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Can GM make Cadillac the standard of the world Again?

6098 messages,  Last post on Aug 14, 2009 at 4:43 PM

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What is this discussion about? Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac XLR, Cadillac STS, Automotive News


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#5041 of 6098
Re: My take on GM [louiswei] by plekto
Jul 17, 2008 (12:14 pm)
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Replying to: louiswei (Jul 17, 2008 7:50 am)

GM has the small vehicles. They are only for sale in Europe, though.(where they soundly stomp on the few U.S. models that are brought over.
#5042 of 6098
Re: My take on GM [plekto] by louiswei
Jul 17, 2008 (12:19 pm)
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Replying to: plekto (Jul 17, 2008 12:14 pm)

GM has the small vehicles. They are only for sale in Europe, though
 
I don't get it, how's the GM small vehicles has anything to do with Subaru and Caddy being successful in China?
 
 
#5043 of 6098
Re: My take on GM [louiswei] by plekto
Jul 17, 2008 (12:29 pm)
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Replying to: louiswei (Jul 17, 2008 12:19 pm)

Those small cars are mostly the brands that GM wants to kill or made by them(Holden for instance is essentially Pontiac in Europe). Downsizing is a lot harder than it first appears. But one thing is clear. They must bring smaller cars to the U.S. as SUVs are *finally* becoming less popular.
#5044 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [circlew] by sls002
Jul 18, 2008 (6:20 am)
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Replying to: circlew (Jul 16, 2008 6:46 pm)

Not quite sure what your point is, but:
 
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.
#5045 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [sls002] by circlew
Jul 18, 2008 (6:29 am)
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Replying to: sls002 (Jul 18, 2008 6:20 am)

Your assessment is right on the money. Caddy was never a luxury standard.
 
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
#5046 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [circlew] by cooterbfd
Jul 18, 2008 (6:58 am)
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Replying to: circlew (Jul 18, 2008 6:29 am)

.....Caddy was never a luxury standard.
 
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.
#5047 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [cooterbfd] by circlew
Jul 18, 2008 (7:09 am)
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Replying to: cooterbfd (Jul 18, 2008 6:58 am)

As he said, prior to WWII, it was.
 
Not a global standard.
 
Regards,
OW
#5048 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [circlew] by cooterbfd
Jul 18, 2008 (7:14 am)
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Replying to: circlew (Jul 18, 2008 7:09 am)

What's not a global standard in these:
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks___Amazing-original-unrestored-Cadilla- c-V16-f-Hyman-Ltd_W0QQitemZ370069641576QQddnZCarsQ20Q26Q20TrucksQQddiZ2282QQcmdZ- ViewItem?hash=item370069641576&_trksid=p3756.m14.l1308
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks___Great-restored-1932-Cadillac-Twelve- -V12-f-Hyman-Ltd_W0QQitemZ370069634997QQddnZCarsQ20Q26Q20TrucksQQddiZ2282QQcmdZV- iewItem?hash=item370069634997&_trksid=p3756.m14.l1308
#5049 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [cooterbfd] by circlew
Jul 18, 2008 (7:30 am)
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Replying to: cooterbfd (Jul 18, 2008 7:14 am)

What's not a global standard in these
 
Because there are these...
 
link title
 
link title
 
Regards,
OW
#5050 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [cooterbfd] by fintail
Jul 18, 2008 (7:58 am)
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Replying to: cooterbfd (Jul 18, 2008 7:14 am)

Cool, I like that unrestored V16
 
Rolls even had a factory in the US during the roaring 20s, so it must have been enough of a standard to warrant such an expense.
 
MB was virtually unknown in the US before WW2, save for a few movie star types in Hollywood and eccentric east coast , but the custom bodied supercharged cars ranked up there with RR in Europe.
 
Caddy was exported then and was a highline car, but did not trump RR or MB in those markets when it came to prestige or period luxury. It could have been equal in many aspects, but was not an overall standard.

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