Smithsonian.com

A row of brand new Cadillacs awaits drivers. 1917, Library of Congress

Despite recent economic troubles, Cadillac has maintained its cool credibility since its founding in Michigan 110 years ago today. Admittedly, the wheels of yesteryear were not what some hip-hop artists, often informal ambassadors of the brand, had in mind when they made Cadillac the second most mentioned brand (after Hennessy) back in 2004. But we still think they’re pretty neat looking and you can see for yourself at the American History Museum’s “America on the Move” exhibit.

Made in the first year of the company’s production in 1903, the Cadillac was donated to the museum in 1923 and currently in storage. American History Museum

Courtesy American History Museum

A 1903 advertisement in The Horseless Age tells us the $850 car is “just good all over” and the “ideal motor car for physicians.”

That’s sort of what Snoop Dogg was suggesting when he described the ideal Cadillac passenger as a “millionaire, making that paper stack.”

Trying to claim a foothold in international markets, the car company has expanded its brand a bit. Along with other GM names, Cadillac now sells tricked-out bicycles in Japan. Cruising the streets in your Cadillac could soon only take two wheels.