title: United States in World War I

text: The American Federation of Labor (AFL) and affiliated trade unions were strong supporters of the war effort. Fear of disruptions to war production by labor radicals provided the AFL political leverage to gain recognition and mediation of labor disputes, often in favor of improvements for workers. They resisted strikes in favor of arbitration and wartime policy, and wages soared as near-full employment was reached at the height of the war. The AFL unions strongly encouraged young men to enlist in the military, and fiercely opposed efforts to reduce recruiting and slow war production by pacifists, the anti-war Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and radical socialists. To keep factories running smoothly, Wilson established the National War Labor Board in 1918, which forced management to negotiate with existing unions. Wilson also appointed AFL president Samuel Gompers to the powerful Council of National Defense, where he set up the War Committee on Labor.


title: United States in World War I

text: After initially resisting taking a stance, the IWW became actively anti-war, engaging in strikes and speeches and suffering both legal and illegal suppression by federal and local governments as well as pro-war vigilantes. The IWW was branded as anarchic, socialist, unpatriotic, alien and funded by German gold, and violent attacks on members and offices would continue into the 1920s.


title: United States in World War I

text: World War I saw women taking traditionally men's jobs in large numbers for the first time in American history. Many women worked on the assembly lines of factories, assembling munitions. Some department stores employed African American women as elevator operators and cafeteria waitresses for the first time.


title: United States in World War I

text: Most women remained housewives. The Food Administration helped housewives prepare more nutritious meals with less waste and with optimum use of the foods available. Most important, the morale of the women remained high, as millions of middle class women joined the Red Cross as volunteers to help soldiers and their families. With rare exceptions, women did not try to block the draft.


title: United States in World War I

text: The Department of Labor created a Women in Industry group, headed by prominent labor researcher and social scientist Mary van Kleeck. This group helped develop standards for women who were working in industries connected to the war alongside the War Labor Policies Board, of which van Kleeck was also a member. After the war, the Women in Industry Service group developed into the U.S. Women's Bureau, headed by Mary Anderson.


title: United States in World War I

text: Crucial to U.S. participation was the sweeping domestic propaganda campaign. In order to achieve this, President Wilson created the Committee on Public Information through Executive Order 2594 on April 13, 1917, which was the first state bureau in the United States that's main focus was on propaganda. The man charged by President Wilson with organizing and leading the CPI was George Creel, a once relentless journalist and political campaign organizer who would search without mercy for any bit of information that would paint a bad picture on his opponents. Creel went about his task with boundless energy. He was able to create an intricate, unprecedented propaganda system that plucked and instilled an influence on almost all phases of normal American life. In the press—as well as through photographs, movies, public meetings, and rallies—the CPI was able to douse the public with Propaganda that brought on American patriotism whilst creating an anti-German image into the young populace, further quieting the voice of the neutrality supporters. It also took control of market regarding the dissemination of war-related information on the American home front, which in turn promoted a system of voluntary censorship in the country's newspapers and magazines while simultaneously policing these same media outlets for seditious content or anti-American support. The campaign consisted of tens of thousands of government-selected community leaders giving brief carefully scripted pro-war speeches at thousands of public gatherings.


title: United States in World War I

text: Alongside government agencies were officially approved private vigilante groups like the American Protective League. They closely monitored (and sometimes harassed) people opposed to American entry into the war or displaying too much German heritage.


title: United States in World War I

text: Other forms of propaganda included newsreels, large-print posters (designed by several well-known illustrators of the day, including Louis D. Fancher and Henry Reuterdahl), magazine and newspaper articles, and billboards. At the end of the war in 1918, after the Armistice was signed, the CPI was disbanded after inventing some of the tactics used by propagandists today.


title: United States in World War I

text: The nation placed a great importance on the role of children, teaching them patriotism and national service and asking them to encourage war support and educate the public about the importance of the war. The Boy Scouts of America helped distribute war pamphlets, helped sell war bonds, and helped to drive nationalism and support for the war.


title: United States in World War I

text: Before the American entry into the war, many American-made heavy four-wheel drive trucks, notably made by Four Wheel Drive (FWD) Auto Company, and Jeffery / Nash Quads, were already serving in foreign militaries, bought by Great Britain, France and Russia. When the war started, motor vehicles had begun to replace horses and pulled wagons, but on the European muddy roads and battlefields, two-wheel drive trucks got stuck all the time, and the leading allied countries could not produce 4WD trucks in the numbers they needed. The U.S. Army wanted to replace four-mule teams used for hauling standard 1 U.S. ton (3000 lb / 1.36 metric ton) loads with trucks, and requested proposals from companies in late 1912. This led the Thomas B. Jeffery Company to develop a competent four-wheel drive, 1 short ton capacity truck by July 1913: the "Quad".


title: United States in World War I

text: The Jeffery Quad truck, and from the company's take-over by Nash Motors after 1916, the "Nash" Quad, greatly assisted the World War I efforts of several Allied nations, particularly the French. The U.S. first adopted Quads in anger in the USMC's occupations of Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, from 1915 through 1917, as well as in the 1916 Pancho Villa Expedition against Mexico.


title: United States in World War I

text: Once the U.S. entered World War I, general John Pershing used Nash Quads heavily in the European campaigns. They became the workhorse of the Allied Expeditionary Force there — both as regular transport trucks, and in the form of the Jeffery armored car. Some 11,500 Jeffery / Nash Quads were built between 1913 and 1919.


title: United States in World War I

text: The success of the "Four Wheel Drive" cars in early military tests had prompted the U.S. company to switch from cars to truck manufacturing. For World War I, the U.S. Army ordered an amount of 15,000 FWD Model B, three-ton (6000 lb / 2700 kg) capacity trucks, as the "Truck, 3 ton, Model 1917", with over 14,000 actually delivered. Additional orders came from the United Kingdom and Russia. Once the FWD and Jeffery / Nash four-wheel drive trucks were required in large numbers in World War I, both models were built under license by several additional companies to meet demand. The FWD Model B was produced under license by four additional manufacturers.


title: United States in World War I

text: The Quad and the FWD trucks were the world's first four-wheel drive vehicles to be made in five-figure numbers, and they incorporated many hallmark technological innovations, that also enabled the decisive U.S. and Allied usage of 4x4 and 6x6 trucks subsequently in World War II. The Quad's production continued for 15 years with a total of 41,674 units made.


title: United States in World War I

text: Socially, it was the FWD company that employed Luella Bates, believed to be the "first female truck driver", chosen to work as test and demonstration driver for FWD, from 1918 to 1922. During World War I, she was a test driver traveling throughout the state of Wisconsin in an FWD Model B truck. After the war, when the majority of the women working at Four Wheel Drive were let go, she remained as a demonstrator and driver.


title: United States in World War I

text: As late as 1917, the United States maintained only a small army, one which was in fact smaller than those of thirteen of the states already active in the war. After the passage of the Selective Service Act in 1917, it drafted 4 million men into military service. The Commission on Training Camp Activities sought to improve the morals and morale of the troops.


title: United States in World War I

text: By the summer of 1918, about 2 million U.S. soldiers had arrived in France, about half of whom eventually saw front-line service; by the Armistice of November 11 approximately 10,000 U.S. soldiers were arriving in France daily. In 1917, Congress gave U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans when they were drafted to participate in World War I, as part of the Jones Act. In the end, the German Empire miscalculated the United States' influence on the outcome of the conflict, believing it would be many more months before U.S. troops would arrive and overestimating the effectiveness of U-boats in slowing the American buildup. Beginning with the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, the first major battle involving the American Expeditionary Forces, the leaders of the United States war efforts were General of the Armies John J. Pershing, Navy Admiral William Sims, and Chief of Air Service Mason Patrick.


title: United States in World War I

text: The United States Navy sent a battleship group to Scapa Flow to join with the British Grand Fleet, destroyers to Queenstown, Ireland and submarines to help guard convoys. Several regiments of Marines were also dispatched to France. The British and French wanted U.S. units to be used to reinforce their troops already on the battle lines and not to waste scarce shipping on bringing over supplies. The U.S. rejected the first proposition and accepted the second. General John J. Pershing, American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) commander, refused to break up U.S. units to serve as mere reinforcements for British Empire and French units. As an exception, he did allow African-American combat regiments to fight in French divisions. The Harlem Hellfighters fought as part of the French 16th Division, earning a unit Croix de Guerre for their actions at Château-Thierry, Belleau Wood, and Séchault.


title: United States in World War I

text: American women never served in combat roles (as did some Russians), but many were eager to serve as nurses and support personnel in uniform. During the course of the war, 21,498 U.S. Army nurses (American military nurses were all women then) served in military hospitals in the United States and overseas. Many of these women were positioned near to battlefields, and they tended to over a million soldiers who had been wounded or were unwell. 272 U.S. Army nurses died of disease (mainly tuberculosis, influenza, and pneumonia). Eighteen African-American Army nurses, including Aileen Cole Stewart, served stateside caring for German prisoners of war (POWs) and African-American soldiers. They were assigned to Camp Grant, IL, and Camp Sherman, OH, and lived in segregated quarters.


title: United States in World War I

text: Hello Girls was the colloquial name for American female switchboard operators in World War I, formally known as the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit. During World War I, these switchboard operators were sworn into the Army Signal Corps. This corps was formed in 1917 from a call by General John J. Pershing to improve the worsening state of communications on the Western front. Applicants for the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit had to be bilingual in English and French to ensure that orders would be heard by anyone. Over 7,000 women applied, but only 450 women were accepted. Many of these women were former switchboard operators or employees at telecommunications companies. Despite the fact that they wore Army Uniforms and were subject to Army Regulations (and Chief Operator Grace Banker received the Distinguished Service Medal), they were not given honorable discharges but were considered "civilians" employed by the military, because Army Regulations specified the male gender. Not until 1978, the 60th anniversary of the end of World War I, did Congress approve veteran status and honorable discharges for the remaining women who had served in the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit.


title: United States in World War I

text: The first American women enlisted into the regular armed forces were 13,000 women admitted into active duty in the U.S. Navy during the war. They served stateside in jobs and received the same benefits and responsibilities as men, including identical pay (US$28.75 per month), and were treated as veterans after the war.


title: United States in World War I

text: The U.S. Marine Corps enlisted 305 female Marine Reservists (F) to "free men to fight" by filling positions such as clerks and telephone operators on the home front.


title: United States in World War I

text: In 1918 during the war, twin sisters Genevieve and Lucille Baker transferred from the Naval Coastal Defense Reserve and became the first uniformed women to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard. Before the war ended, several more women joined them, all of them serving in the Coast Guard at Coast Guard Headquarters.


title: United States in World War I

text: These women were demobilized when hostilities ceased, and aside from the Nurse Corps the uniformed military became once again exclusively male. In 1942, women were brought into the military again, largely following the British model.


title: United States in World War I

text: On the battlefields of France in spring 1918, the war-weary Allied armies enthusiastically greeted the fresh American troops. They arrived at the rate of 10,000 a day, at a time when the Germans were unable to replace their losses. The Americans won a victory at Cantigny, then again in defensive stands at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood. The Americans helped the British Empire, French and Portuguese forces defeat and turn back the powerful final German offensive (Spring Offensive of March to July, 1918), and most importantly, the Americans played a role in the Allied final offensive (Hundred Days Offensive of August to November). However, many American commanders used the same flawed tactics which the British, French, Germans and others had abandoned early in the war, and so many American offensives were not particularly effective. Pershing continued to commit troops to these full-frontal attacks, resulting in high casualties without noticeable military success against experienced veteran German and Austrian-Hungarian units. Nevertheless, the infusion of new and fresh U.S. troops greatly strengthened the Allies' "strategic position" and boosted morale. The Allies achieved victory over the German Empire on November 11, 1918 after German morale had collapsed both at home and on the battlefield.


title: United States in World War I

text: On 21 July 1918 a German U-boat attacked Orleans, Massachusetts with shells and torpedoes. They likely missed their attempted targets of tug boats and barges, instead, most of the shells fell to Earth and made it appear they intended to attack the town. In the attack two were hospitalized, a tugboat was damaged and a few were sunk. This attack was the only attack on U.S. soil during the war.


title: United States in World War I

text: The government promptly ended wartime contracts, ended the draft, and started to bring home its troops from Europe as fast as transport became available. However, there was no GI Bill or financial or educational benefits for veterans, and the lack became a major political issue, especially for the large veterans' groups such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the new American Legion. The readjustment period was marked by soaring unemployment, massive strikes, and race riots in 1919. The public demanded a return to "normalcy", and repudiated Wilson with the election of conservative Republican Warren G. Harding.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The Cadillac DeVille is the nameplate used by Cadillac over eight generations, originally used to designate a trim level of the 1949 Cadillac Series 62 and later to designate a standalone model in the brand range. The last model marketed specifically as a "DeVille" was the 2005 full-size sedan, at the time, Cadillac's largest model.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: For 2006, the "Deville" nameplate was retired, when the model line was carried forward (with minor revisions) as the Cadillac DTS, using a nomenclature adopted by the Cadillac STS and CTS.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The name "DeVille" is derived from the French "de la ville" or "de ville" meaning "of the town". In French coach building parlance, a coupé de ville, from the French "couper" (to cut) i.e. shorten or reduce, was a short four-wheeled closed carriage with an inside seat for two and an outside seat for the driver and this smaller vehicle was intended for use in the town or city (de ville). An (unshortened) limousine or (in the United States) town car has a division between the passenger and driver compartments and if the driver's seat is outside it may be called a "sedanca de ville" or town car.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The first Cadillac "Coupe de Ville" was shown during the 1949 Motorama. It was built on a Cadillac Sixty Special chassis and featured a dummy air-scoop, chrome trim around front wheel openings, and a one-piece windshield and rear glass. The interior was black and trimmed in gray leather, including the headliner, to match the roof color. It was equipped with a telephone in the glove compartment, a vanity case and a secretarial pad in the rear armrest, power windows and highly decorative chrome interior trim. The prototype "Coupe de Ville" was used by GM President Charles E. Wilson until 1957 when he presented it to his secretary. At some time during this period it acquired a dark Vicodec roof. The prototype "Coupe de Ville" was found and restored in the 2nd decade of the New Millennium; it is currently (2016–17) in a private collection in London, Ontario, Canada.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The Cadillac Series 62 Coupe de Ville was introduced late in the 1949 model year. Along with the Buick Roadmaster Riviera, and the Oldsmobile 98 Holiday, it was among the first pillarless hardtop coupes ever produced. At US$3,496 ($ in dollars ) it was only a dollar less than the Series 62 convertible, and like the convertible, it came with power windows standard. It was luxuriously trimmed, with leather upholstery and chrome 'bows' in the headliner to simulate the ribs of a convertible top. In its first year the Series 62 Coupe de Ville only sold 2,150 units. But 1950 sales more than doubled to 4507, and in 1951 sales more than doubled again to 10,241 exceeding the sales for the Series 62 Club Coupe that year. Also, in 1951, Coupe de Ville chrome script appeared on the rear roof pillar for the first time, to further distinguish it from the Series 62 Club Coupe.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: In 1956 the Series 62 Coupe de Ville was joined by the Series 62 Sedan de Ville, Cadillac's first standard production 4-door hardtop. Similarly to the Coupe de Ville, it was also more expensive and more luxuriously trimmed than the standard 4-door Series 62. With 41,732 sold, it also easily outsold the Series 62 sedan in its very first year. Given their sales success, it was only natural that the Coupe de Ville and Sedan de Ville were moved to their own separate series in 1959, the Series 6300, being joined by a DeVille convertible in 1964.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The 1959 Cadillac is remembered for its huge sharp tailfins with dual bullet tail lights, two distinctive rooflines and roof pillar configurations, new jewel-like grille patterns and matching deck lid beauty panels. In 1959 the Series 62 were moved from the Series 62 to their own series, the Series 6200. De Villes and 2-door Eldorados became the Series 6300 and Series 6400 respectively, though they all, including the 4-door Eldorado Brougham (which was moved from the Series 70 to Series 6900), shared the same wheelbase. Engine output was an even 325 hp (242 kW) from the engine. The DeVille Series had script nameplates on the rear fenders. Standard equipment included power brakes with 15-inch wheels, power steering, automatic transmission, back-up lamps, windshield wipers, two-speed wipers, wheel discs, outside rearview mirror, vanity mirror, oil filter, power windows and two-way power seats. Plain fender skirts covered the rear wheels and 4-doors were available in either four-window or six-window hardtop configurations. Over 53,000 DeVilles were sold in their first year as a separate series, accounting for roughly 37% of all Cadillacs sold.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The 1960 Cadillacs had smoother, more restrained styling. General changes included a full-width grille, the elimination of pointed front bumper guards, increased restraint in the application of chrome trim, lower tailfins with oval shaped nacelles and front fender mounted directional indicator lamps. De Villes were distinguished by special script nameplates on the rear fenders. Four-window and six-window hardtop sedans were offered again. The former featured a one-piece wraparound backlight and flat-top roof, while the latter had a sloping rear window and roofline. Standard equipment included power brakes, power steering, automatic transmission, dual back-up lamps, windshield wipers, two-speed wipers, wheel discs, outside rearview mirror, vanity mirror, oil filter, power windows and a two-way power seats. Technical highlights were finned rear drums and an X-frame construction. Interiors were done in Chadwick cloth or optional Cambray cloth and leather combinations.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Cadillac was restyled and re-engineered for 1961. The new grille slanted back towards both the bumper and the hood lip, along the horizontal plane, and sat between dual headlamps. New forward slanting front pillars with non-wraparound windshield glass were seen. The revised backlight treatment had crisp angular lines with thin pillars on some models and heavier semi-blind quarter roof posts on others. De Ville models featured front series designation scripts and lower body "skeg fins" trimmed with a thin, three-quarter-length spear molding running from behind the front wheel opening to the rear of the car. Standard equipment included power brakes, power steering, automatic transmission, dual backup lights, windshield washer, dual speed wipers, wheel discs, plain fender skirts, outside rearview mirror, vanity mirror, oil filter, power windows and 2-way power seats. Rubberized front and rear coil springs replaced the trouble prone air suspension system. Four-barrel induction systems were now the sole power choice and dual exhausts were no longer available. A new shorter rear-decked four-door Town Sedan hardtop appeared mid-season.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: A mild facelift characterized Cadillac styling trends for 1962. A flatter grille with a thicker horizontal center bar and more delicate cross-hatched insert appeared. Ribbed chrome trim panel, seen ahead of the front wheel housings in 1961, were now replaced with cornering lamps and front fender model and series identification badges were eliminated. More massive front bumper end pieces appeared and housed rectangular parking lamps. At the rear tail lamps were now housed in vertical nacelles designed with an angled peak at the center. A vertically ribbed rear beauty panel appeared on the deck lid latch panel. Cadillac script also appeared on the lower left side of the radiator grille. The short-deck hardtop Town Sedan was moved from the De Ville series to the Series 6200, being replaced by a short-deck Park Avenue. In addition all short deck Cadillac models went from being 6-window sedans in 1961 to 4-window sedans in 1962 and 1963. Standard equipment included all of last year's equipment plus remote controlled outside rearview mirror, five tubeless black wall tires, heater and defroster and front cornering lamps. Cadillac refined the ride and quietness, with more insulation in the floor and behind the firewall. DeVille sales as a separate series exceeded their sales level as a trim level for the first time ever at 71,883 units, or nearly 45% of Cadillac's total sales.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Cadillac was restyled again for 1963. Exterior changes imparted a bolder and longer look. Hoods and deck lids were redesigned. The front fenders projected 4.625 inches further forward than in 1962 while the tailfins were trimmed down somewhat to provide a lower profile. Body-side sculpturing was entirely eliminated. The slightly V-shaped radiator grille was taller and now incorporated outer extensions that swept below the flush-fender dual headlamps. Smaller circular front parking lamps were mounted in those extensions. A DeVille signature script was incorporated above the lower beltline molding near the rear of the body. A total of 143 options including bucket seats with wool, leather, or nylon upholstery fabrics and wood veneer facings on dash, doors, and seatbacks, set an all-time record for interior appointment choices. Standard equipment was the same as the previous year. The engine displacement and output remained the same, and .


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: A minor facelift followed in 1964. New up front was a bi-angular grille that formed a V-shape along both its vertical and horizontal planes. The main horizontal grille bar was now carried around the body sides. Outer grille extension panels again housed the parking and cornering lamps. It was the 17th consecutive year for the Cadillac tailfins with a new fine-blade design carrying on the tradition. Performance improvements including a larger V-8 were the dominant changes for the model run. Equipment features were same as in 1963 for the most part. Comfort Control, a completely automatic heating and air conditioning system controlled by a dial thermostat on the instrument panel, was introduced as an industry first. The engine was bumped to , with 340 hp (253.5 kW) available. Performance gains from the new engine showed best in the lower range, at 20 to 50 mph traffic driving speeds. A new technical feature was the Turbo-Hydramatic transmission, also used in the Eldorado and the Sixty Special. A De Ville script above the lower belt molding was continued as an identifier. This was the first year for the De Ville convertible. De Ville sales reached 110,379 units, accounting for nearly two thirds of all Cadillacs sold.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: As it had been since De Ville became a separate series, De Ville denoted Cadillac's mainstream model, falling between the Calais (which had replaced the Series 62) and the Sixty Special and Eldorado. The De Ville was redesigned for 1965 but rode on the same wheelbase. Tailfins were canted slightly downward, and sharp, distinct body lines replaced the rounded look. Also new were a straight rear bumper and vertical lamp clusters. The headlight pairs switched from horizontal to vertical, thus permitting a wider grille. Curved frameless side windows appeared, and convertibles acquired tempered glass backlights. New standard features included lamps for luggage, glove and rear passenger compartments and front and rear safety belts. Power was still supplied by the 340 horsepower V8, which would be replaced by the for 1968. Cadillac dropped the X-frame and used a new perimeter frame. Pillared sedans appeared on the De Ville series for the first time, while six-window hardtop sedans were dropped. A padded vinyl roof was a $121 extra-cost option on the hardtop model. All four DeVille models had small "Tiffany-like" script nameplates on the ends of their rear fenders just above the chrome side molding.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: In 1966, changes included a somewhat coarser mesh for the radiator grille insert, which was now divided by a thick, bright metal horizontal center bar housing rectangular parking lamps at the outer ends. Separate rectangular cornering lamps replaced the integral grille extension designs. There was generally less chrome on all Cadillac models this year. De Ville scripts were still above the rear tip of the horizontal body rub moldings. Cadillac crests and V-shaped moldings, front and rear, were identifiers. Cadillac "firsts" this season included variable ratio steering and optional front seats with carbon cloth heating pads built into the cushions and seatbacks. Comfort and convenience innovations were headrests, reclining seats and an AM/FM stereo system. Automatic level control was available. Engineering improvements made to the perimeter frame increased ride and handling ease. Newly designed piston and oil rings and a new engine mounting system and patented quiet exhaust were used.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The 1967 De Villes were extensively restyled. Prominent styling features were given a powerful frontal appearance with forward-leaning front end, long, sculptured body lines, and redefined rear fenders that had more than just a hint of tail fins in them. The full-width, forward-thrusted "eggcrate" grille was flanked by dual stacked headlights for the third consecutive year. The squarer cornered grille insert had blades that seemed to emphasize its vertical members and it appeared both above the bumper and through a horizontal slot cut into it. Rectangular parking lamps were built into the outer edges of the grille. Rear end styling revisions were highlighted by metal divided tail lamps and a painted lower bumper section. Coupe de Villes got a new roofline, inspired by the Florentine show car created for the 1964 New York World's Fair, that gave rear seat passengers added privacy. As on that show car, the quarter window glass retracted rearward into a sail panel. Minor trim variations and slightly richer interiors separated De Ville from Calais. Tiffany style chrome signature scripts were again found above the body side molding on the rear fenders. New standard DeVille features included non-glare rear-view mirror, electric clock, Automatic Climate Controls, padded dashboard, Hazard Warning system, outboard seatbelt retractors and rear cigarette lighters in all styles. A slide-out fuse box and safety front seat back lock for two-door models were additional Cadillac advances for the 1967 model year. Technical improvements included a revised engine valve train, different carburetor, Mylar printed circuit instrument panel, re-tuned body mounts, and a new engine fan with clutch for quieter operation. A GM-designed Energy Absorbing steering column and safety wheel became standard for all models.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: In 1968, grilles had an insert with finer mesh and step down outer section which held the rectangular parking lights just a little higher than before. Rear end styling was modestly altered with the deck lid having more of a rake. The most obvious change was an 8.5-inch-longer hood designed to accommodate recessed windshield wiper-washers, which now came with three speeds standard. Of 20 exterior paint color combinations, 14 were totally new. On the inside enriched appointments included molded inner door panels with illuminated reflectors and a selection of 147 upholstery combinations, 76 in cloth, 67 in leather and four in vinyl. New standard features included a Light Group, a Mirror Group, a trip odometer and an ignition key warning buzzer. The DeVille also gained a new V8 engine rated at 375 hp (SAE gross). 1968 was also the last year for the "stacked" dual headlights, which were replaced with side-by-side dual headlights in 1969. This was also the last year for vent windows. Side marker lights in the rear bumper as well as


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Also of note front disc brakes were available starting in 1968. Cars built after January 1, 1968 got front shoulder belts per Federal safety standards.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: In 1969, DeVille was restyled in the Eldorado image. An Eldorado-like front fender treatment evolved and helped to emphasize a stronger horizontal design line. Rear quarters were extended to give the car a longer look. There was an all new grille with dual horizontal headlamps positioned in the outboard step down areas of the grille. The hood was again extended, a total of 2.5 inches to add the impression of extra length. The roofline was squarer and the rear deck and bumper more sculptured. A new ventilation system eliminated the need for vent windows, which provided a longer sleeker look and improved visibility. New standard features included front and rear (except on convertibles) center seat armrests. The ignition switch was moved from the instrument panel to the steering column, and included a steering wheel and transmission lock, one year ahead of a mandated Federal standard.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: In 1970, a facelift included a grille with 13 vertical blades set against a delicately cross-hatched rectangular opening. The bright metal headlamp surrounds were bordered with body color to give it a more refined look. Narrow vertical "vee" tail lights were seen again, but now had additional smaller V-shaped bottom lenses pointing downward below the bumper. Wheel discs and winged crest fender tip emblems were new. Exterior distinctions came from a De Ville script above the rear end of the belt molding and from the use of long rectangular back up light lenses set into the lower bumper as opposed to the smaller square lens used on the Calais. A new feature was a body color border around the edge of the vinyl top covering, when this option was ordered. The 1970 model year was both the last year that De Ville offered a convertible body style and for pillared sedans until hardtops were permanently dropped in 1977. A total of 181,719 De Villes were sold for that model year, accounting for 76% of all Cadillacs.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: As with all GM full-size lines, the De Ville was completely redesigned for 1971. The new GM full-size bodies, at 64.3 inches front shoulder room (62.1 inches on Cadillac) and 63.4 inches rear shoulder room (64.0 inches on Cadillac) set a record for interior width that would not be matched by any car until the full-size GM rear-wheel-drive models of the early to mid-1990s.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Pairs of individually housed squarish headlamps were set wider apart. The V-shaped grille had an eggcrate style insert and was protected by massive vertical guards framing a rectangular license plate indentation. A wide hood with full-length windsplints, a prominent center crease and hidden windshield wipers was seen. A Cadillac crest decorated the nose and new indicator lamps appeared atop each front fender. A horizontal beltline molding ran from behind the front wheel housing, almost to the rear stopping where an elliptical bulge in the body came to a point and where thin rectangular side markers were placed above and below the chrome strip. The rear wheel openings were again housed in fender skirts. Tail lamps were of the same type as before but were no longer divided by a chrome bar. Long horizontal back-up lamps were set in the bumper, on either side of a deeply recessed license plate housing. DeVilles were set apart visually by thin bright metal rocker panel steps and signature script on the front fenders bearing the series name. The bottoms of the rear fenders were decorated with a bright metal beauty panel that was wider than the rocker panel strips and blended into the molding running along the bottom of the fender skirt.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The standard engine remained the 472, however, in line with GMs edict for all engines to run on unleaded fuel, the compression ratio was lowered from 10:1 to 8.5:1, reducing the SAE gross horsepower from 375 to 345. Torque dropped from to . Interiors were redesigned, featuring a new curved instrument panel and new seating configurations. A rear "lamp monitor", a fiber-optic system which monitored the taillamps, turn signals and brake lights, was new and positioned on the shelf behind the rear seat.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: In November 1971, a showroom-stock 1971 Coupe de Ville placed third in the annual coast-to-coast Cannonball Run, posting the highest average speed of the event, (excluding stops) and averaging .


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: In 1972, a modest frontal revision placed more emphasis on horizontal grille blades. The parking lamps were moved from the bumper to between the square bezeled headlamps, which were now set wider apart. V-shaped emblems made a return on hood and deck lid. New standard features included a bumper impact system, automatic parking brake release, passenger assist straps and flow through ventilation system. New De Ville signature script was affixed to the sides of the rear roof panels. Sales reached a record 194,811.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: New energy absorbing bumpers were seen on all GM cars in 1973 and it brought styling refinements to De Ville. Grilles were widened and had an intricate eggcrate design. Larger vertical rectangles housed the parking lamps between wide spaced headlamps which had square bezels but round lenses. Bumpers ran fully across the front and wrapped around each end. Vertical guards were spaced much further apart at a point outboard of the grille. The rear end had a bumper with a flatter upper section housing an angled license plate recess. Border outline moldings vertically "veed" paralleled the fender edge shape at the rear bodysides. Single horizontally mounted rectangular rear side marker lamps were placed over and under the rear tip of the thin beltline trim. Cadillac script was seen on the front fender sides below the belt molding behind the wheel opening. Inside, "soft-pillow" door panels with larger, sturdier pull-straps were new. The rear "lamp monitor" was repositioned from the rear seat shelf to the headliner just above the rear window. An Illuminated vanity mirror was an available option. This was the final year for hardtop Coupe de Villes, an irony since it was their introduction of the hardtop that made them such a sensation in 1949. Sales set a new record at 216,243.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: In 1974, a wide eggcrate grille was used. Dual round headlamps were mounted close together in square bezels. Further outboard were double deck wraparound parking lamps. Shorter vertical grille guards appeared in about the same position as before. Rear fendersides were flatter without the elliptical bulge. The thin beltline molding was positioned lower by several inches. The rear end had vertical bumper ends with integrated side marker lights. New taillamps were positioned horizontally beneath the trunk lid. Both bumpers, especially the rear, protruded further from the body. Unlike the other "C" body GM coupes, the Coupe de Ville was no a longer true hardtop, instead sporting large wide "coach" windows giving a thick center pillar look. They retained their frameless door glass, however. The Sedan de Ville continued as a true hardtop however, and would remain so until the 1977 model. A new curved instrument panel housed a new quartz controlled digital clock. New standard features included an integral litter container. A Space Saver spare tire was standard when DeVilles were ordered with optional white sidewall steel belted radial tires.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1974 also saw the introduction of the optional "Air Cushion Restraint System". Known today as airbags, this option provided protection for front seat occupants in the case of a frontal collision. One bag was located in the steering wheel, the other in the dashboard in front of the front seat passenger. The glove box was replaced with a lockable storage compartment under the dashboard. The option was expensive and therefore unpopular with customers and was discontinued after the 1976 model year. Cadillac would not offer airbags again until the 1990 model year.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: A new option package was a fully padded Cabriolet roof treatment. It incorporated a landau-style top with bright metal forward divider strip. Another new option package was the d'Elegance package. Similar to the Sixty Special Brougham's package of the same name, it featured velour upholstery, Deluxe padded doors, front seatback storage pockets, deep pile carpeting, floor mats, see-through standup hood ornament and vinyl tape accent stripes. The "d'Elegance" name remained with the De Ville series as a package through 1984. For 1997, it became a separate model designation for the sedan.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Styling changes for 1975 brought dual rectangular headlamp lenses flanked by rectangular cornering lights wrapped around squared-off front fenders. A new cross hatched grille also appeared, with Cadillac script on the header. Sedan's now featured thin opera windows set within the D-pillars. New standard equipment included front fender lamp monitors, power door locks, high energy ignition, steel-belted radial whitewall tires. The 210 hp 500 V8 used exclusively in the Eldorado since 1970, replaced the 472 as the standard engine. Electronic fuel injection became optional in March 1975. Another option was the Astroroof with sliding sunshade that permitted use as an electrically operated sunroof or a transparent closed skylight. An ordinary painted sunroof panel was also available. New hinged door pull handles replaced the former door pull straps for 1975.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: In 1976, the grille saw a new and finer crosshatching pattern. Cornering lamps received new horizontal silver trim; taillamp


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: bezels also gained new chrome-like trim. Eight different color accent stripes were available. Vinyl tops were now integral padded Elk grain material. New trims included sporty plaids, plush velours, knits and 11 distinctive genuine leathers. Coupe de Villes had a new vinyl roof whose top molding served as a continuation of the door "belt" molding. A Controlled (limited-slip) Differential continued as an option for extra traction. An optional illuminated entry and theft deterrence system was optional. The new Delco Freedom battery, never needed water added. New turbine-vaned and wire wheel covers were offered. A new option locked the doors when the transmission lever was shifted to "Drive". Cadillac also offered Track Master, a computerized skid prevention system that automatically pumped the back brakes in an emergency to shorten stopping distance. New options included a push-button Weather Band built into the AM/FM stereo signal-seeking radio, loose pillow style seats for d'Elegance packages, plus power passenger and manual driver seatback recliners for 50/50 front seats. Of the 15 standard and six optional Firemist body colors, 13 were new this year. New standard features included Soft-Ray tinted glass, spare tire cover, trunk mat, washer fluid level indicator, and steel belted radial whitewall tires.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: From 1975 to 1976 small numbers of Coupe de Villes were converted into a coupe utility, similar to a Chevrolet El Camino, but much more upscale. Coachbuilding company Traditional Coach Works manufactured 204 of these, called the Cadillac Mirage, to Cadillac's standards, such that one could be ordered through a participating Cadillac dealer. The floor bed could carry flat plywood 4 x 8 sheets with the tailgate closed, while the two-seat front cabin offered driver and passenger a plush ride. A storage area behind the seats was used for golf-clubs or small articles of value, out of view. A metal cover with a lock on it was available for the rear bed, just as a trunk would also have. By special request from coachbuilders like ASC and Traditional Coachworks of Chatsworth, California the Fleetwood was also modified as a station wagon after the donor vehicle was completed and some examples were called the Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Castilian Wagon.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1977 was Cadillac's 75th anniversary, and saw the introduction of the downsized DeVille coupes and sedans. These new cars featured a higher roofline, resulting in a vehicle that was over nine inches shorter, four inches narrower, and 1/2 ton lighter than the previous year, but with a larger trunk and more headroom and legroom. These were also the first DeVilles ever to be marketed without fender skirts over the rear wheels. The old door pull straps returned for 1977 and on. The 500 in V8 (which produced 190 horsepower) was replaced for 1977 by a 180-horsepower 425 in V8 variant of similar design. The reduction in size and weight was implemented to improve fuel economy and emissions as a result of the United States Federal Government passage of Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: For 1977, the lineup included the two-door Coupe de Ville for US$9,654 ($ in dollars ) and four-door Sedan de Ville for US$9,864 ($ in dollars ). The $650 d'Elegance package, an interior dress-up option carried over from the previous generation of De Villes, continued for both models. 3-sided, wrap-around tail lamps were a 1977 feature only (although they would re-appear in 1987). Coupe de Ville's popular "Cabriolet" option, priced at $348, included a rear-half padded vinyl roof covering and opera lamps. An optional electronic fuel-injected version of the standard 7.0-liter powerplant, adding , was available for an additional $647. Sales figures were 138,750 Coupe de Villes and 95,421 Sedan de Villes for an all-time sales record of 234,171 De Villes sold.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: In addition to a redesigned grille and hood ornament, 1978 saw slim, vertical tail lamps inset into chrome bumper end caps with built-in side marker lamps (Cadillac would retain this "vertical tail lamp inset" design feature on De Ville through 1984, and again from 1989 through 1999). New for 1978, a "Phaeton" package was optional for De Ville. Available on both coupe and sedan, the $1,929 Phaeton package featured a simulated convertible-top, special pin striping, wire wheel discs, and "Phaeton" name plates in place of the usual "Coupe de Ville" or "Sedan de Ville" ornament on the rear fenders. Inside were leather upholstered seats and a leather-trimmed steering wheel matching the exterior color. The package was available in "Cotillion White" (with Dark Blue roof), "Platinum Silver" (with a Black roof), or "Arizona Beige" (with a Dark Brown roof). Coupe de Ville's popular Cabriolet roof package was priced at $369, while the d'Elegance package (for coupe or sedan) was available at $689. Electronic fuel injection, which added , was available at $744. Electronic level control - which used suspension-mounted sensors and air filled rear shocks - kept the car's height level regardless of passengers and cargo weight, was available for $140. Sales dropped slightly from 1977 to 117,750 for the $10,444 Coupe de Ville, and 88,951 for Sedan de Ville, priced at $10,668 ($ in dollars ).


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: With bigger changes coming in 1980, the 1979 models saw few alterations, which included a new lightweight aluminum hood and a new grille design with "Cadillac" script on the header above the grille. The "Phaeton" package, now priced at $2,029, was still available in three colors, but with two new replacement colors: "Western Saddle Firemist" (with leather interior in "Antique Saddle") replacing the "Arizona Beige", and "Slate Firemist" (with leather interior in "Antique Gray") replacing "Platinum Silver". The d'Elegance package was back, at $725, which included Venetian velour upholstery (in four colors) with a 50/50 split front seat, overhead assist handles, Tangier carpeting, door pull handles, and "d'Elegance" emblems among other niceties. In addition to the $783 "fuel-injection" option, there was also the choice of a 350 in LF9 diesel V8 (built by Oldsmobile) for $849. Coupe de Ville's cabriolet package, priced at $384, was available in 17 colors. Production rose slightly to 121,890 for Coupe de Ville ($11,728), and 93,211 for Sedan de Ville ($12,093).


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1980 saw the discontinuation of the 7 liter V8, which had generated power of and 0-60 mph in 10.9 seconds, with a top speed of with a new "Malaise era" 368 CID (6.0 L) V8., generating power of and 0-60 mph in 13.6 seconds, with a top speed of .


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Late in the 1980 model year, V6 power (in the form of a 4-bbl 252 CID engine manufactured by Buick) was offered as a credit option. Cadillac had not offered an engine with fewer than 8 cylinders since 1914 with the Cadillac Model 30.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Sales dropped miserably for the entire auto industry for the 1980 model year; despite new sheetmetal and a multitude of other improvements and refinements, sales of the Coupe de Ville fell to 55,490 (less than half of the 1979 figures) cars, while the Sedan de Ville was down by nearly half with 49,188 cars sold.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The 1980 models received a major facelift, with a more aerodynamic nose, nearly vertical rear window on both the coupe and sedan and higher, straighter rear fenders capped by larger chrome taillamp bezels. The cars took on a more upright, formal silhouette and appeared heavier and somewhat longer, though were actually slightly shorter.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The Phaeton option was discontinued, but the $1,005 d'Elegance package remained. The Coupe de Ville now wore full, bright side window surround moldings, whereas the sedan had body-color door frames with a thin chrome bead around the window opening (as used in 1977 - 1979). The chromed-plastic grille held a very diplomatic, Rolls-Royce inspired design, with thick vertical bars, featuring the 'Cadillac' script on the driver's side grille header. The grille cast for 1980 was used again for the 1989 to 1992 Cadillac Brougham. Unlike the pre-1980 models, the rear window glass for both two- and four-door models was now the same, as the two-door models did away with the sporty slanted rear window and adopted the formal near vertical look shared with the sedans. Pricing for DeVille was $12,899 for the coupe; $13,282 for the sedan.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Oldsmobile's 5.7-liter diesel V8 was still an available option at $924, as was the popular Cabriolet roof option for Coupe de Ville at $350.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1981's biggest news was the introduction of Cadillac's modulated-displacement 368 in V8-6-4 engine. Developed by the Eaton Corporation - with design elements that had been tested for over - allowed various engine computers to decide how many cylinders were needed to power the car for optimal fuel economy. The theory was 8 cylinders from a complete stop, 6 cylinders during usual driving, and just four cylinders at cruising speed. The changes in cylinder operation were seamless, and most drivers did not detect any difference in operation. However, in some cases, reliability and component failure led to customer complaints. Cadillac defended its micro-processor controlled powerplant, and even offered special extended warranties to customers. Hemmings Motor News has described the operation of this engine in practice - "Disaster doesn't quite cover the scope of what happened."


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Also available was Oldsmobile's 5.7-liter V-8 diesel engine. The Buick V6, teamed with an automatic transmission, returned for 1981 after a short initial offering in the spring of 1980. Coupe de Ville was priced at $13,450, while Sedan de Ville, priced at $13,847, now had the unique option of an available automatic seat belt system - the first offered on a GM vehicle. With the automatic shoulder/lap belt system (only for the outboard front seat passengers), the shoulder point was moved from the upper B-pillar to the upper door glass frame, and the belt reel was moved from the floor onto the door itself, installed in the lower corner. With this, you could theoretically leave the seat belt latched at all times, and simply get in and out of the vehicle without having to unfasten the belt. The $150 option (which would re-appear as standard equipment on the 1990 - 1992 Brougham), was available only on V6-powered Sedan de Villes. The V6 option itself was a $165 credit over the standard V8 in De Ville. A new grille design was made up of small squares, similar to the pattern from 1979, while the same chromed grille surround from 1980 continued. The egg-crate 1981 grille cast was used again for the 1987 and 1988 Cadillac Brougham models. A new Electronic Climate Control panel did away with the slide lever and thumb wheel in favor of a digital display which allowed the driver to set the interior temperature to a single degree - from 65 to 85 (or "max" settings at 60 and 90 degrees). Option groups included the $1,005 d'Elegance package (available on both models), and the Cabriolet package (for Coupe de Ville) at $363. Sales were up slightly from 1980: 89,991 sedans versus 62,724 coupes (figures include DeVille and Fleetwood models).


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Changes for 1982 were kept to a minimum, including a new thin vertical bar grille design (which was used through 1986) with the same grille surround from the past two years, and a new standard wheel cover design. Cadillac introduced a new aluminum-block 249-cubic-inch 4.1-liter HT series V8 engine to replace the V8-6-4, which was now available only in the Fleetwood limousine through 1984. The new power plant featured a closed-loop digital fuel injection system, free-standing cast-iron cylinders within a cast-aluminum block, and was coupled with a 4-speed automatic-overdrive transmission. Other engine options included the Buick V6 or Oldsmobile's diesel V8. Inside, the Electronic Climate Control had an updated fascia that now included an "Outside Temperature" button. Previously, the outside temperature was available through an illuminated thermometer mounted to the driver's outside mirror. With the new front-drive Cadillac Cimarron taking over as Cadillac's entry-level model, the $15,249 Coupe de Ville was now a step-up. Sedan de Ville was priced at $15,699. Sales totals for 1982 included 50,130 coupes and 86,020 sedans (figures include De Ville and Fleetwood models).


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: For 1983, slight reworkings under the hood added 10 horsepower (now rated at 135) to the standard 4.1-liter powerplant. Meanwhile, the Buick V6 credit-option was dropped. The biggest visible change was hardly noticeable - while the grille design was a carry-over from the previous year (and would be through 1986), the Cadillac script moved from the chrome header onto near the bottom of the grille itself. The wide parking lamps below the quad headlamps now had clear frosted lenses (previous years they were amber), with satin gold-colored winged Cadillac emblems centered on each lens. A very minor change in the rear was the deletion of the chrome tips on both sides of the lower deck lid trim. These little chrome corner pieces, mounted on the filler panels, were prone to pitting as they were made of a different material than the bright aluminum trunk trim and upper license late surround. Coupe de Ville's popular Cabriolet roof package added $415 to its $15,970 sticker price. While both models, including the $16,441 Sedan de Ville, could be ordered with the $1,150 d'Elegance package. 1983 was supposed to be the last year for the rear-drive De Ville, as new front-drive models would take over for 1984. However, numerous developmental delays caused De Ville to stay in rear-drive form for another year. Sales figures looked healthy, with a total of 109,004 sedans and 65,670 coupes (figures include DeVille and Fleetwood models).


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Because of a delay in production of the new front-drive De Villes (which were now going to be 1985 models), 1984 was essentially a rerun for the rear-wheel-drive Coupe de Ville ($17,140) and its four-door companion, the popular Sedan de Ville ($17,625). It would also be the last time De Ville used the "V" emblem below the Cadillac crest, as all Cadillac models (except Cimarron) from 1985 on, would use the wreath & crest emblem - formerly a Fleetwood exclusive. Minor changes included new body-color side moldings and a revised exhaust system with a revamped catalytic converter. The diesel V8 was now available at no additional charge. While the optional d'Elegance package remained at $1,150, the Cabriolet option for Coupe de Ville went up to $420. For 1984, sales figures show a total four-door production of 107,920 units, and an additional 50,840 two-door units (figures include de Ville and Fleetwood models). The new front-drive 1985 Coupe de Ville and Sedan de Ville arrived in Cadillac showrooms during the Spring of 1984, about six months earlier than most new-car introductions, so both the 1984 rear-drive and totally redesigned 1985 front-drive models were selling and being produced (due to separate assembly plants) at the same time for nearly half a year.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Production Figures: (The source considers the Fleetwood Brougham as an option package for the DeVille, not a separate model)


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: For the sixth generation, GM completely redesigned the DeVille, downsizing the model yet again, and introducing its new front-drive C platform (C-Body) using the first transversely-mounted V8 engine in series production. The new C-Body models (along with their Oldsmobile and Buick counterparts) were significantly lighter and smaller overall while providing very nearly the interior volume of their predecessors.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Production of the new C-body commenced December 1983 at the Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township, Michigan; the redesigned models were introduced on April 5, 1984; and marketing began in early 1984 for the 1985 model year — with the front cover of the 1985 Deville brochure calling the sixth generation, the "Cadillac of Tomorrow".


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Cadillac's HT-4100 V8 remained the standard engine, mounted transversely and coupled with a 440-T4 automatic. Oldsmobile's 4.3L V6 diesel was optional for 1985, but was dropped the following year. Of GM's front-drive C-Body models, Cadillac was the only line to offer a V8 engine; the others were equipped with a Buick-derived 3.0 or 3.8 V6 engine, or for 1985 only, Oldsmobile's 4.3L V6 diesel engine. Later Deville model years would use larger variants of the Cadillac HT V8.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The 6th generation DeVille was available as a sedan or coupe. At introduction, in part due to an extended model year (beginning in April 1984), sales of the new downsized 1985 DeVille and Fleetwood models reached nearly 200,000 units. After the sixth generation's initial development and launch, GM reconsidered the marketplace and provided an extensive 1989 facelift that added considerable length — and associated weight.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1986: An anti-lock braking system, developed by Teves, became available. A 2-position automatic rear-view mirror utilized two electronic 'eyes' and a small motor to dim when headlights appeared from behind. A factory-installed cellular telephone joined the option list at an astonishing $2,850. The standard space-saver spare tire now sat horizontally in the trunk, doing away with the small covered storage cubby in the spare tire well from last year. The optional aluminum wheels had new flush-fitting center caps (last year's design featured exposed capped lugs), and bumper rub strips were changed from black to gray. Borrowed from the front-wheel-drive Fleetwood line, the narrow lower body side molding from the 1985 DeVille was replaced with a considerably wider one (which extended to the rear fenders only on the Fleetwood), and the trim surround from the rear window gave the formal appearance of a smaller window opening. Inside, a more tailored look was applied to the seat trim. Coupe de Ville's popular cabriolet option, featuring a padded vinyl covering over the rear half of the roof, was priced at $698. Pricing for the Coupe de Ville was $19,669, with Sedan de Ville at $19,990. The transverse-mounted Cadillac 4.1-liter V-8 continued from the previous year, but with 5 more horsepower.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The 1986 Cadillac used a 90-degree overhead valve V-8 engine with an aluminum block and cast iron heads displacing 249 cu in (4.1 liters) with a bore & stroke: 3.47 x 3.31 in, compression ratio: 8.5:1 making at 4200 rpm and: 200 lbf·ft (270 N·m) of torgue at 2200 rpm. The engine had five main bearings, and used hydraulic valve lifters. Also introduced in 1986 was Cadillac's Touring Sedan and Touring Coupe. These were based on the standard DeVille and included a rear deck lid spoiler, body-color tail lamp bezels, front air dam with fog lamps, rear seat headrests, leather upholstery, and a performance enhancement package among other features. The package was available for $2,880. In addition, the Touring Coupe had removable decorative louvers on the rear edge of the side opera windows.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1987: 1987 saw a new front-end design including revised cornering lamps in front and one-piece composite headlamps flanked a trapezoid-shaped grille with a bold egg-crate texture. Elongated fender caps were in back - upping the overall length by an inch and a half, but much more dramatic in appearance with new wrap-around tail lamps. This new 3-sided tail lamp style was similar to the tail lamp design used on the 1977 DeVille. Unlike the new one-piece headlamps, the changes to the rear-end in 1987 had little to do with engineering, but rather, feedback from Cadillac's customer base who felt the 1985-86 car looked too short. Although the 1987 revamp was still quite similar to the 1986 model (so much in fact that it still used the previous year's deck lid), the design was more in-tune with the look that traditional Cadillac buyers were used to.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Pricing for 1987 included Coupe de Ville at $21,316, and Sedan de Ville at $21,659. Fleetwood d'Elegance at $26,104, and the new Fleetwood Sixty-Special was available for $34,850. The Touring option, priced at $2,880 over DeVille's base cost, also included aluminum wheels mounted on 15-inch Goodyear Eagle GT tires. At the end of the 1988 model year, Cadillac discontinued the slow-selling DeVille-based Touring Coupe and Sedan; the 4-door variant would return in 1992.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1988: To mitigate a nearly $2,000 price increase, several previously optional items were made standard, including tilt steering column, telescopic steering wheel, power trunk release, split-bench front seating, cruise control, and variable delay windshield wipers. Under the hood was a new 155 hp 4.5 L V8 and heavy-duty battery. Pricing rose to $23,049 for Coupe de Ville, and $23,404 for Sedan de Ville.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Cadillac's main competition in this time frame continued to be Lincoln, which, alongside their successful Town Car, was now fielding an all-new front-wheel-drive Continental (based on the Ford Taurus). The Continental went into production with a six-cylinder engine so as to be considered a larger front-wheel-drive alternative to the Acura Legend that appeared in 1986, with a front-wheel-drive platform and a V6 engine.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1989 Facelift: For model year 1989, Cadillac introduced a significantly revised Deville with a wheelbase for the Sedan de Ville, increased from — along with a heavily revised rear roof and backlight; a rear parcel shelf with storage compartment on four-door models (2-door models retained a narrow carpeted parcel shelf); dent resistant composite (plastic) front fenders, and larger luggage compartment by over the previous model year. Carried over were the 4.5-liter engine (introduced for 1988), dash, and the front doors (on both the coupe and sedan). All Devilles featured a grille, slightly narrower at the top than bottom. The Coupe de Ville and Fleetwood coupe retained the previous year's interior, wheelbase, and doors — all hidden between the new front and rear styling. Previously optional equipment, made standard for 1989, included electrically powered outside mirrors and the AM/FM/cassette player stereo. New options included a driver's side airbag, Bose compact disc player, electrically heated windshield, and full reversible carpeted floor mats.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1990: For 1990, DeVille and Fleetwood lost their telescopic steering column, but retained the tilt feature in exchange for an airbag mounted onto the newly standard leather-trimmed steering wheel. Engine output was up an additional from sequential multi-port fuel injection. 1990 models also received GM's PASS Key theft-deterrent system which used a coded electronic pellet embedded into the ignition key. Other new features for 1990 included a non-illuminated vanity mirror on the driver's visor (a passenger side visor mirror had been standard equipment for decades now), door edge guards (previously optional), "clam shell" front center armrest with storage, and manual seat-back recliners for driver and passenger. In addition to ongoing competition from Lincoln, new competition came from the 1990 debut of Toyota's Lexus LS400 and the Infiniti Q45 from Nissan. The Acura Legend had also been gaining momentum in the luxury market since its 1986 introduction.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1991: For this model year, Cadillac introduced a 4.9-liter version of its V8 HT (High Technology) engine series, along with revised bumper and body-side moldings — and a revised grille shape, now slightly narrower at the bottom than top, the inverse of the previous iteration's shape. The revised grille held the Cadillac crest and was now attached to the forward edge of the hood, and lifted up along with the hood when raised. The secondary hood release latch was at the bottom of the grille instead of its previous location above the passenger side headlight. In addition to the new engine and minor front-end restyling, several previously optional features became standard this year, including the anti-lock braking system, accent striping, automatic door locks, Twilight Sentinel headlamp control, electrochromic inside rear-view mirror, and electric rear window and side mirror defogger. New standard features included rear-seat air conditioning vents, central door unlocking from the driver's door and luggage compartment, sun visors with shaded slide-out extensions, rear window lock-out switch, brake / transmission interlock safety switch, and an oil life indicator through the fuel data center. Other new features included the available remote keyless entry system, and the optional illuminated mirrors now featured a slide switch that offered variable intensity lighting.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Also for model year 1991, Cadillac introduced the "DeVille Touring Sedan" trim level, making 1,500 available beginning in April of 1991. The Touring Sedan was offered in 5 monochromatic paint schemes: Carmine Red; Cotillion White; Black; Dark Slate Gray metallic; and Black Sapphire Metallic; and included larger 16" x 6.5" forged aluminum wheels with a wreath and crest center caps, P215/60R16 Goodyear GA all-season radial tires; quicker 17:1 steering ratio; and a model-specific deep tan interior — marketed as "Beechwood," with leather seating areas and revised seat contouring with integral lumbar support; six way power seats and recliners for driver and passenger; as well as genuine American Walnut wood accents on the doors and instrument panel. Further equipment included a grill-mounted wreath and crest replacing the stand-up hood ornament; side door moldings with "TOURING SEDAN" lettering; body-color, breakaway outside rearview mirrors; body color door handles; and a cloisonne deck lid lock cover.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: For 1991-1993, Cadillac offered a "Spring Edition" package for the Sedan de Ville and Coupe de Ville in the U.S. This package included full “Phaeton” cabriolet roof, body colour door handles, gold trim, perforated leather seats, and “lace” aluminum wheels.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1992: For 1992, the Touring Sedan continued as a limited edition option. Besides the special features included in the initial 1,500 models from 1991, it featured on Touring Sedans, like other DeVille models, the "Symphony Sound" stereo with cassette was standard, while the optional Delco/Bose music system was available with cassette or single-slot CD player. Introduced for 1992, speed-sensitive suspension and traction control (both standard on Touring Sedan when introduced in '91) were available at extra cost on DeVille. Approximately 5,300 Touring Sedans were produced for 1992.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1993: The previously optional speed-sensitive suspension, "Computer Command Ride", became standard equipment, and now included a new speed-sensitive steering system. Minor trim changes included black-out trim in the grille (used on the 1992 Touring Sedan), and deletion of the chrome strip from the glass divider on the sedan's rear doors.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The 2-door body style had been declining in sales for several years, and as a result, the 1994 design went into production solely as a 4-door. Production of the coupe ended in July 1993.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Declining popularity led to the discontinuation of GM's last full-size, six passenger two-door with the 1993 model year.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1990: Cadillac made 17,507 coupes. The full vinyl roof was included in the "Spring Edition" package (with 4,413 built), which also included perforated leather seat inserts. The most popular color was white (5,292 made) and least was medium dark gray (193 made). A]l two-doors featured white-wall Michelin tires, and this was the last year for plain wheel covers (2,788 made). 479 two-doors were exported: Canada (383), Japan (81), and Saudi Arabia (15). The 1990 Coupe de Ville was priced at $26,960.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1991: Cadillac manufactured 10,057 examples. Of those, 9,799 featured optional leather (in dark maroon, 19 were made, 11 in leather and 2 in velour). The most popular exterior color was white (2,967 made); least was medium dark gray (58 made). 3,397 "Spring Edition" were made. 1,122 featured the optional Bose sound system (752 with cassette, 370 with compact disc). Cadillac produced 164 for export: Canada (126), Japan (23), Persian Gulf countries (5), Puerto Rico and U.S> Virgin Islands (3), and Europe (7). Pricing was $30,205 for Coupe de Ville.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1992: Cadillac made6,980 examples; the most popular color was white (1,879 made) and least was "Mary Kay Pink" (1 made). 2,635 were "Spring Edition" models. 89 examples featured the standard painted-roof. 144 were manufactured for export, 129 for Canada and 15 for Japan. The base MSRP was $31,740.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: 1993: 4,711 were made, all featuring minor trim changes including black-out grille trim. Standard equipment included the full vinyl roof, with 3,606 made; 1,105 were made with the optional partial vinyl roof ($170); and no paint-roof examples were made. The most popular color was white (1,147 made) and the least made color was dark maroon (24 made). The four wheel choices included standard-design cast aluminum wheels (2,012 cars); optional $235 lace-design aluminum wheel (1,766 cars), optional $235 locking wire wheel disc (749 cars), and the $1,195 chromed aluminum wheel (184 cars). 18 examples featured the no-charge blackwall Michelin radial tires and 4,693 models featured white-walls. 3,036 had mono-tone paint, and others had a lower body accent color: silver,1,130; dark red, 275; medium gray, 177; and beige, 93. 4,168 had the standard Symphony Sound system, and 543 featured the optional Bose stereo (310 with cassette, 233 with compact disc). Nearly all examples had leather upholstery (most popular: neutral, with 1,236 made), and 239 featured velour interiors (least made: taupe, 24 made). No export models were made, and 523 of the 4,711 included California emission equipment. The base price of the 1993 Coupe de Ville was $33,915.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: For 1994, the Sedan DeVille was redesigned and moved to the K-body platform, shared with the Seville, using a 113.8-inch wheelbase, with a 15 cf trunk and 117.5 cf passenger volume. Production moved to Hamtramck, Michigan.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The "Deville" received retained the "4.9 L L26 V8" until 1996, when the lower-output Northstar was made standard. Replacing the previous generation's DeVille Touring Sedan, the "DeVille Concours" was available with the new 270 hp (201 kW) "LD8" Northstar V8, and later, the high-output "L37" Northstar generating . The Concours featured an adaptive, continuously-variable road sensing suspension initially marketed as "CVRSS" and later as "MagneRide", a first on the DeVille series. 1996 would be the final year that Cadillac marketed this car the "Sedan deVille."


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: In 1994, all DeVille models included a driver-side front airbag; digital instrumentation with integrated message center; dual-zone front HVAC system with controls located to the right of the instrument cluster and on the front passenger door panel; automatic lighting, marketed as "Twilight Sentinel,"; a leather wrapped, tilt-adjustable steering wheel with buttons for radio and HVAC control; and six-speaker audio system with AM/FM/Cassette stereo. Cloth seating was standard, as was front and rear bench seating for six passengers.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Options included AM/FM/Cassette/CD stereo; eleven-speaker premium audio system; leather-trimmed seating surfaces; full power adjustments, and front bucket seats.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: DeVille models received a facelift for the 1997 model year and added the "d'Elegance" trim line to replace the Cadillac Fleetwood. The name was shortened from Sedan DeVille to simply DeVille. Headlights and grille were revised, the rear wheel skirts were deleted, the interior was revised, and the black/chrome trim was replaced by a double chrome trim in the base DeVille, chrome and gold trim and gold hood ornament on the d'Elegance, and chrome and body colored trim for the Concours. Other features available with the D'Elegance package included special wheels and rear illuminated vanity mirrors. The Concours received real-time damping and Electronic stability control as standard. The interior received a revised dashboard design that concealed the passenger airbag seams; revised door panels with front side-airbags; and optional availability of the OnStar system.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The 2000 model year was the first substantial redesign since 1994, marking then Deville's move to the revised G platform. Production started in August 1999. The exterior was redesigned, achieving a more aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.30., and the revised interior featured new door panels and seats along with minor dash and radio face revisions.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The "DeVille DHS" name replaced the "d'Elegance" trim level and added an optional power rear window sunshade and heated/massaging rear seats. The performance "DeVille Concours" was renamed the "Deville DTS" (DeVille Touring Sedan), in anticipation of the forthcoming renaming of the entire line. The Deville DTS was newly available with stability control, continuously variable road sensing suspension (CVRSS) with magnetorheological dampers (marketed as MagneRide), and onboard navigation.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: Cadillac offered automotive night vision, marketed as Night Vision on the DeVille, as a worldwide first in series production, subsequently discontinued in 2004. The system was developed with Raytheon and used a "passive infrared" sensor camera mounted behind the vehicle's grille. Infrared radiation was picked up by the sensor, processed by computer and then displayed on the windshield using an automotive head-up display. Information was displayed as a black-and-white image with warmer objects in white, while cooler objects appear black. Because the system outputs a standard NTSC composite video signal and the used parts are somewhat easy and inexpensive to find, it has become a popular choice for fitting thermal night vision to other vehicles.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: In late-2000, comedian Tim Allen designed a high performance variant of the Deville. The TAD Deville DTSi (TAD is short for "Tim Allen Design") features stiffer suspension, 18-inch Konig wheels with Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, and 14-inch cross-drilled brake rotors with Brembo calipers. The Northstar V8 was tuned to generate 398 horsepower at 6400 rpm.


title: Cadillac de Ville series

text: The last model to carry the "DeVille" nameplate was assembled at Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly in June 2005, replaced for 2006 by the renamed and slightly revised DTS, in actuality a defacto ninth generation Deville.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: Garfield: The Movie (identified on screen as Garfield) is a 2004 American comedy film. It is a live-action adaptation to Jim Davis' comic strip of the same name. Directed by Peter Hewitt, it stars Breckin Meyer as Jon Arbuckle, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Dr. Liz Wilson and features Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield, who was created with computer-generated imagery. The film was produced by Davis Entertainment Company and 20th Century Fox. It was released in the United States on June 11, 2004. The film received negative reviews from critics and grossed $200 million on a $50 million budget. A sequel, "", was released in 2006.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: Garfield, a fat, lazy and free-spirited orange cat, lives with his owner Jon Arbuckle in Los Angeles, and passes his time by antagonizing Jon and teasing his aggressive Dobermann neighbor, Luca. Aside from Jon, Garfield maintains an unlikely friendship with a helpful mouse, Louis, by constantly sparing him, and also socializes with his fellow neighborhood cats, Nermal and Arlene.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: Jon has begun habitually bringing Garfield to the veterinarian, in order to see vet Dr. Liz Wilson, whom he is in love with. Jon tries to ask Liz out, but due to a misunderstanding, Jon is given custody of a dog named Odie, who is lovable, playful and friendly. Regardless, Jon and Liz begin dating. Garfield, however, begins to dislike Odie and pokes fun at him in any given moment. Odie is brought to a canine talent show, where Liz is a judge. Garfield gets involved in an altercation there with other dogs, which moves Odie to the center of the ring, where he does a successful improvised dance to the Black Eyed Peas' "Hey Mama". A local television host named Happy Chapman, who is also a judge, is impressed with Odie's performance, and offers Jon a television deal for Odie, but Jon declines.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: When Garfield returns home, frustrated over Odie's presence in his life, he hits a ball, causing a chain reaction that leaves the house in disarray. When Jon finds out, he forces Garfield to sleep outside for the night. When Odie comes out to comfort Garfield, he gets inside and deliberately locks Odie out. Nermal and Arlene witness this as Odie runs away but is then picked up by an elderly woman named Mrs. Baker. Jon and Liz search for Odie while Garfield's friends angrily ridicule him for locking Odie out and making him run away the night before, although Garfield claims that he didn't mean for it to happen.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: Meanwhile, Happy Chapman, revealed to be allergic to cats, is jealous of his news reporter brother, Walter, and wants to be more by performing on "Good Day New York". Chapman and his assistant Wendell find a notice Mrs. Baker created of Odie and, recognizing the lucrative possibilities, claim Odie as Happy's own. When Garfield sees Odie on television and hears Chapman announce he and Odie are going to New York City, Garfield sets out to rescue Odie. Jon discovers Garfield is also missing, so he tells Liz to start searching for him and Odie. Garfield gets into the broadcast tower via the air vents and finds Odie locked in a kennel, but Chapman enters and secures a shock collar to Odie, which, when activated, releases an electric shock that forces Odie to perform tricks.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: Chapman heads for the train station with Garfield in close pursuit. However, an animal control officer catches Garfield, mistaking him as a stray. Meanwhile, Mrs. Baker tells Jon that Chapman took Odie, making him believe Garfield was taken by Chapman as well and then learn Chapman is leaving for the train station. Concurrently, Chapman's abandoned feline star Persnikitty, who dubs himself "Sir Roland", along with the other animals, releases Garfield from the pound. Chapman boards a New York-bound train, with Odie in the luggage car. After arriving just to see the train depart, Garfield sneaks into the train system control room and switches the tracks, leading to an impending multiple train wreck. Garfield hits an emergency stop button which halts all the trains just in the nick of time, then returns Chapman's train to the station. Garfield frees Odie and they prepare to leave. However, Chapman chases them and eventually corners the duo in a suitcase area. Chapman threatens Odie with the shock collar, but Garfield's friends from the pound, Louis & his entire rat family (whom Garfield had run into earlier), led by Sir Roland, attack Chapman and place the collar on his neck.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: Shortly after, Garfield and Odie subdue Chapman by activating the collar. Jon and Liz arrive and find Chapman, whom Jon punches in the face for kidnapping his pets. Garfield, Odie, Jon, and Liz reunite and return home, while Chapman is arrested for his supposed involvement with the trains, as well as kidnapping Odie. Back home, Garfield regains his friends' respect as they hail him as a hero. Liz and Jon form a relationship, and Garfield learns a lesson about friendship.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: Garfield creator Jim Davis appeared as an uncredited drunken convention attendee, but his role was cut from the final version of the film.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: Jim Carrey was considered for the role of Jon Arbuckle. Jennifer Garner and Angelina Jolie were considered for the role of Liz, but both dropped out with busy schedules. Brad Dourif, Thomas Lennon, and Michael Ironside were considered to play Happy Chapman. Ironside was cast, but he dropped out after one day for unknown reasons, and Lennon was busy on "Reno 911." Jack Nicholson was considered for the role of Garfield; he was the only candidate besides Bill Murray. According to Murray's Reddit AMA, he was interested in voicing the titular character because he mistook the screenplay writer's name, Joel Cohen, for Joel Coen of the Coen brothers. He accepted the role, briefly skimming through the script. Co-writer Alec Sokolow disputed Murray's claim in 2014: "He knew it was not Joel Coen well before he met Joel Cohen. It's a funny take. And it kind of defends him against the criticism of making such an overtly commercial film. But, it's complete horse shit."


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: According to Jim Davis, Murray recorded his dialogue in his apartment in New York City and on the set of "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" in Greece.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: "Garfield: The Movie" was released in theaters on June 11, 2004, one week before "Garfield's" 26th anniversary. During its theatrical run, it was preceded by an "Ice Age" short film, "Gone Nutty". 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the film on VHS and DVD on October 19, 2004. The special features includes a behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, and the Baha Men music video "Holla!". The film was released on a 3-disc Blu-ray on October 11, 2011.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: The film opened up with $21.7 million in the US in its first weekend. It grossed a total of $75.4 million in the US and a further $125.4 million internationally for a total of $203.7 million worldwide.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 14% based on 138 reviews and an average rating of 3.52/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "When the novelty of the CGI "Garfield" wears off, what's left is a simplistic kiddie movie." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 27 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: Roger Ebert rated it three out of four stars, saying the film was "charming". Joe Leydon of "Variety" wrote, "Only very small children still easily impressed by interaction of human actors and CGI quadrupeds will be amused by Garfield." A. O. Scott of "The New York Times" wrote, "That Garfield speaks in the supercilious, world-weary drawl of Bill Murray is some small consolation, as are a few of the animal tricks."


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: Murray said in an interview with "GQ" that he was confused when he agreed to play the voice of Garfield for the film.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: In the 2009 zombie comedy film, "Zombieland", when Bill Murray (playing himself) is accidentally shot by Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), he expresses regret for the film.


title: Garfield: The Movie

text: 20th Century Fox allowed their license with Paws, Inc. to expire in 2009. On May 24, 2016, it was announced that Alcon Entertainment would develop a new CG animated "Garfield" film with John Cohen and Steven P. Wegner ready to produce and to be directed by Mark Dindal, director of "Cats Don't Dance", "The Emperor's New Groove" and "Chicken Little". In August 2019, Viacom (which later merged with CBS to become ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global)) acquired the rights to Garfield, leaving the status of the movie for the time uncertain. In a December, 2020 interview with The Walt Disney Family Museum, Dindal confirmed that the film was still in production. On November 1, 2021, it was announced that Chris Pratt would voice Garfield in the upcoming animated film. On May 24, 2022, Samuel L. Jackson was added to the cast of the film. On August 3, 2022, it was announced that the film will be released on February 16, 2024, but was later delayed to May 24, 2024.


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon and in 1993, businessman and wrestling promoter Paul Heyman took over the creative end of the promotion from Eddie Gilbert and rechristened the promotion from Eastern Championship Wrestling to "Extreme" Championship Wrestling.


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: The promotion was known for highlighting a "hardcore wrestling" style, with matches regularly featuring weapons (including the frequent use of tables and fire) and revolving around adult-themed storylines. Though the hardcore style was the main focus, ECW also showcased various international styles of professional wrestling not usually seen in the U.S., ranging from Mexican lucha libre to Japanese puroresu.


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: Heyman's creative direction created new stars, and established ECW as the third major national wresting promotion in the United States in the second half of the 1990s, competing with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). ECW folded in 2001 when it was unable to secure a new national television contract, and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. purchased the assets of the company from bankruptcy in January 2003.


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: Following the success of the One Night Stand tribute show in 2005, WWE relaunched the ECW franchise as a third brand in 2006 alongside their existing Raw and SmackDown brands. It debuted on June 13, 2006, on Sci Fi in the United States and ran for close to four years until it aired its final episode on February 16, 2010, on the rebranded Syfy.


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: ECW had its origins in 1990 under the banner Tri-State Wrestling Alliance owned by Joel Goodhart. ECW would, in fact, continue to use the former Tri-State Heavyweight championship belt to represent its own Championship, although the ECW title was not considered a continuation of that title. In 1992, Goodhart sold his share of the company to his partner, Tod Gordon, who renamed the promotion Eastern Championship Wrestling. When Eastern Championship Wrestling was founded, it was not a member of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). At the time, "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert, the lead booker of Eastern Championship Wrestling, had managed to secure television time on SportsChannel Philadelphia starting in April 1993. Gilbert, after a falling out with Tod Gordon, was replaced in September 1993 by then-28 year old businessman Paul Heyman. Heyman, known on television as Paul E. Dangerously, had just been fired by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was looking for a new challenge.


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: In 1994, Jim Crockett's non-compete agreement with Ted Turner, who purchased World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from Crockett in November 1988, was up and he decided to start promoting with the NWA again. Crockett went to Tod Gordon and asked him to hold a tournament for the NWA's top prize, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, in ECW's home area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 27, 1994. NWA President Dennis Coralluzzo alleged that Crockett and Gordon were going to try to monopolize the title (akin to Crockett's actions in the 1980s) and stated Crockett did not have the NWA board's approval, which resulted in Coralluzzo personally overseeing the tournament. Gordon took offense at Coralluzzo for his power plays and began contemplating a plan to secede ECW from the NWA through a controversial and public manner that would attract attention to ECW and insult the NWA organization. Gordon planned to have Shane Douglas, who was scheduled to face 2 Cold Scorpio in the tournament finals on August 30, 1994, throw down the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt upon winning as an act of defiance.


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: Tod Gordon and Paul Heyman originally planned the idea of throwing down the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt. Heyman persuaded Douglas by noting that the negative would only be that NWA traditionalists would just see them as traitors to tradition. Adding to Douglas' decision was the animosity between Douglas and NWA President Dennis Coralluzzo, who at the time publicly criticized Douglas and told NWA affiliated bookers not to book Douglas for shows. Coralluzzo believed that Douglas was a "bad risk" and had the tendency to no-show events. Douglas ultimately decided to go through with Gordon and Heyman's plan, inspired by his father's motto of "doing right by the people that do right by you." After looking up and saying, "This is it tonight, Dad," Douglas threw down the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt, stating that he did not want to be champion of a "dead promotion" that "died seven years ago." He then raised the Eastern Championship Wrestling title belt and declared it to be a World Heavyweight Championship – calling it the only real world title left in professional wrestling. When recalling this event years later, Paul Heyman stated the following in a 1998 chat:


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: Coralluzzo was interviewed after the event and declared that Douglas would be the world champion of the NWA "whether he likes it or not", calling Douglas' actions a "disgrace" and said he would move to have Douglas stripped of both the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and the Eastern Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Championship, calling him "undeserving" of both titles. Gordon made the following announcement on the next edition of NWA-ECW programming:


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: The promotion showcased many different styles of professional wrestling, including hardcore wrestling matches as well as lucha libre and Japanese wrestling styles.


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: The bulk of ECW's shows remained at the ECW Arena, a former warehouse secluded under a section of Interstate 95. Seating comprised simple folding chairs and four sets of portable bleachers, with the unconventional scene reflective of the gritty style of the promotion itself. Shows were broadcast on a Philadelphia local cable sports station (SportsChannel America's local affiliate, SportsChannel Philadelphia) on Tuesday evenings. After Sports Channel Philadelphia went off the air in 1997, the show moved to WPPX-TV 61. It later moved to a former independent broadcast station (WGTW 48) in Philadelphia on either Friday or Saturday night, and at 1:00a.m. or at 2:00a.m. Shows were also aired on the MSG Network in NYC on Friday nights (early Saturday morning) at 2:00a.m. Due to the obscurity of the stations and ECW itself, as well as the lack of FCC oversight at that late hour, many times expletives and violence were not edited out of these showings, along with extensive use of copyrighted music and music videos.


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: In 1995, Tod Gordon sold Extreme Championship Wrestling, Inc., to his head booker, Paul Heyman, trading as HHG Corporation. Afterward, Gordon remained in ECW as a figurehead commissioner. Years after being the ECW "Commissioner", Gordon left ECW in May 1997, his absence was explained on-air that he retired from wrestling due to family. Rumors circulated, however, that Gordon was fired by Heyman after he was suspected as a "locker room mole" for a rival wrestling promotion, helping to lure talent to World Championship Wrestling.


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: Storyline-wise, Vince McMahon first became "aware" of ECW while at the 1995 King of the Ring event in ECW's home base of Philadelphia. During the match between Mabel and Savio Vega, the crowd suddenly started to chant, "ECW! ECW! ECW!". On September 22, 1996, at the event in Philadelphia, ECW stars The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, Paul Heyman, and Taz were in the front row with Sandman even interfering in one match (when he threw beer on Savio Vega during his strap match with Bradshaw). McMahon acknowledged ECW's status as a local, up-and-coming promotion on the air. The following night on WWF "Monday Night RAW", broadcast on September 23, 1996, at the onset of a match between The Bodydonnas vs. The British Bulldog and Owen Hart, Bill Alfonso, and Tazz could be seen invading the program. Both Tazz and Alfonso were able to successfully jump the security rails, and Tazz was able to prominently display a bright orange sign with black lettering that read "Sabu Fears Tazz-ECW". On February 24, 1997, ECW "invaded" "Raw" from the Manhattan Center. They advanced a storyline, plugged their first ever pay-per-view and worked three matches in front of the WWF audience while McMahon called the action with both Jerry "The King" Lawler and Paul Heyman. The Manhattan Center in New York was peppered with a large number of ECW fans, who gave the WWF wrestlers "Boring!" chants when they felt it was warranted. Likewise, when the ECW performers arrived, they popped and introduced the WWF Monday night audience to some trademark ECW group chants. This invasion sparked an inter-promotional feud between ECW and Lawler's United States Wrestling Association. Lawler disparaged ECW on-camera and convinced wrestlers such as Rob Van Dam and Sabu to join him in an anti-ECW crusade. Throughout 1997, ECW wrestlers appeared on USWA television programs, and vice versa. As part of the working relationship between ECW and the WWF, a number of WWF-contracted wrestlers were sent to ECW for seasoning in 1997, including Droz and Brakkus.


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: On April 13, 1997, ECW broadcast their first pay-per-view (PPV) wrestling card Barely Legal, highlighted by Terry Funk defeating Raven to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. In June 1997, the company's Wrestlepalooza '97 event featured Raven's final ECW match before leaving for WCW. In this match, Tommy Dreamer finally beat Raven, his longtime nemesis. Dreamer's celebration was short-lived, though, as Jerry Lawler, along with Sabu and Rob Van Dam showed up to attack Dreamer. This set up a match between Dreamer and Lawler at the pay-per-view, 1997 Hardcore Heaven, on August 17, which was won by Dreamer. ECW continued through 1998 and early 1999 with a string of successful pay-per-views.


title: Extreme Championship Wrestling

text: In April 2000, Mike Awesome made a surprise appearance on "WCW Monday Nitro"—making his debut by attacking Kevin Nash—while still reigning as ECW World Heavyweight Champion. Mike Awesome's friend Lance Storm has said that Awesome refused to sign a new contract with ECW until Paul Heyman paid him overdue wages. There were rumors that WCW Executive Vice-President Eric Bischoff wanted Awesome to drop the ECW World Championship belt in the trash can on television, as had been done previously with the WWF Women's title by Madusa when she jumped from the WWF to WCW. After Paul Heyman filed an injunction, WCW refrained from having Awesome appear on "Nitro" with the belt, but did acknowledge him as the champion. Eventually, a compromise was reached. Awesome (a WCW employee and the reigning ECW World Heavyweight champion) appeared at an April 13, 2000, ECW event in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he lost the title to Tazz (who was working for the World Wrestling Federation).