This is How Cadillac takes the Luxury Crown from the Germans

"RightFootDown" (rightfootdown) 12/24/2013 at 12:36 • Filed to: Cadillac, German, Germans, Luxury, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Mercedes Benz

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When thinking luxury automobiles, we typically think German. Audi, BMW and Mercedes have been the kings of craftsmanship going on a decade now. It is now Cadillac's time to dethrone the Germans and reclaim the title of greatest luxury auto manufacturer. However, if General Motors (GM) wants to slay the three-headed German monster they've got to visit the history books to understand how they first lost the crown.

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It's post World War II and the United States had just defeated Germany. The sense of pride in all Americans was at an all time high. America was a super power at the forefront of technology and through the 50s and 60s Cadillac represented the best of American automotive ingenuity. Executives and lottery winners bought Cadillac and took their family to Disney. If you owned a Cadillac in this era you, my friend, had succeeded at life.

Then came the oil crisis in the 70s and Americans were trading in their large sedans for smaller and more fuel efficient imports. Rather than fight back with superior products, GM hid behind lobbyists and failed to cooperate with unions. The corporation used loopholes to focus production on trucks and sport utility vehicles. Ultimately, GM's decisions in the 70s rippled over the next three decades as the cost of union workers and poor business decisions crippled the ability to fund Cadillac's research and development.

In stark contrast, by 1970, lesser known (to the general US population) German auto manufacturer, Mercedes Benz, had been selling their exclusive 600 Series Pullman along with other premium vehicles the world over for over a decade. The 600 Series Pullman in particular was an enormous vehicle for the most affluent. Mercedes Benz was seen along side the biggest names on earth including as Coco Chanel, Hugh Hefner, Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, The Notorious B.I.G., Aristotle Onassis, Jack Nicholson, Fidel Castro, and Pol Pot. It was used as the Pope's chariot and even made headlines in the tragic death of Princes Diana in 1997. These famous entertainers and world leaders were in magazines, on television, and idolized by America's youth. Mercedes Benz was subliminally etched into our minds as a brand synonymous with the rich and famous.

Meanwhile, German auto manufacturers BMW and Audi had successfully built their own brands upon the coat-tails of Mercedes Benz. By the mid 1990s both Audi and BMW had made strong names for themselves through auto racing and in the luxury marketplace. The accomplishments of Audi, BMW and Mercedes Benz along with GM's lack of resolve with the unions officially cost Cadillac the luxury crown.

Righting the Ship

Fast forward to 2013. Cadillac has done a complete 180 and are now producing truly beautiful luxury vehicles once again. The Cadillac ATS and CTS models are fantastic alternatives to the Audi A4/S4, BMW 3/5-Series and Mercedes C-Class. The Cadillac ATS has been named the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! while the CTS was !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . That's one hell of an accolades list, wouldn't you say?

We should, however, credit Cadillac's turn-around to United States government and the bailout of General Motors. Let's be brutally honest for a minute. Without the government's bailout, the pie chart representing Cadillac's buying demographic would resemble an AARP Membership card. The fact is, Cadillac buyers have primarily been the baby boomers of World War II hanging on to their youth.

Image is everything. The very lack of engineering and development to build elite vehicles for the rich and famous is what put General Motors and Cadillac in this position. Those of us in our 30s and 40s have this perception of Cadillac as the car grandma drove. It's not exciting. It's boring. Old and boring. A luxury brand needs to focus on the very foundation that sets itself apart. Cadillac failed and the image of being a car associated with senior citizens is now the mountainous hurdle General Motors and Cadillac must overcome.

It isn't too late for a Cadillac resurgence in the luxury marketplace. Cadillac's latest models are fantastic and deserve the praise received. Cadillac's advertising dollars have been spent on product placements in television shows and movies. Magazines have taken notice and given favorable reviews commending Cadillac for once again building brilliant vehicles. November 2013 marked the highest sales since 2007 and Cadillac's VP of Sales and Service, Bill Peffer, says that for the first time ever, sales are driven by new buyers.

Go for the Knock Out

Cadillac has learned from leaders in the industry and they must continue to stay the course. The influential youth need to see the Cadillac brand as an object once again representing a person's status in the world. GM must market Cadillac in such a way that it becomes a statement of arrival. High end models need to be owned by not just the most famous, but the elite.

The only way for Cadillac to take the crown away from the German manufacturers is to beat them at their own game. The Cadillac crest must be instantly recognizable and seen along side the baddest of the bad in the music and entertainment industries. The rich and famous must be seen with Cadillac vehicles in magazines, music videos, billboards and every outlet they are visible. The real trick is that it must not be seen as paid product placement. Everybody knows Tiger Woods, Shaquille O'Neil and Peyton Manning don't roll in Buicks. If GM treats this as an advertising campaign they will continue to fail.

Sources:
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TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 12:43

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See kids, this is what you get when an author takes the time to research their articles.

Good read, well done.

PatBateman > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 12:58

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I was waiting for a counter point to His Stigness' Cadillac-phobic post. I was going to make one if it hadn't come up by tomorrow night.

Cadillac is turning into a fantastic brand. They failed to make the transition between luxury boat vehicles and the driver experience-centric vehicles that most of the buying public demanded. That was in the past, however. If you look at the marks the current ATS and future CTS are getting, they are phenomenal. Many state that the ATS has bested the C-Class, many are saying that they edge out the 3 Series. The main complaint? CUE. You know what got similar wretched remarks and complaints from auto industry reviewers? The first gen iDrive.

Anyone that continues to state that Caddies are inferior to Germany's vehicles on a curvy track are ignoring the CTS-V's Nürburgring time. That's not the end-all be-all for gauging a superior handling car, but I believe that ze Germans have been touting their times on that track for YEARS.

Summary: Cadillac makes a great car. Don't let bias get in the way of truth.

SpeedSix > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 13:27

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This is exactly the kind of article that should be FP'd. Actual researched facts, opinions where said facts can be used as supporting proof, relative lack of bias, presenting a clear point of view without beating a dead horse ...

Architect > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 14:28

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To add to your thesis (which I wholeheartedly agree with), what will help Cadillac regain some prestige will be special models that rise above the "pedestrian" ATS and CTS level. I am, of course, referring to the Elmiraj concept. The wealthy, famous, and various heads of state will not be seduced by anything less than an icon, and something like the Elmiraj can be that icon. Playing the game of competing with 3- and 5-series is good for the bottom line, but you need to have the 600 Grosser. You need to have the Phantom Drophead Coupe. Without a halo car like that, Cadillac resurgence will be limited to merely financial success, but not worldwide admiration.

That being said, I loved your post, and I hope for the best with Cadillac's re-construction. Art and Science indeed.

HiredDriver > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 14:39

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GM can take Cadillac places its never been or it can take it right back to 1990. As an American I would feel a great sense of pride seeing Cadillac ball out and top Mercedes. I can only imagine how Italians feel about super cars and leather coats.

Hindered23 > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 15:35

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I would like to enlighten you all to the perceptions of my generation. I'm a freshman in college and 18 years old and I absolutely love the Cadillac of the last few years. Ever since there was a CTS-V my own views were changing. The new generation of CTS and the previous generation of CTS are in my opinion great looking cars. My opinion is shared by the majority of people my age, actually. I like Cadillac enough that when we went to sell my incredibly unreliable S4, I took it upon myself to persuade my dad to buy a new ATS to replace it. While it's definitely not as sporty or loud as my S4, it handles well and the interior is nicely finished. I think if Cadillac stays on the track it is on now then there's no reason it can't compete with the Germans (they're just cars from a different country and they are NOT as reliable as the public opinion would like us to believe)

fintail > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:23

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Something else Caddy needs, IMO - genuine global presence. One reason some brands have so much value is that they are known and desired everywhere.

TxFlOr > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:28

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I think Cadillac's constant benchmarking of the Germans is reinforcing the idea that Cadillac in an inferior product. They shouldn't even acknowledge that the German cars exist. Who wants a car from a company that says "hey look we matched brand x, who we all know is the best."

Pdexter > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:29

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This would be possible if German's where resting on their laurels, but they are not. Cadillac is only trying to copy what has made the German's so great and will in the end fail at it or at best be that one brand after BMW, Merc, Audi, Lexus globally. Granted that would be fantastic already as the brand doesn't exist outside US.

Tesla in a other hand is finding that blue ocean. Just as BMW is going there as well. Just like Apple did from the absolute dominant Nokia back in 2008. Though BMW

Leo > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:30

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HERE IS WHAT THEY NEED: AWESOME CARS.

THEN PRESTIGE WILL COME.

strokeofgenius > Architect 12/24/2013 at 16:34

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I agree that it is now time for Cadillac to make a Halo car like this. Something that shows exactly how stylish and high tech Cadillac can be. They have had a few concepts in the past that would easily qualify with a few tweaks/updates.

I also would like them to make another run at an XLR type of vehicle. Only this time they need to make it more luxurious, more high tech, faster and better handling than the Corvette. No compromises this time.

Leo > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:35

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oh my god there is a smart writer on here! YIIPEEEEEEEEEEE! I reckon if they want people to lick cadillac's balls all over the world, they should go even higher and present the world a Bugatti Galibier/Royale rival.

emmagoldman > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:38

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Time to get off the corporatocracy's lap: It was bad product and bad business, not the demonized unions.

"Ultimately, GM's decisions in the 70s rippled over the next three decades as the cost of union workers crippled the ability to fund Cadillac's research and development."

flabberboozled > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:39

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"We should, however, credit Cadillac's turn-around to United States government and the bailout of General Motors. Let's be brutally honest for a minute. Without the government's bailout, the pie chart representing Cadillac's buying demographic would resemble an AARP Membership card. "

No. The turn around started well before the bail-out. It started with GM devoting the resources necessary to develop the first CTS, with its own chassis, that wasn't whored out to the rest of GM. The CTS also introduced the Art & Science design language that is still in use today. That design language has been smoothed down, but that first CTS was almost shocking, especially coming from the Cadillac that kept spitting out Cateras, STSs and DTSs.

But, here's the important point: GM continued to devote resource to make Cadillac competitive. That is the most important point of the turn-around. The second generation CTS is much better than the first, and the third generation even more so.

Contrast this with the Lincoln LS. Ford comes up with a tweener, much like the CTS, in 2000. Its a platform only shared by the Jaguar S-Type. And what happened to it? Ford, in its infinite wisdom, didn't devote resource and energy into continuing the LS and what do we have now? Badge-engineered cars and trying to compete with...itself? Most people wouldn't buy an MKZ over a Fusion.

The bail-out had nothing to do with Cadillac's success. GM finally decided to devote the resources over a long enough period of time to start building cars worthy of the Cadillac heritage.

Corduroy Club. > PatBateman 12/24/2013 at 16:41

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Ahh, another one of the 98% of the people who had no idea what Stig's point was! Brand perception. I don't think anyone doubts new caddy's are good cars

Franzia and Carlo Rossi could start making excellent wines next year but that doesn't mean connoisseurs will start buying it. It's a very long process to change an image..

Manuél Ferrari > Architect 12/24/2013 at 16:41

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I hope Caddy produces 2 halo cars. One very large one and one high-end sports car.

I hope we see a follow up to the XLR-V that pushes the envelope farther than that car did. The new car should be so nice that people want to pay more for it than a Corvette. The interior should be very distinctive like the Elmiraj concept. And if GM develops a DCT for the C7 the Caddy could get it first.

The C7 is just such a good platform. I hope Caddy takes another shot at a sports car.

nope > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:43

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Reese Witherspoon has an ATS. It's a start...it's a start. www.autoevolution.com/news/reese-witherspoon-drives-a-cadillac-ats-60150.html

Victorious Secret > fintail 12/24/2013 at 16:44

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Cadillac needs fintails. Fintails.

This is all.

They will go crazy. People love fintails.

Haze > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:44

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Well, this article wants for accuracy, but the general thrust is OK. Cadillac is building a superior product than the German cars, and it has patents to continue doing so. I hope that the general non enthusiast market finds them because the four CTS's my family has have all been wonderful cars, and they were mostly purchased by my parents, who hadn't bought anything other than a Mercedes in decades.

Victorious Secret > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:46

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Oppo, do take note.

Patrick, thank you for sharing this.

This is how you go to the FP. Well researched, as much bias stripped out, and very open to genuine discussion. This is what makes Oppo and Front Page better, this is what I think we all wanted when this feature was made. Better, more concise, more sophisticated content.

Thank you.

I have nothing bad to say about this nor do I have much to add because I do agree with the points you've made. Well done sir, well done.

Victorious Secret > PatBateman 12/24/2013 at 16:47

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Hah, you too had something sitting in your drafts?

I think a lot of people had something to say after that clusterfuck.

Chuckanut > flabberboozled 12/24/2013 at 16:49

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Thanks for writing this, it's exactly what I was thinking as I read the article. A turn around of this enormity takes a long time, not just one car, and the commitment of GM and Cadillac over the past 15 years has been great. I'd like to add to your comments about the original CTS that it was featured heavily in The Matrix and for the first time in decades, a Cadillac was cool. Well done, sirs.

Union of Smog Techs of CA > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:49

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You totally missed the point, the Germans are trying to take over the WORLD, Cadillac is trying to take the German market in the US. And that's why they will never succeed. Plus, winning WW2 meant the best engineers went to the military for us. The Axis powers had no need and the best went to the automotive industry. In order for Cadillac to ever succeed like a German brand, 50+ years of increasing growth and clear progress, there would have to be a war and we would have to lose. Or...bring Leland back from the dead and let him try, let him have another go at Lincoln too.

Vincent Davidson > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:50

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Oh jeez, this again...?

'If GM treats this as an advertising campaign they will continue to fail'

When it comes to luxury cars, this is a little tricky. And besides, the definition of 'rich' is a lot more convoluted than it used to be.

I've owned 'Murican, Japanese, German and Korean. When GM starts building cars that don't fall apart after 100k miles, more people, especially 'rich', will buy. But until then, many Millenials will see this when they hear Cadillac:

In all honesty Cadillac is making some mighty nice cars nowadays (ATS, CTS). BUT, as with most cars today, what people actually want is too expensive for Joe six-pack. See CTS-V for example. Most people that want it can't afford a $70k car.

If I had an answer to making Cadillac competitive, I'd be a product manager instead of a mechanic. Maybe make quality a priority for starters?

Am1tk > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:52

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I'm 20 and I want nothing more than a CTS-V Wagon. Honestly I think BMW, Audi and Mercedes are stuck in this game of they built that so I should too! I mean honestly who really cares about the 5 series GT? Cadillac has a releativley simple line up that Is way more understandable.

steve62 > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:53

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I bought a 1987 Ford Mustang a long time ago (in 1987 as chance would have it), there is nothing that will make me buy an American car again, they had their chance and they blew it. WILL NOT BUY AMERICAN CAR.

How long will it take until they get that through their thick heads?

WILL NOT BUY YOUR CAR

EVER

Victorious Secret > Union of Smog Techs of CA 12/24/2013 at 16:54

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You realize that Mercedes and BMW didn't really have market share or fame till the 70s and 80s? That Audi sucked monkey nuts till the mid 00s?

Don't know what WW2 has anything to do with anything...

Manuél Ferrari > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:55

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One often overlooked factor: the Caddy dealerships. I haven't heard anything negative about them, and as they say "no news is good news". One common complaint about BMW is the sales experience. Some of their salespeople are great and others are pompous jerks. That unevenness turns off buyers.

Caddy should make it a goal to have the best luxury dealerships in the country (if they haven't already). I've read that McLaren is stealing customers from Ferrari because the sales experience is night and day different with McLaren. Caddy should pamper their prospective customers even more than Mercedes and Lexus to keep people coming back for more.

If anyone has purchased or leased a new or CPO Caddy in the last couple years I'd love to hear your thoughts.

472CID > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:57

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I was totally with you up until this part "Without the government's bailout, the pie chart representing Cadillac's buying demographic would resemble an AARP Membership card."

What's the bailout have to do with Cadillac buyer's age demographic?

I think Cadillac is on a great road to success. The only thing I can't see them doing is getting a good foot hold in Europe. But the ever rising Asia, Middle East, and Latin America will probably make Europe less and less important for the global automotive market.

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 16:57

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I like how you blame most GMs woes on Unions, real great writing there. I also love how you say without the bailout Cadillacs would only be owned by AARP members despite the fact that the second gen CTS which was really bringing about the Cadillac resurgence was introduced in January 2007 at the Detroit Auto Show.

RightFootDown > nope 12/24/2013 at 17:00

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All girl car references aside. She made a good choice.

DCCARGEEK > Victorious Secret 12/24/2013 at 17:01

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They have them they just call them taillights now.

McSchmalex > Architect 12/24/2013 at 17:01

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To add to your thesis adding statement, I would add my own thesis-buffing statement: what also draws people to German automakers is their presence in motorsport.

Hear me out on this...

BMW, Mercedes, and Audi (as well as Porsche, but we aren't going there) all have made a name in some version of motorsport. Their technology in their vehicles is derived from innovation in motorsport (example - Quattro in Audis was developed for rally racing in the 1980s) and people want to drive that. The car they see turning laps on a Saturday afternoon in WEC races is the same sportscar in the show room (not really, but a racing version of that car). When have we seen a Caddy in a race? Granted the motor and the suspension and the brakes and all sorts of other parts in Caddy sedans are swiped from the Corvette parts bin, but Cadillac is trying to jump the gun into the SPORTscar world without participating in motorSPORT .

Victorious Secret > DCCARGEEK 12/24/2013 at 17:06

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We just need to keep extending them out.

ptak appreciates old racecars > Victorious Secret 12/24/2013 at 17:09

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FINS? HELLO HERE IS A MEDAL GOODBYE.

MentalJuggernot > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 17:10

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They need to make something so desirable that it hurts. They need to make all of the showrooms look like they were a part of this century.

Goatsausage > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 17:12

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Ide go as far as to say, indeed it is an opportunity for GM to nab a good chunk of Luxo class sales from the big three. BUT!, its not gonna happen by mere horsepower wars. Currently Cadillacs are fantastics drivers cars, but what seen on the outside and inside still leaves much to desire. And its not as if the division doesnt know. Several drop dead georgeous and dare i say Revolutionary concept cars like the Ciel shocked the world. but.. as typical .. GM refuse to pull the trigger. Ok theres tons of financial'business' b.s. that determines a concepts green lite. but without the leap into a new era procrastination becomes the mainstay of an automotive company. Litterly searching for reasons why not to do things better. (look no further to mustang and its LRA only now seeing the end of its days) There's no denying german manfuacturing prowess. but even theyve had to step back a foot or two and it shows. Merc luxo just aint what it use to be. then again. one can get into and entry level merc like never before. What cadi needs is more risk taking. cars that may not pull a huge profit but will shape the company future. currently they got the power and performance, but of all thing they gota get rite the luxury.

KillerBee > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 17:15

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Without the government's bailout, the pie chart representing Cadillac's buying demographic would resemble an AARP Membership card. Unfortunately, it still does.

This doesn't make any sense. I read this as buyers of the Cadillacs are old with or without the bailout. What are you trying to say here?

Tom McParland > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 17:19

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Bravo good sir!

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Hindered23 12/24/2013 at 17:24

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My professional opinion is that Cadillac interiors are, while getting better, still jagged around the edges and missing the small detail stuff to make them great.

The seats, for one, are uncomfortable at the expensive of lack of leather wrinkling....

Truth be told, I'd want a Cadillac but the Germans have the clear upper hand now.... From a !marketing and prestige standpoint

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 17:25

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No mention of Maximum Bob Lutz????

That man pretty much singlehandedly made BMW in the 70s into a profitable and luxury driven brand..... Along with bringing M to the market via racing

GFFFFF > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 17:29

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Cadillac can design and dream until the cows come home. But the fact is, an American auto worker is not comparable to a German autoworker. In addiion, Mercedes has had decades to swallow up cash selling the bejesus out of standard vehicles, participating and winning in different classes of auto racing, and turning the brand into an absolute icon. That takes time, ... and LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY. Cadillac can't rush success, it has to earn it. Make great cars for decades and decades, get into formula 1 series, GT, etc... Do something other than pimp its logo and images of cars on wet streets with a man in a suit. To be great, you must be great; not act like it. Don't get me started on the dealer experience at these places. Its not even in the same ballpark. Its like comparing JcPenney with Bloomingdales.

treyhyrdet > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 17:34

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I'll try to keep this semi-Twitter length for the ADD generation. Apparently It's cool to hate America right now, thus hate American cars. Quality products can overcome outdated consumer prejudice, it just takes time. That's what's great about the cyclical nature of capitalism, the best product for the money always wins.

5OHHH > Hindered23 12/24/2013 at 17:42

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Why not just ask daddy to buy you a cts -v? I guess there's always next year... Cheap-o father's... ugh!

Stradale > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 17:51

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Nothing in Cadillac's lineup is that much better to make people switch from MB, BMW, and Audi. In fact most of Cadillac's lineup are nothing but Chevy's.

DCCARGEEK > Victorious Secret 12/24/2013 at 17:54

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Man was killed yesterday when he was impaled by driver backing out of his driveway in a new Cadillac CTS.

Vin > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 17:56

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I disagree. Cadillac will just waste time trying to keep up with the Germans.

(Hear me out lol)

Amongst the bags of shit that Stigness wrote, the fact that car buyers are swayed by insignificant things like brand image was not an incorrect observation. Trying to out-German the Germans is pointless and uncreative. What Cadillac (and other American brands) need to do, is focus on performance alone - they're excellent at making fast cars with sharp handling, so that momentum should continue.

But in terms of luxury... if you want to see Cadillacs reach iconic/must-have status, we need a rebirth of custom coachbuilding firms. Fuck a revamped Cadillac; I want an American Pininfarina , an American Bertone, Zagato, Karmann; bring back Fleetwood . Anyone who's ever worked with carbon fiber on a regular basis should be given a shot, based solely on Horatio Pagani's story about languishing while at Lamborghini. I'm certain we've got the talent.

Cadillac could give the existing tuners a few base cars and give them chance to really flex their muscles in terms of luxury accoutrements, and hold competitions at universities and auto shows where a"Winner's Run" of like 50 cars would see production. After that, make ANY concept available for purchase on a per-order basis, with the coachbuilders handling production.

Hindered23 > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 12/24/2013 at 17:57

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well, the Cadillacs leather if thought was pretty nice. but it's the only new car I've spent a lot of time in. out old Lexus leather feels lower quality even though it's 12 years old now. they may not be perfect, but they're definitely improving

duurtlang > Victorious Secret 12/24/2013 at 17:59

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That's a very US-centered reply, while the guy you replied to just pointed out the problem with that point of view. I'd argue the Germans became big because of their need to be competitive in other markets as well. Cadillac never felt this need, nor were they ever competitive globally (in my lifetime).

Hindered23 > 5OHHH 12/24/2013 at 17:59

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haha I would never accuse my dad of being cheap. my mom wants a sports car after driving the s4, and my dad has a harder time saying no to her than he does to me. I'm now a carless college student, I have no say in automobile choices

Nitzer Ebblestone > Union of Smog Techs of CA 12/24/2013 at 18:01

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America lost the war on drugs. Let the good cars roll! A joint.

Hindered23 > 5OHHH 12/24/2013 at 18:02

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oh, the cadillac was for him! haha I don't have a car, but when I'm at home I use the family's Lexus gs300 (2001)

Architect > McSchmalex 12/24/2013 at 18:04

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This is another great point to be made, although I'm fairly certain that the first generation of CTS belonged to some of motorsport (anyone care to fill in here?). But the thrust of your point is spot on. What Cadillac needs to complete it's rebirth is caché. Cadillac needs to (and can; possibly will) get to a point where it's name means something to anyone who hears it, the world over. Motorsport, halo cars, innovation, etc. Simply competing with an established set of rivals in a few segments won't be enough, methinks. But, again, I have faith in Cadillac to aim for the right targets. I may not have as much faith in GM to get them there, though...

av8q > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 18:05

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Mercedes was not "little known" in the 60's and 70's; they were already in the highest echelon of automotive brands 40 years prior. The 600 Pullman was nowhere near the first Benz to be used by dignitaries and heads of state.. And nor did Notorious BIG or Diana use 600 Pullmans..

PatBateman > Victorious Secret 12/24/2013 at 18:05

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I was doing my initial research on US luxury car sales trends, consumer reports for the lux brands per year, and overall customer satisfaction reports for the past five years. I'm very analytical.

Actually, this post beating me to the punch saved me about 8 hours.

thethingthatshouldnotbe > Architect 12/24/2013 at 18:12

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i happen to be quite font of this

Bighead38 > Vincent Davidson 12/24/2013 at 18:16

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Cars that fall apart after 100k? Maybe you had a bad experience but gm cars do not just fall apart after 100k. I'll list gm cars in my immediate family, all have over 100k and none have fallen apart.
1. My Silverado 175,000 miles
2. My Malibu 169,000 miles
3. Fathers Corvette 190,000 miles
4. Fathers Silverado 230,000 miles
5. Fathers Silverado dump 150,000 miles
6. Brothers Lumina 140,000 miles
7. Sisters Cavilier 260,000 miles
8. Moms Cobalt 110,000 miles
9. My Sunfire 190,000 miles (sold)

We have had many other GM cars over the years that went well over 100,000 before they were sold.

Nitzer Ebblestone > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 18:17

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Good, readable article. I think more than celebrity endorsements, as has been said by others, what Cadillac - and any American car manufacturers - needs is success in international motorsports. Look back to when Ford had the GT-40. Ford even resurrected it as the Ford GT to try to fight the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari. Even Clarkson bought one.

Personally I think that what America needs, and it's probably failing in this as we've seen from stories on Millennials' automotive interest, is keener drivers. America The System™ does not promote interest in spirited driving: the infrastructure is abysmal and speed limits are pathetically low. American cars will start being more like the best of European cars when we are allowed to drive at speeds that require competence from the car, from tyres to functional cabin layout and driver-centric design, to the roads on which we drive which shouldn't make a huge, Mars-like surface absorbing SUV the vehicle of choice, and not least from the driver. Most modern cars can easily be driven at sustained triple-digit speeds. The roads and roads users however cannot. Cars and drivers have to evolve together. You will never create an American car that competes head-to-head with the likes of Merc, BMW or VW-Audi while Americans have to contend with abysmal roads and being treated as cash cows by the system any time they go above the pathetically low limit of 60mph. I drive a German sedan. I have been to high performance driving schools. It's all wasted on American roads where most people are content to meander along, hardly paying attention to the process of driving because it's so uninvolving. I contend America has to change before America can beat the Germans at their own game.

Reckoning Day > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 18:26

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Hmmm not to bad a diatribe...

Atomic Buffalo > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 18:37

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You know how you get the rich and famous into Cadillacs?

Build great Cadillacs. Period.

You can't actively court the rich and famous — at least, you can't ever get caught doing it, and it's just not worth the risk of getting caught.

So just build Cadillacs that exude luxury (and yes, performance is a luxury) and the rich and famous will buy them.

(cliche baseball movie reference averted)

Nick drives Stick (not Stig) > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 18:41

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For Cadillac to become truely competitive in the luxury sedan market they need to become a global contender and they are far away from that. Cadillac's market share in Europe is approximately 0%... and it will take a long time to get that number up significantly... discussions and oppinions on Jalopnik have always been very US centric. As a European living in the US I hope that I'm a little less biased towards domestic manufacturers but here's my two cent:
Caddy have greatly improved quality and design over the last few years but still have an image problem. It's a similar problem to what MB have been battling for many years: Their demographic is quite old... Mercedes have gone quite radical on design to change that and it's helping catching a younger audience... Cadillac is trying to do the same, but they are not quite there yet and it will take a while to change that. I'm in my 30's and there is no way I would pick an ATS over a 335i at this point! And all my car loving friends feel the same... I just don't feel that I'm old enough, sorry. But I'm getting to the point where I would consider an MB so maybe in a few years, who knows?

FEC > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 18:46

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Cadillac once competed with Rolls Royce, now it aspires to Audi.

Britain (owned buy the Germans) is now the only true luxury car maker.

nightvisiongoggles1 > fintail 12/24/2013 at 18:51

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This is actually the most important step Cadillac must take.

More than the stagnation of the 70s, Cadillac's death back then was mainly due to the fact that they never really became a global brand which the Germans aggressively pursued from then on, and it seems Cadillac still haven't grasped this reality thus far.

Going global is the easiest way to change their image. Because see, the first thing that comes to mind when you ask a non-American what they think of Cadillac is Elvis Presley's pink Eldorado; the world did not experience the Cimarron, Catera et al. and this gives them a good chance to reestablish their image. Once the world sees that the new Cadillacs are as good as the Germans, only then will American perception start changing.

Sure, the new cars are great, and arguably even better than the Germans, but all of that is meaningless if they don't start selling them to the world.

EarendilE30 > McSchmalex 12/24/2013 at 18:54

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Agreed! Go to a track and check out the cars running. Look up car clubs that run on tracks, or check out non-profession racing leagues. See any Caddies? And the thing is, so amount of Advertising is going to make me think of a caddy as a drivers car. A fast one? Sure, but not a motorsport car.
They should promote the sport part of the car. Heck, give every buyer a free track day or two. It'll be cheap and all the owners will go to work bragging about their track time. Soon tracks will be filled with Cadillacs. And for goodness sakes, race the CTS if it's any good, which I'm sure it is.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > PatBateman 12/24/2013 at 19:06

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I find it odd that His Stigness didn't chim in at all, has he maybe learned his lesson? Time will only tell it seems...

edselnet > Pdexter 12/24/2013 at 19:06

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Not only that but the Germans pay their workers far more than GM does in America. The problem has always been North Americans race to the bottom. Cutting every corner, and squeezing the workers. Europeans fought labor costs with robots, developing and cornering the market on much of that technology. Where workers were needed they were highly paid, and highly loyal. Working with the unions instead of against them paid huge dividends.

While I've often heard just how great American cars were until they slipped up in the seventies, but I've had plenty of older American cars and I suggest that they had lost it a long time before that. European cars had a cache before the seventies and that always translated into better engineered and better built cars. The fact that Genital Motors didn't want to get rid of Opel during the crash at the end of the last decade was that they relied too much on their German engineering that had gotten them somewhat back in the game.

There's no reason that Americans and in this case Cadillac can't build a competitive car if they set their minds to it. I just seems that keeping focus has been a problem. My biggest problem with Cadillacs is that they are astoundingly ugly, to me, and the fact that they use that same design language across the board will always have me shun them.

As good a car as I think Cadillac builds I couldn't convince my father to even look at one when he recently was in the market for a new car. He was familiar with Cadillacs since the 60's and never saw much there that he liked. The sad irony is that a Cadillac will have to be notably better in technology, price, and perceived quality to be considered equal to the big three German brands.

r2dad > Manuél Ferrari 12/24/2013 at 19:15

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I went to the local caddy dealership to test drive a CTS wagon, since I knew there was no way I'd find a CTS-V anywhere. Nothing on the lot, no idea where one might be found. I would characterize the sales guy as "older cheeseball with dangly chains in chest hair, who smokes". Reputations are built one interaction at a time, and I don't see much change. Needless to say, didn't buy a caddy.

Manuél Ferrari > r2dad 12/24/2013 at 19:17

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That's a bummer. Did he at least know the cars well?

hat213 > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 19:18

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United States had just defeated Germany

Haha this is hilarious. You mean the Soviets had just defeated Germany, they killed 4/5 German soldiers.

yeskimo > Hindered23 12/24/2013 at 19:21

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But...you're a jalopnik reader. I'm of a similar age, being 19 and all and I know all about the cts-v and it's sporting chops and the decency of new Cadillac models, but do other people my age know these things? No. Of course not. Most people don't care and if they had the money, the rest would buy Audis. Maybe in some place of affluence where children receive Cadillacs from their parents, and are so on the look out for opinions on the newest luxury sport sedans to ask of said parents, the story may have a different hue, as is clear from your perception. And it's true that maybe the demographic that you belong to is the most relevant audience for such an automobile as you have the means to purchase, and most young people will not gain such power until long after they are young. Do not think that you can possibly hope to describe people your age when simultaneously describing your shift from S4 to ATS.

/rant

hat213 > Haze 12/24/2013 at 19:24

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Superior my hole.

hat213 > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 19:26

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This will never happen.

timgray > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 19:27

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If that actually do stop doing things the GM way and start doing it the Cadillac way telling the GM CEO to shove it in his rear... Then they will get back to what they used to be. Sadly I don't see it happening, they will try to make maximum profit margins to the point that the cars will be priced out of the BMW and Audi range and hit the starter Mazarati price range. GM is not known for allowing a car to make 2-3% profit margin so it can be a fine piece of engineering at a price point people will pay.

duurtlang > hat213 12/24/2013 at 19:27

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It would be more accurate to lump them all together and say that 'the allies' won WW2. Period. The US played a significant role among those allies. On the European field the Americans were very important, like you mentioned not the most important and certainly not the least important, but still very important.

I love you but I've chosen hooning! > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 19:38

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I really appreciate the new competition from Cadillac, hopefully it'll give my fellow Germans the needed push to go out there and build superior cars that'll beat your brands to the pulp... yet again.

Honestly, I hope this is going to be a wake up call for BMW especially (Audi and Merc are doing great). Even as a hardcore Bimmer apologist it's getting harder and harder to justify the shit they churn out lately (except for the 3 and 4 Series which I've driven lately and which are fantastic!).

Bring it on, America!

Canut > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 19:38

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You are trivializing MB, Audi and BMW achievements throughout the 20th century, including great products and a very successful list of R&D through motorsports.

Cadillac not so much.

Having celebrities driving Cadillacs can only take you so far. The product is the most important part of the equation. You mentioned a bunch or car magazines naming Cadillac X,Y or Z the best car of the year. All of those are American magazines. Once I see European magazines naming Cadillac as the car of the year, we can talk.

We have been here way too many times. Remember the STS and Eldorado from the 90's? they were also regarded as better than the European, just to become a joke a few year later. How many times we are going to believe GM and all the car magazines when they say that "this one is really it" and then a few year later we get "this time it is for real"?

I guess only time will tell. But time has not been good to Cadillac.

Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 19:38

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Caddy has the cars, they have the sales, but they don't yet have the right focus . You wanna see the market Cadillac needs to focus on? Google ' Cadillac Tattoo .' Then go listen to Royals by Lorde . There's a whole legion of young, hip people who hold Caddies in high esteem, but a lot of them can't afford most of the current crop just yet. Quite a few of them can-I've seen some young cats pushing ATS/CTSs around Cleveland, and from the couple people I've talked to the emotional connection they feel with the car was as strong as any Jalop's, although not many were what you could term 'car guys.'

One thing I found interesting is that most of them were considering some modifications: One guy wanted to slam his ATS after he widened the fenders, a CTS Coupe pilot in the Air Force was considering a turbo for his V-6, and a musician friend of my dad's is putting rims and subs on an XTS in the spring. Which made me realize what Caddy could do to differentiate themselves from Die Deutschemotorradcommpanies. In short? Look east.

Cadillac(and also Buick, maybe them even more so) needs to reach out to and embrace the aftermarket the way Scion did, and encourage a bit of a custom culture around themselves. Not just for for survival, but for prestige. Think about how Scion had a foothold on the young 'tuner' crowd long before they actually came out with a car worth customizing. Try to mentally replace all of those garish, overcustomized xB concepts at SEMA with garish, overswagged ATS concepts. Then make all of that noise possible from the website, deliverable to a local dealer for a small fee...but instead of that, you've got dumbass dealerships trying to sell octogenarians ATSs with whitewalls and tan ragtops. Caddy has gotten a lot younger in a few short years, but it needs to go deeper. Look at Benz with that CLA! What is that but flypaper for twentysomethings? The thing is, Why wouldn't you rather have an ATS?

Once Cadillac answers that question, then fixes whatever the answer is, they're unstoppable.

Vincent Davidson > Bighead38 12/24/2013 at 19:45

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Admittedly, yes. I had a horrible experience with the '08 Epsilon Malibu I bought new three months before the federal automaker takeover.

'New GM' wouldn't cover shit under warranty. And i'm talking torque converter and electric p/s issues. Not whiner squeaks and rattles.

Essentially having to pay for it twice as a US taxpayer just added to the sour taste in my mouth.

I know many happy GM owners who have had good luck with them. And yes, I am a little biased as an employee of a Japanese automaker, but, fool me once shame on you (2003 Monte SS, trans fail at 120k even after maintaining it!), fool me twice shame on me (Epsilon Malibu that DID fall apart beginning at 30k miles!).

There is no third time cause I now own Korean and have had no issues over 30k and two years.

Just sayin. Merry xmas :)

monfried > Union of Smog Techs of CA 12/24/2013 at 19:46

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Cadillac makes car for american market. The germans sells luxury cars everywhere. They adapt to each market. Have a look at the s-class. In diesel you can order it with 4, 6, 8 cylinders, petrol : 6, 8, 12 cylinders. Six different engines enables the car to be sold in decent numbers everywhere in the world. Cadillac can't match that. GM simply don't have the money to develop it as a global brand. Therefore worldwide sales number will remain low, therefore there won't be enough cash to invest.

Also, the germans want to build the best car possible in the world. Cadillac wants to beat the german or a car that the americans would think it is the best car.

Der Sportwagoner > hat213 12/24/2013 at 19:55

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Wouldn't that be Russians, not Soviets? And the Russians weren't fighting in the Pacific and North Africa. The Germans weren't the only Axis power waging war in WWII.

sampsonhead > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 12/24/2013 at 19:56

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Mercedes require exactly 4 neutons of force for every button to activate. That's what's missing for Caddy. German attention to detail.

BearJW > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 19:59

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Oh great, another union bashing article. I just love how unions (which are really just the workers) are blamed when a company makes bad cars and decisions. Not the management, or executives, or designers, or engineers... no way, it must be those people getting paid way less that work in the factories.

All the german companies had, and still have unions too you know.

360ad > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 20:00

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"Everybody knows Tiger Woods, Shaquille O'Neil and Peyton Manning don't roll in Buicks. If GM treats this as an advertising campaign they will continue to fail."

Those are just bad celebrity-product pairings. GM can continue to treat their marketing as "advertising campaigns", they just have to be smarter about it.

It's far more believable to see those three pushing Cadillacs than Buicks.

Rattleface Blouses > fintail 12/24/2013 at 20:21

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And ridiculous color options like pink from the 1950's.

1stGenRex > Hindered23 12/24/2013 at 20:22

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You have an S4, as an 18 year old. I would say that you SHOULDN'T even be THINKING of having a say about automobile choices!

special_k_side > Vincent Davidson 12/24/2013 at 20:27

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HOLD IT! One bad experience? Wow, lucky you, I was stupid enough to have 5 since 1993. 93 Ford Explorer, 95 Dodge Dakota, 2002 Chevy Malibu, 1998 Dodge Neon (Fun car, but miserable to maintain, and a death trap)and a Grand Cherokee (When the front wheel assy failed under warranty (Insert came off), and I got the run around at 5,00oK as I must have abused it), I bailed fast on Jeep/Chrysler products. Dakota did best, with 212,000 K on her before the tranny failed. (Not to mention 3 rear ends, 5 water pumps, two fuel pumps, new "Real" Radiator. All the time I drove as my off-roaders and on-roaders, Jap Crap Suzuki products. Apart from one fire sale during bad times, all of the Jap-Crap Suzukis' were written off in accidents, but saved mine, and my SWMBO's ass due to solid chassis. I don't need the bells and whistles most N/A owners seem to think they want, to put up with poor quality, shoddy manufacturing, and skimpy products. Nor do I want a "Status Symbol". I want, need a vehicle to get me from point A to B, reliably. (Excluding the off roaders, which go through the alphabet twice in one trip) Nothing I have owned since 1981 from N/A (Suburban 1 tonne 2 wheel drive) has been as reliable, trust worthy as my Jap Crap. I will admit that 9MPG on the olde 'Burban sucked, but old school american know how got lost in the 80's, as they tried to keep up with the Japs (No offence, I love you kids) And failed miserably at it. Has any Japanese automaker needed a bailout lately? I am done. :)

Chase Hill > Hindered23 12/24/2013 at 20:39

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I'm also a freshman in college and I have massive respect for modern Cadillacs, especially CTS-Vs. But I don't agree that Cadillac's image in the eyes of the youth has made a turnaround. Just the other day, I had to enlighten my 16 year old brother, and my dad that Cadillac even offered sporty cars in their lineup.

And that's even the viewpoint from a family that owns and is pretty interested in sports cars.

Kevin Rhodes > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 12/24/2013 at 20:45

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This, more than anything. Current Cadillacs are decent cars, but they lack attention to detail throughout the entire car, in my opinion. They just don't have that feel that the Germans do. I've had both the ATS and CTS as rentals lately, neither makes me want to trade in my e91 3-series.

Othala > McSchmalex 12/24/2013 at 20:46

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Wait really? I don't intend to sound mean, were you not aware of these guys? I think its one of the better liveries out there!

P.S. guess who won the Pirelli World Challenge GT class the last 2 years in a row?!

quattrofl > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 20:49

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I'd totally rock an Elmiraj instead of the german rivals.. pity it's a concept only.

Prome > flabberboozled 12/24/2013 at 20:54

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The bailout had EVERYTHING to do with GM's continued success with Cadillac. Let's not fool ourselves. Had it not been for the bailout of General Motors, Cadillac as we know it right now, wouldn't exist.

Chatham Harrison dba SPANFELLER DELENDUS EST > PatBateman 12/24/2013 at 20:56

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The funny thing is, they had good cars for a while. Well, good car. Lots of people had good things to say about the Seville/STS, and there was fair praise for the Eldorado. The shame is they were so easily tempted by easy profits they never bothered to transition the DeVille into a driver-centered full-size luxury car, they just left it as a rolling coffin for Florida retirees. They rebadged Chevys as Escalades and made easy money. They tried to shortcut their way to a sporty compact by rebadging an Opel. The Seville, though a fine car, was hampered by poor finish and materials. The story of the Cadillac turnaround is having the luxury market finally knock it into GM executives' skulls that half-measures, cost-cutting and low-risk initiatives were totally inadequate to rebuild the Standard Of The World.

Frankenbike666 > Hindered23 12/24/2013 at 20:59

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This is what it takes. Young people wanting a Cadillac. Until they can afford one. And they'll probably make decent used cars.

I think people of a certain age, between 35 and 60, have much more of a negative cultural memory of the old Cadillac. People who haven't been paying attention still think of them as old boats driven by elderly people who didn't get the memo on German cars.

Chatham Harrison dba SPANFELLER DELENDUS EST > Corduroy Club. 12/24/2013 at 21:01

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The trick there is, for someone knowledgeable about cars to base their purchase on brand perception rather than any actual performance metrics of a car is rather anathema to a site that prides itself in appreciating the generally un- or under-appreciated.

alexlam24 > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 21:09

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At the end of the day, they still have the worst build quality and it's still a ton of plastic.

Corduroy Club. > Chatham Harrison dba SPANFELLER DELENDUS EST 12/24/2013 at 21:16

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well yes, but we are speaking realistically. The majority of the population, who buy the most cars, know little to nothing about what they are driving (or what they are not driving). Hence why it's not remotely reasonable to think that the German big 3 will be undermined anytime soon

ChurroTom > RightFootDown 12/24/2013 at 21:34

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For Cadillac to even THINK about taking the luxury crown from the Germans, it needs to FIRST become a global brand.

TheOnelectronic > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 12/24/2013 at 21:36

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No. He hasn't learned his lesson any of the other times.

Chatham Harrison dba SPANFELLER DELENDUS EST > Corduroy Club. 12/24/2013 at 21:44

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In the public at large, yes. Here, the fact that Cadillacs are essentially on par with their rivals can be recognized now, without hesitation or thumbtwiddling. I think this is the thing that pissed so many people off about this whole thing. Cadillacs are acknowledged as being (or being capable of being) just as good as German cars, but are then dismissed on the grounds that the ignorant masses still think German cars are better. Fuck the ignorant masses, they have Edmunds and Yahoo! Autos and Consumer Reports to guide their decisions. I don't come to Jalopnik to hear conventional "wisdom."

ToastedTires > Victorious Secret 12/24/2013 at 21:46

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He's misguided, but the intent is there. The best engineers in the US are in the defense industry. I've gotten to look at foreign and domestic military equipment up close and the quality of construction, fit and finish of US jets and weapons is unmatched by any country in any industry in the world. They weren't all GOOD, I mean the F-111 fell apart on its own but the welds and rivets in the parts that fell off were second to none!