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Automotive News & Views Can GM make Cadillac the standard of the world Again?
6098 messages, Last post on Aug 14, 2009 at 4:43 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: lemko (Feb 25, 2008 6:00 pm) Ummm, Bumpy, the two classic car picturs you posted are of a 1974 Caddy, not a mid 80's Caddy. Just right click the image and click on 'Properties' to see the picture's origin (www.classiccars.com). What's so pathetic about both Mercedes Benz and BMW is that the pics of the classic Caddy you posted STIIIIIIIIIIIIIILL look more luxurious than the pics of the modern 1988 Benz and 1986 BMW i posted... Sad. So sad...
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Replying to: fintail (Feb 25, 2008 8:45 pm) Fintail. I am curious. Why did you buy that thing? I'd seriously like to know. As far as the Haters are concerned: You can buy a 1984 Cadillac Seville Bustleback with fake burled walnut trim for $15,000 in 1984, or shell out like $50,000 for a 1988 Benz 300SE that had real stained plywood trim. So keep hating on the fake burled walnut. GOOOOOO plywood! |
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Replying to: pmc4 (Feb 26, 2008 3:57 pm) Primitive? The car was easily the most advanced sedan in the world when it was introduced, and was so good that 10 years later, Toyota would give it flush glazing and call it the Lexus LS. Why did I buy it? I didn't buy it new...and for the price of a used Kia I bought a pristine one owner car of the best workmanship and comfort that gave me a few years of driving pleasure with very little maintenance cost. Surely a bustleback cost like 25-30K in 1984? I mean, that was around the time my mom bought a new Ciera and it cost nearly 15K, and I think the piece of crap Chevy S-10 Blazer my dad bought in 1985 cost more than 15K. And real wood of any thickness still beats plood 
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Replying to: pmc4 (Feb 26, 2008 3:49 pm) 
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Replying to: pmc4 (Feb 26, 2008 3:57 pm)
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Replying to: circlew (Feb 26, 2008 12:32 pm) I think the original post was concerned with general perception of luxury, performance and service that Cadillac once enjoyed. There was a time when Cadillac was generally viewed as the best of the best. Being seen at the wheel of a Cadillac meant that you'd finally made your mark in the world. The phrase "this is the Cadillac of (TVs, refrigerators, stereo systems, whatever)" needed no explanation -- it was understood to mean "this is the BEST there is, ever, anywhere." Whether or not the perception was consistent with reality is beside the point. So is the discussion of 80's models. The point of this discussion (as I understand it) is whether GM is able to anticipate and meet the evolving needs of the driving public to return Cadillac to its former glory status.
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Replying to: claires (Feb 26, 2008 7:51 pm) Interesting. We still hear this phrase in advertising of the past that is used today. Look in the yellow pages and around. However I doubt you will see new ad campaigns using it and surely those under 40-50 would not think "Cadillac of ..." automatically when looking at something. Then again they would not think the "BMW of, or Merdedes of. However I believe I have heard "the Lexus of". Perhaps not in advertising but in comments. Anyway if we look at what is out today the CTS and SRX are both considered right up there with the BMW and MB and Lexus. They may not be above them that "the Cadillac of" can be used but those who can get beyond their prejudice of domestic makers they would see that the CTS is worthy of it's place in the upper luxurydom. Pretty much most of the media has placed it up there. The SRX also is placed highly. Is Cadillac so much higher than the others that "the Cadillac" could be used?? No way. In fact back in the 60's when this term was widely used those other marques just were not seen as much. Just not many around and Cadillac was at the top. Today it would be very tough to stand out among all these high end marques and no one does in every area.
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Replying to: 62vetteefp (Feb 27, 2008 4:45 am) What about Rolls?? Bentley? Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Caddy as World Standard? Never to be seen again (if it ever really was). The Mark of Excellence is not used anymore for a good reason. Because it's not true. BTW, I or my family have owed cars produced by the now infamous Big 3 for over 55 years. I just got tired of waiting and hoping. Now that the GM allowed the CTS to get interesting, I am waiting to see if they mess it up. Regards, OW.
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Replying to: circlew (Feb 27, 2008 5:15 am) Is it the most ostentatious? elegant? technical? highest priced? best price for the money? greenest? best quality? highest reliability? It is not any of the above and yet may be all of the above. for our purposes here I would say it is the product that when someone on the street sees it says: now that is a great car that I really want to aspire to/ have. It is what everyone says is the best of the best. Right now because this world is so flat I do not believe there is one marque out there that is the top dog. But for this discussion I believe we should look for say the top 2 or 3 that meets my definition. Rolls and Bentley I would say they meet the above definition but are so much more expensive relative to others that they knock themselves out of the running. When Cadillac was the "standard of the world" (the world being the US at that time) the other marquees were not that far behind them in price. Sure the caddy was expensive but it was not 5 times the price of the normal car being sold. So per my thoughts the BMW's, MB's, Audis, Lexi, Caddys are the ones that can compete for this "standard". I guess I would think that most would say MB is the standard compared to the rest. Sure it is not a performance car like the BMW but in my opinion if a high priced BMW is sitting next to a high priced MB I would say the MB has more prestige. Am I right here? At this time Cadillac does not have models to compete with the high end. At the low end (3, CTS) Caddy is very well represented. Time will tell if the newer models make the same inroads. And please do not start a thread on how CTS has a cheap interior or whatever. It is recognized by the media as being right up there with the best of them.
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I'm not sure about that either. The fastest way to commit fiscal suicide is to buy a 1980s Rolls! I really don't want Cadillac to chase Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes too much. It is at the sweet spot for me as far as affordability. I'd have to defect to Buick if Caddy goes too high end. If Buick goes away, I have nowhere to go. Chrysler? Nah, the 300 is getting too long in the tooth. Lincoln? Feh! Nothing there anymore.
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