the Ford Model A. A prototype that Henry Ford had built for the Detroit Automobile Company. However, it is not known whether Henry took this prototype with him or not. On the other hand, one could not design anything that did not resemble a Buggy. After all, people had to sell and it had to be a practical means of transport. There were influences from the Ford and Olds, but they were in turn based on models from Duryea. Ford's prototype wasn't built until November 1901, and whether it was running in 1902 at all remains to be seen. The Ford Motor Company was also not founded until June 1903.

Cadillac did not use the "A" designation in 1903. However, it was not until later Cadillac publications that references to the 1903 "Cadillac" and "1904 Model A" were combined after the Model B was introduced in 1904. What made the Model A Cadillac such a bestseller, besides Metzger's super sales technique, was its sophistication. While the 10 horsepower developed by its copper-jacketed single-cylinder engine was exemplary, its two-speed planetary transmission with chain drive via Brown-Lipe differential was conventional. Still, at a time when many automakers had a machine shop, the Cadillac looked like a Tiffany gem. And the price was only $750. The four-person model cost $850, the tonneau had a rear entry. The cars have earned a reputation for reliability, convenience, affordable maintenance and remarkable towing and climbing ability. Press photos show Cadillacs hauling heavily loaded trailers up ramps and climbing stairs of public buildings. Every bolt and screw of the car was discussed in meetings at Henry's office. Tolerances were established that would not be surpassed until decades later. Meters were used for all parts that were ready. These meters were again measured by even more accurate meters, which in turn were tested for a deviation of one hundred thousandth of an inch. Even grease nipples couldn't escape it.

Craftmanship a Creed, Accuracy a Law.

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Pistons that were too large could be ground to size, too small were melted down again. Bearings had no room for play, pistons and piston rings fitted so perfectly that there was almost no loss of compression, even after years. With a little bit of knowledge, the owner could replace a piston or cylinder himself. These cost $4.50 and $3.50 respectively. Leland was very keen on the controls. Better right away than having to fix it. The failure of parts was therefore very low. Everyone took their responsibility. If you did not meet the requirements, you were given a simpler position or you could leave. The practices as at Olds did not occur at Cadillac. Ford also suffered from it, even in 1906 there were still problems, for example with the camshafts. Plus the Dodge Brothers engines also had all sorts of problems from rushed production. Sometimes the factory had to solve them, sometimes Ford solved it itself and sometimes even the dealers. Unfortunately, the Cadillacs also had problems. Not with the Leland parts but with the chassis itself. This wasn't built for so much power and speed. The Cadillac was 10 mph faster than the Olds Curved Dash. This doesn't seem like much, but it's still 50%.

1,895 cars were built between March 1903 and March 1904. In July 1903 Fred Bennett exported a Cadillac to the UK where he was entered in the Sunrising Hill Climb, which was said to be 'the most difficult hill in England'. It placed seventh out of 17 other cars, but it was the only one with a single cylinder. The others had two or four cylinders and up to four times the displacement. He refuted the adage that American cars were 'useable today and ready for scrap tomorrow'. Two months later, the same car was entered in the 1903 One Thousand Mile Reliability Trial in England, finishing fourth in its price range in total points, but first in reliability. In 1953 Fred Bennett again drove the 1,000 mile ride with the original car. In 1913 he had already done the ride again just after he had bought back the car, the first imported Cadillac (no. 530) from a pharmacist. It was used as a delivery van. After the original body was replaced, he wanted to ride the ride again. The car had 50,000 miles on it and only the chain and bearings had been replaced. In the 40 years that followed, he had driven 200,000 miles with the car and only the tank,  radiator and a wheel replaced. So when he started the 1953 ride, the car already had a quarter of a million on it. The year before, he had already competed in the Brighton Run with Stirling Moss. Of course he made it to the finish without any major problems. There was a leaking water pump and dirty carburetor and a loose fender. Bennett was the only one left by the way  participant of the ride in 1903. In 1913 things went a little differently, the car caught fire en route. However, extinguishing was only allowed after the photographers had finished!  

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†           Model B introduced in January 1904.

†           Calendar year of sales and production for both Model A and B is 2,319.

†           The factory burned down on April 13, 1904, the production capacity was therefore almost 0 for 45           to dawn.

†           1500 deposits were returned.

†           Nevertheless, sales numbers still exceeded those of other brands in the USA.

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The deal made with former Ford financiers required Leland and Faulconer only to supply engines, transmissions and steering gear for the Cadillac. That part of the job was done with Leland-like precision. But at the Cadillac factory on Cass Avenue, chassis and bodywork were lagging behind. Because many cars came back for repairs, production fell even further behind. According to the management there was only 1 solution. Leland had to run everything. Murphy and Bowen called Leland on Christmas Eve 1904. Henry didn't want this at all. The auto business was too problematic. Murphy and Bowen presented him with the choice. Collaborate or break up. On Christmas Day, the Lelands walked through the snow to the factory. They only wanted to spend a few hours a day on it, but it soon became apparent that not only the production but also the car had to be revised. In October 1905, the Cadillac and Leland and Faulconer businesses were merged into the new Cadillac Motor Car Company, with Henry Leland - now in his sixties - as general manager for $750 a month, his son Wilfred as assistant treasurer under Murphy. The name Leland & Faulconer disappeared for good. Of the 15,000 shares, Henry owned 1,583 and Wilfred had 1,250. Together they shared 5% of the annual profit and they managed 1,000 employees. The assets were now worth $1.5 million. The single-cylinder Cadillac was to be built until 1909, but the most significant historic achievement occurred in England in 1908. Read about it at  the history of the Cadillac of 1908.

The 1903 chassis had a steel frame with two semi-elliptical springs front and rear with a straight, tubular front axle. The steering wheel was on the right side where the controls were also located and steering was via  a  adjustable rack and pinion steering. The tires were mounted on 22 inch wooden wheels with 12 spokes (14 on the prototype).  There was a foot pedal that operated the mechanical brakes on the inside of the rear half-axles. There were no front brakes. The motor can be used for extra braking power by rotating the control lever in reverse. The body can be lifted from the chassis without disconnecting cables, pipes or controls. An ad in Horseless Age magazine said: "The vehicle is of the runabout type, but it is slightly heavier and stronger than the average representative of this type."

Serial numbers were not used. An engine number was stamped in two places on the crankcase. The blanks on the patent plate were for additional patent dates, not the engine number. Engine numbers 1 to 2500 included three prototypes built in 1902. The transmission had two gears (3:1 and 1:1) and one reverse gear with a disc clutch and chain drive. The overall ratio was 3.1:1 to 5:1, depending on the gear size combination. The drive gear had 9 or 10 teeth and the driven gear had 31, 34, 38, 41 or 45 teeth. The lower ratios were used on the runabouts that were intended to run on smooth, level roads; the higher ratios were used on hilly roads and for commercial vehicles. Owners were given instructions on how to change gears, but that also meant disassembling the transmission and rear axle, not a job for the average driver.

Model year 1905: Innovations: three-speed planetary transmission, variable throttle (an early form of cruise control), variable intake valve lift via gear drive on the multi-cylinder engines. The four-cylinder Model D had a five-passenger touring body with side doors and a wooden body. Aluminum body cladding was available at extra cost. It also featured running boards and an aluminum dashboard. The chassis was strong and durable due to a pressed steel frame. The controls were on the right with the controls on the right as well. The brake lever operated the service brakes on the rear drums. A foot pedal operates the emergency brake on the drive shaft. The application of both braking systems disengaged the flywheel clutch through a lock. The engine and transmission were mounted in a tubular subframe.  

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The four-cylinder vertical-line L-head engine was started counterclockwise. The cylinders each had a copper water jacket  and the heads were detachable with factory equipment. The lower part of the two-piece oil pan  contained the main bearing  and a patented chute lubrication system that ensures lubrication of each cylinder regardless of slope. The hood is a quarter of the length of the car. As with the single-cylinder engines, the opening of the intake valve automatically determined the amount of fuel supplied by the mixer. The mixer was identical to the single-cylinder mixer except for the addition of an auxiliary air inlet valve.

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The new front styling was seen as a significant improvement. Not only has Cadillac updated the Model B with the Model F "bonnet" and radiator, but owners of A's and B's have also gotten the new nose on their cars. There was even an aftermarket supplier of update kits. After designing the single cylinder and Model D, Alanson Brush left Leland & Faulconer/Cadillac and collected royalties for the use of his patents. This action ensured that Cadillac replaced all Brush designs with its own developments.

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Maximum production capacity: One car every ten minutes of every ten-hour workday.

During 1903-1906 Cadillac sold 12,156 cars. Oldsmobile 17,608 and Ford 13,731.

Cadillac launches a Ford-based car with an Olds engine