Length: 00:30

From the PBS series Great Cars. Henry Ford's early investors fired Ford from the Detroit Automobile Co. and brought in Henry Leland. In turn, he renamed the company Cadillac, turning it into the maker of cars that came to symbolize both the best - and the excess - of America . At the turn of the century many people were building automobiles. Most were unreliable toys for the rich - creations meant for short weekend excursions. Leland was convinced there was a better way. He borrowed precision manufacturing techniques from Colt and applied this knowledge to his cars. Soon the quality soared and his cars earned the title of the "Standard of the World." It's a legacy Cadillac is now struggling to rebuild.More at GreatCarsTV.com