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History Channel 8/14 - The Cars That Made America

Started by chrisntam, August 14, 2017, 05:27:25 PM

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chrisntam

I came across this on the TV tonight on the History Channel, two parts so far as I can tell, I'm sure they'll mention Cadillac a time or two.  Part one (repeat) is at 5 pm central, part two is at 7 pm central.

Hopefully I haven't lead my Cadillac brethren astray.  We'll see.  I have it DVR'd.

chris.
1970 Deville Convertible 
Dallas, Texas

chrisntam

Cadillac mentioned at 21 minutes in on episode 1.

Hopefully more to come.
1970 Deville Convertible 
Dallas, Texas

Lexi

Not to worry. So far this is a great show. Think I saw that it is in 3 parts. Clay/Lexi

TJ Hopland

I finally had a chance to watch the complete series.    I didn't really like it.   Seems like they spent a lot of time on things that were not as important and skipped a lot of stuff that was important.   

For example why spend that much time talking about the DMC12?   Just one of 100's or even 1000's of failed cars.    Since it was worth noting Delorians work at Pontiac and GM that could have been a quick mention but I found myself watching the clock knowing the show was almost over and asking tons of other questions.

I suspect that perhaps there is or was a directors cut that may have been much better but had to give in to pressure to make a running time and perhaps a deadline.   It just seems like there was potential there but we didn't get to see much of it.   I watched it in 2 sittings and skipped the commercials so it was all fresh.   When you watch things that way you also see how much time they spend repeating things.   To me that is time they could have used to show us new material.

What did everyone else think?     
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

55 cadi

I did not see those episodes but have seen shows like it, and yes when you watch like that back to back, no commercials there is a lot of repeating, guess they think there are always people just joining and they need to say it.....yes a waste of time.
But also about the cars, it is probably not actually about cars that matter, Cadillac was ahead of everyone so should have a spot light, but producers usually determine what's in it, and I would bet the cars are the ones they like, not what matters to majority, just my opinion
Jason
1955 Cadillac sedan series 62
1966 mustang convertible w/pony PAC, now in Sweden
2005 Cadillac deville

WTL

I guess the show is enjoyable enough, I watched it with my wife.  It's basically entertaining. 

I'm not surprised that Cadillac was rarely mentioned.  The show winks and nods at the more popular sectors of the classic car hobby, ie, muscle cars and the common big 3 production cars. 

JerRita

The show was based on their earlier series 'The Men who built America" and focused on the men like Ford, Durant, Dodge Bros. and Chrysler. They made Henry out as a terrible father and dictator. Disappointed no mention of men like Harley Earl and Virgil Exner. They recycled several scenes from the first show too. Overall a B- grade JeRita
Jerry and Rita Trapani #15725 Caddymaniacs

g27g28

I disliked the first episode so didn't bother watching any of the other episodes.  They played fast and loose with timelines and failed to even mention Leland.  No mention that Ford bankrupted Detroit motor company and Leland was brought in and renamed it Cadillac.  Leland's introduction of interchangeable parts was almost as big of manufacturing breakthrough in the automotive field as the assembly line as the line wouldn't have been possible without it. 
1941 Series 62
1954 Coupe DeVille
1978 Phaeton
1980 Fleetwood

bcroe

Quote from: g27g28 on September 04, 2017, 07:32:39 PM
I disliked the first episode so didn't bother watching any of the other episodes.  They played fast and loose with timelines and failed to even mention Leland.  No mention that Ford bankrupted Detroit motor company and Leland was brought in and renamed it Cadillac.  Leland's introduction of interchangeable parts was almost as big of manufacturing breakthrough in the automotive field as the assembly line as the line wouldn't have been possible without it.   

I find such lists so be so annoying, its better not to waste the time.  The list is
always about some "fluff" cars the author was impressed with, and a few more
added to make the target number.  The writer is never an engineer, who would
see what really made it all work.  Interchangeable parts was a key item, as was
the electric starter and the automatic transmission, and don't forget power
steering.  NO LIMITED PRODUCTION cars have a place here, its the ones
everybody bought that made it happen. 

It truth, cars were just a product of a much larger infrastructure that REALLY
made America.  Bruce Roe

Glen

One of the things that fascinates me is how the major players were involved in different manufactures.    For example: Leland was manufacturing engines for Oldsmobile before he took over Ford’s failed company and named it Cadillac.  He then bailed on Cadillac and created Lincoln.  The Dodge brothers worked for/with Ford before they started their own company.  And that seems to be just the beginning. 
Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

"Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364

To use a current term "revisionist history" detracted from the story. They paid an awful lot of attention to Henry. His professional and private life took up time pretty much unrelated to "cars that made America". As someone previously mentioned, there was NO mention of Leland, and how great a role he played in Ford, Cadillac, and again, (they did not even mention it) Lincoln.
But after all it was a program intended for today's audience who, for the most part don't know what was omitted.
I particularly liked the part where (I don't remember which "characters" they were) the head of GM was introduced to the "future", hot rodding.  If OI am correct the car used was a 55 Mercury.
Greg Surfas
Cadillac Kid-Greg Surfas
Director Modified Chapter CLC
CLC #15364
66 Coupe deVille (now gone to the UK)
72 Eldo Cpe  (now cruising the sands in Quatar)
73 Coupe deVille
75 Coupe deElegance
76 Coupe deVille
79 Coupe de ville with "Paris" (pick up) option and 472 motor
514 inch motor now in '73-

Caddyholic

#11
And they show the 55 mercury with a flat head v8 not a 292 y-block. Also the time line would be wrong because it is  Pre 1955 SBC.  When they got in the Mercury they did show 2 cadillacs setting next to it. Also they show Delorean testing a 4 door buick on woodward ave. and calling it a GTO?
I got myself a Cadillac but I can't afford the gasoline (AC/DC Down Payment Blues)

1961 Series 62 Convertible Coupe http://bit.ly/1RCYsVZ
1962 Coupe Deville

MickeyCaddy

#12
Maybe young kids, or folks who have no knowledge of the American auto industry, would find these three shows educational. For the rest of us, not so much.

The dramatized ("scripted reality") scenes between major characters were dumbed down to a grade-school level. For example, Henry Ford vs. his son Edsel: one note only (Henry hates Edsel), drawn out to the max and repeated over and over.

Part 1 got off to what seemed like a fairly strong start. But it looked like by the time the production co. got to Part 3, they'd used up their budget. Calling a 1955 Mercury convertible with a Continental kit a "55 Chevy" was a joke.

Showing "John Delorean" actually installing a "389 Pontiac engine" all by himself was laughable. The car it went into was a 1963 Buick LeSabre 4-door; the grille had a round metal disk covering up the 3-shield Buick logo; but B-U-I-C-K remained on the lip of the hood and could be plainly seen...many times. This car is then referred to as the first GTO!
Adding insult to injury, the above 2 scenes are reused over and over, especially the "GTO" street race.

Ugh.

I wonder if they spent so much time on the Delorean DMC-12 because they were trying to relate to a younger audience; for many members of the younger generation, the only "old car" they know about is the one they saw in the Back To The Future movies.

TJ Hopland

Ya part 3 seemed especially bad.  Almost like a different team did it or like was suggested management said we need 87 minutes by 5pm Friday period, doesn't have to be good just finished.   

I deleted it off my DVR but it would be interesting to go back and see how many times they used that one shot of Ford standing in that doorway with the model T rolling past him out that single door.   I would bet at least 4 times per show so at least 12 times.    Same with the GTO Buick,  that had to have come up 3-4 times in part 2 and 3. 
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

Whit Otis, 1188

A series of shows fraught with errors and mis leading info. AP Sloan inferred as a bar boy womanizer and Edsel Ford represented as some kind of wooden boy idiot when in fact he was a sophisticated man with excellent taste. Trash IMO.
Whit Otis
1188
Whit Otis -
1941 6219D Custom
1941 6219D
1940 7533F
1986 Mercedes Benz 560 SEL
1999 Bentley Arnage
2019 XT5
Drawing of AP Sloan Custom by Terry Wenger

chrisntam

Quote from: Whit Otis, 1188 on September 25, 2017, 11:49:04 PM
A series of shows fraught with errors and mis leading info. AP Sloan inferred as a bar boy womanizer and Edsel Ford represented as some kind of wooden boy idiot when in fact he was a sophisticated man with excellent taste. Trash IMO.
Whit Otis
1188

Now that's an opinion!
1970 Deville Convertible 
Dallas, Texas