In 1964 a federal court slapped the automaker's hands and said they did not have a monopoly on the name Cadillac. in February 1957 claiming the auto maker had rights to the name "Cadillac" and they wanted the boat builder to cease and desist using the name. Going a step further, General Motors filed a lawsuit against Cadillac Marine & Boat Co. A month later General Motors filed an opposition with the Patent and Trademark Office. ![]() The boat firm first filed for trademark protection of âCadillacâ on Octoand it was published in the Official U.S. One has been discovered and is the coveted possession of a classic boat collector today. As far as can be determined, Cadillac made two of these boats. The sporty two seat speedster had massive fins and featured twin bubble windshields. It was a marriage of the three boat building operations owned by Ray Wagemaker. The boat had a molded wood hull with fiberglass deck and aluminum trim. In 1957 Brooks came up with the Sea Lark to promote the new 35 horse power Lark outboard motor. It was a means for Evinrude to gain great publicity for their outboard motors. The boat was not necessarily intended to be built for public consumption. It was displayed with great fan fair at the annual Chicago and New York international boat shows. He was commissioned to design an annual feature boat on which Evinrude could hang their newest motor. Industrial design Brooks Stevens was on retainer with Evinrude Motors for many years. Probably one of the wildest boats ever conceived was the sixteen-foot Sea Lark. To cover all markets, Cadillac added fiberglass boats to their product line in 1959. A great deal of production of wooden boats was shifted to Cadillac Marine and Boat Co. One thousand five hundred hulls were destroyed in addition to production space and equipment. They were accused of turning on fire suppression sprinklers which damaged office files and plant equipment to the tune of $10,000.Ī $750,000 fire wiped out the Wagemaker plant at Grand Rapids in February 1957. Two of the strikers were arrested and held in jail on August seventh with charges of malicious destruction of property on the plant grounds. They were attempting to cover all bases by having wood, aluminum, and fiberglass watercraft in their product mix.ġ85 Cadillac workers were on strike in July 1956. ![]() of Frankfort, New York in 1955 to make aluminum, molded veneer, and fiberglass pleasure boats. Wagemaker Company started Empire Boats, Inc. A photo of their large 100,000 square foot modern plant was prominent in the ad. They were promoting aluminum, molded wood, and strip-built boats. A production of 7,000 boats annually was not uncommon in subsequent years.Ī January 1955 full page ad by Cadillac appeared in The Boating Industry trade magazine. Molded Shapes.īetween December 1953 and August 1955 Cadillac made 5,300 boats. Cadillac also made wooden boats with hulls from U.S. Molded Shapes made molded veneer boat hulls for Wagemaker which finished them and marketed the boats as Wagemaker Wolverine. Across town was a branch plant of Chris-Craft that opened up in 1941.Ĭadillac made aluminum fishing boats and runabouts. The Cadillac Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in luring the boat firm to the city. Wagemaker was president of all three firms. Boat builder Wagemaker of Grand Rapids, Michigan also owned U.S. 52-geographic section.Ĭadillac Marine & Boat Company of Cadillac, Michigan started in September 1953 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Wagemaker Company. Manufacturers, 1960 (Detroit, MI: Manufacturer Publishing Co., 1960.) p.Ĥ10-classified products section. Manufacturers, 1959 (Detroit, MI: Manufacturer Publishing Co., 1958.) p. Manufacturers, 1957 (Detroit, MI: Manufacturer Publishing Co., 1956.) p. Manufacturers, 1955 (Detroit, MI: Manufacturer Publishing Co., 1954.) p.ģ65-classified products section. ![]() Michigan Manufacturer and Financial Record. In 1960 the company employed 281 males and Gaylord Gill was the Manager of the firm in 1960. The company was located at 110 7th St., P.O. 1958 models were advertised in the 1958 brochure of Wagemaker Wolverine Boats. Wexford County, Michigan between 19, and a continuation ofĬadillac Boat Company under the ownership of Wagemaker Co. The company appears to have been renamed Cadillac Marine and Boat CompanyĬadillac Marine & Boat Company was a boat building firm located in Cadillac, He arranged for Cadillac to be distributed in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana by the Dallas-based Manufacturers' Marketing Associates. By 1958, Bushnell was Vice-President and director for sales. By 1957, employment shot upward to 164 males and 3įemales. The company employed 27 menĪnd 3 women in 1955. Secretary, sales manager and purchasing agent. The company was located atġ10 7th Street in Cadillac. Wexford County, Michigan, established in 1953. Cadillac Boat Company was a firm of boat builders located in Cadillac,
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