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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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#5053 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [cooterbfd] by fintail
Jul 18, 2008 (9:01 am)
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Replying to: cooterbfd (Jul 18, 2008 8:54 am)

Exactly, it was the standard in the US - with Packard and Pierce Arrow up there for a time, too.
 
Not many Brewster's were built, it was kind of a desperation move. I do seem to recall Charlie Chaplin owned one...I guess that's worth something. And by the decade Caddy would have lower priced cars too.
 
If one is to be the world standard, is price an issue?
 
I think those prices were for Fleetwood/Fisher bodied cars, other custom bodies would be more.
#5054 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [fintail] by cooterbfd
Jul 18, 2008 (9:27 am)
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Replying to: fintail (Jul 18, 2008 9:01 am)

"I think those prices were for Fleetwood/Fisher bodied cars, other custom bodies would be more."
 
Fleetwood/Fisher were exclusive to the 8 and 12 cyl models. As far as the 16's, other coachbuilders were involved as well.
 
The 8's and 12's ranged in price from$3,295 to $5,800.
 
As for the 16's, my book quotes $5,700 to $9,800. BUT, just like other fine manufacturers of the time,many of these left the factory as a cowled rolling chassis, and the coachwork was custom, leaving many to be considered "one-offs", and their provenance may have to do just as much with their current values as anything. This is where i put Cadillac on par with many of the other manufacturers of the time. I'm sure if someone layed out 12,15,18 thousand for a car back then, attention to detail and craftmanship was top notch, whether the body rested on a Caddy, RR,MB,Packard, Pierce, or any other name.
#5055 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [cooterbfd] by circlew
Jul 18, 2008 (9:39 am)
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Replying to: cooterbfd (Jul 18, 2008 9:27 am)

Now, fast forward to today, and the luxury of Cadillac is far from ANY standard around the world. The difference back then was a heck of a lot smaller.
 
Regards,
OW
#5056 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [circlew] by cooterbfd
Jul 18, 2008 (9:49 am)
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Replying to: circlew (Jul 18, 2008 9:39 am)

The difference back then was negligible, based on the fact that many were coach -built.
 
The difference today is that Caddy is trying to re-establish themselves in the luxury car market. Had we not had an oil crisis, and Caddy decided to build the Sixteen.....
#5057 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [fintail] by aldw
Jul 18, 2008 (10:30 am)
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Replying to: fintail (Jul 18, 2008 9:01 am)

Cadillac was enough of a world standard to be better than Rolls in reliability and ease of repair, the Rolls being better primarily in the NVH department (which is where they earned their reputation).
#5058 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [aldw] by sls002
Jul 18, 2008 (10:41 am)
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Replying to: aldw (Jul 18, 2008 10:30 am)

About 1960, give or take, the Rolls's reliability compared to the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, or the Mercedes 600, was far better than either of the two upstarts.
#5059 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [aldw] by fintail
Jul 18, 2008 (10:43 am)
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Replying to: aldw (Jul 18, 2008 10:30 am)

But this was in like 1908, right?
#5060 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [fintail] by sls002
Jul 18, 2008 (10:45 am)
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Replying to: fintail (Jul 18, 2008 9:01 am)

The question is: what is the basis for the "Standard of the World". Cadillac's advertising theme was based on winning the Dewar Trophy for "Standardization". Cadillac was for many people, the car to own in their golden years, in the 60's. This is probably what led to the phase, "the Cadillac of this or that".
#5061 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [fintail] by aldw
Jul 18, 2008 (11:17 am)
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Replying to: fintail (Jul 18, 2008 10:43 am)

Up to the 1950's the Cadillac was the more reliable vehicle quite notably, it must be said that American manufacturing to that point was the literally the standard by which the rest of the world looked towards, especially the Japanese. This was particularly true in terms of # of defects vs production volume.
#5062 of 6098
Re: Mark of... [aldw] by circlew
Jul 18, 2008 (11:31 am)
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Replying to: aldw (Jul 18, 2008 11:17 am)

...Garbage.
 
The horror. The horror. Everything that was wrong, venal, lazy and mendacious about GM in the 1980s was crystallized in this flagrant insult to the good name and fine customers of Cadillac. Spooked by the success of premium small cars from Mercedes-Benz, GM elected to rebadge its awful mass-market J-platform sedans, load them up with chintzy fabrics and accessories and call them "Cimarron, by Cadillac." Wha...? Who? Seeking an even hotter circle of hell, GM priced these pseudo-caddies (with four-speed manual transmissions, no less) thousands more than their Chevy Cavalier siblings. This bit of temporizing nearly killed Cadillac and remains its biggest shame.
 
Regards,
OW

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