Cadillac plans redesigns to stay in fashion

[Bruce Nunnally]

Interesting piece here, with some nice quotes from Cadillac general manager Jim Taylor:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local...iness-headlines

"The luxury-car business is the fashion business. Women don't go out and buy 4-year-old dresses, and men don't go out and say, `Hey, look at me, I've got a 4-year-old car,'" Taylor said.

"The problem is that 9 out of 10 people aren't up on the Cadillac portfolio," he said. "We display our cars at malls, and people say, `Wow, what's that?' We tell them it's an SRX or XLR, and they say, `When did you bring that out?' And we say, `Three years ago.'"

"In the past, we've covered leather with coatings so they don't weather or wear, but [they] aren't as soft as a result," Taylor said. "Tehama leather [as used in the new Platinum series] could show wear and stains. When a leather jacket wears, people think it looks nice. When leather seats show signs of wear, we'll see."

[JasonA]

"The problem is that 9 out of 10 people aren't up on the Cadillac portfolio," he said. "We display our cars at malls, and people say, `Wow, what's that?' We tell them it's an SRX or XLR, and they say, `When did you bring that out?' And we say, `Three years ago.'"

People still ask me if my '97 is new.

"10 years old?? What?? Over 150,000 miles?? You're kidding!!"

[MAC]

People at malls ask “what’s that?” because Cadillac’s portfolio is nothing special as far as looks. Cadillac needs to go back at least 10 years and continue with the same style with a little bit of tweaking. The CTS, while a nice car is too bubbly looking and headlights look a bit awkward. JMO. I would rather drive my Eldorado than a new CTS.