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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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you tell me. This is a sad story from where I come from...with a yet unknown ending. link title Regards, OW
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I've said this before, GM and other domestics seriously need to learn from Nissan. They went from nearly bankrupt to the top of the food chain again in about a decade, a very short time in the corporate world. Learn what they can and cant do, then crawl back from the bottom. Personally, I think what GM needs to save itself is simplifying their subdivisions. Kill the useless minor ones, like Pontiac, Saturn, GMC and Hummer. Keep Buick, as it has strong reputation in China, and China is the world's biggest market right now. Keep Saab, sales are doing decent in Europe, much better than Chevy itself. Keep Subaru (obviously) and Isuzu also, why Isuzu? Because their trucks and diesel engines are still among the best, and best selling in the asian market. However, kill the passenger car market, its pointless. Save the money they spend on badge jobs and running the worthless, money losing subdivisions, use it to hire a real pro like Carlos Ghosn instead. Oh and one more thing, Cadillac. Start concentrating in China, there are more an more newbie millionaires in China than anywhere else today, and they dig Escalades. Stroll around in Beijing and Shanghai and you'll see a bunch of them there. China is an odd market where Audis outsell BMWs, and Cadi should take that advantage. Of course, with all things said I actually appreciate Cadillac's 1st comeback, the 1st gen CTS. When you compare it with another rebounding luxo brand like, say, Infiniti's 1st gen G35, its actually a decent car. Although I dislike the interior, its not that different from G35's in quality. When you think about it they're actually worthy equals, dont you think? The only problem with it is none other than: pricing! Too close to even Audi!! If only they can lower their expectations and start low, Cadillac may be seeing a better comeback scenario right now. Just my personal thoughts...
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Replying to: m4d_cow (Jul 17, 2008 7:36 am) How? Since GM already sold all its shares to Toyota. With holding 17% of the shares, Toyota right now is the largest shareholder of Subaru. A joint-venture entry level RWD coupe is also in development between the two companies. China is an odd market where Audis outsell BMWs If you know the history of China's auto industry then there is nothing odd about that. There is no way Cadillac will have the same success as Audi did in China.
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Replying to: louiswei (Jul 17, 2008 7:50 am)
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Replying to: plekto (Jul 17, 2008 12:14 pm) I don't get it, how's the GM small vehicles has anything to do with Subaru and Caddy being successful in China? 
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Replying to: louiswei (Jul 17, 2008 12:19 pm) |
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Replying to: circlew (Jul 16, 2008 6:46 pm) In the middle of the twentyith century Cadillac's advertising made people percive Cadillac to be something more than it really was. After WWII Cadillac was probably the leading near luxury make in production, with Lincoln and Chryslers Imperial prime competition. Those who wanted true luxury bought Rolls Royces, but right after WWII a Rolls was probably in very short supply. In the thirties, the Cadillac V16's, with custom made bodies probably were true luxury cars. The depression wiped out most of the true luxury cars, with Packard on its death bed after WWII. Those of you who think Cadillac was somehow the "Standard of the World" at some point in the past, surpassing all of its competition, have bought the "advertising hype" hook, line and sinker so to speak. I think that Cadillac has always been a good value for a near luxury car. For a short time Cadillac did have some high end models, but this was during the depression. Since WWII Cadillac has only produced the lower end of the models it had before WWII.
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Replying to: sls002 (Jul 18, 2008 6:20 am) GM's reputation for building high quality luxury passenger cars is ruined forever anyway, until every last person who bought a Caddy in the 70's and 80s is dead!  Regards, OW
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Replying to: circlew (Jul 18, 2008 6:29 am) As he said, prior to WWII, it was. That died with the death of custom coach builders. BTW, I don't think that MB or BMW were luxury standards in the post WWII era either. That has only come into play in the last 30 years or so. I do remember reading how Cadillac in the '50's tried ( and succeeded) in "mass marketing" luxury cars, based on the fact that by the mid '60's they were selling over 125,000 deVilles, and by the early '70's, that number climbed to over 200,000 EACH YEAR. Now, if you want to argue that luxury and exclusivity should go hand in hand, OK. Fine. But in many ways, as people back then would retire, get their gold watch, a comfy LaZboy, and then "splurge" on a deVille and ride off into the sunset of their lives, it WAS a gold standard of sorts, in that people aspired to own one. Now, as far as the new CTS goes, if this is any indication of how the brand is going, now adding a coupe and wagon variant, they WILL be a player for years to come. Maybe not the "standard", but a player. You could also argue that with competition from both sides of the world as strong as it is, the true "standard bearer" is the one with the best current product, whether that be Caddy, MB Lexus, or whomever, and that title won't last more than a year or two.
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Replying to: cooterbfd (Jul 18, 2008 6:58 am) Not a global standard. Regards, OW
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