Most of the radical (and, indeed, welcomed) Cadillac makeover has passed. But for the auto nut and aesthete alike, there are subtle redesigns that are still popping up in the 2008 models.

First, a little refresher course: Remember the upbeat advertisements for the Cadillac Catera in the late ’90s? They included Cindy Crawford and an animated duck that jumped out of the traditional Cadillac crest. The Catera was the last of the sporty Cadillacs without a chiseled, angular look. It was also among the last models to use that traditional logo — ducks and all.

The Cadillac wreath-and-crest logo lost the ducks and has appeared sleeker and more streamlined for the better part of a decade. But this is not to say that Cadillac designers have forgotten the cues made famous by the legendary General Motors design chief, Harley Earl. The 2008 CTS is emblazoned with silver chevrons on its two front seats, a subtle homage to the chevron that appeared under the Cadillac crest in the ’50s and ’60s.

“The exterior of the car has a feature line — almost more like a crease — that runs down the center of the car, a bit like a V shape,” said a Cadillac spokesman, David Caldwell. “There’s also a crease in the cabin that runs right through the center of the dash and console, a bit of a match for what is seen on the outside. The little chevrons on the seats are a repetition of that design cue, and provide a nice bit of ornamentation and visual interest to an otherwise plain area.”

Whatever the reason, the demise of the animated ducks and the return of the silver chevron have ushered in a fantastic phase in Cadillac design worthy of Harley Earl.