Cadillac returning to Michigan

[hybridy]

Cadillac Is Leaving New York City for Detroit

"Cadillac’s move to Michigan will further support one of the most aggressive on-going product expansions in the brand’s history, with the introduction of a new vehicle every six months through 2020. The move will place the Cadillac brand team closer to those responsible for the new Cadillacs, including design, engineering, purchasing and manufacturing, ensuring full integration of Cadillac’s global growth strategy. Cadillac will maintain a brand presence in New York City with the Cadillac House, an experiential brand center which serves as a public space for events, concerts and collaborative partnerships until longer term brand plans are in place."

[Richard]

I know it may sound weird but I would be interested in revisiting the brand if they do this,the whole thought about in New York and built in Detroit never really sat right.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

I know it may sound weird but I would be interested in revisiting the brand if they do this,the whole thought about in New York and built in Detroit never really sat right.

The move to New York was puzzling in the first place. The thought was, they could compete better against MB, BMW, Audi and other upscale European brands, being on the East Coast. Those brands are still largely considered superior to Cadillac, in the global market.

[401don]

I remember reading, even from Detroit auto writers, all the reasons the move to N.Y. made sense and all the benefits that would result. I don't think Cadillac has made a dent in the luxury brand segment as a result of the move, although 4 years is hardly enough time to make an evaluation.

[Bham1982]

Those brands are still largely considered superior to Cadillac, in the global market.

Well, they are superior. No one outside of the Detroit market would consider a Cadillac equivalent to an Audi.

Cadillac and Lincoln are "luxury" in the Detroit bubble, but not outside.

[hybridy]

perhaps the move to NY wasn't terribly notable in the first place

Despite the move, though, Cadillac still employed a whole host of employees based in Michigan—the brand only employed about 110 people at its SoHo office, most of whom were execs or people involved in marketing and communications.

link

[Richard]

I would take a Cadillac over a BMW or MB anyday,cost of maintenance plays a big part in it.

I drive an older Jaguar that was built by Ford that is approaching 130,000 miles and outside of basic maintenance the car has never left me stranded or needed anything major.You would never see that in a BMW or Mercedes.

I have a 450 SL and the rear bushings are $800 for two,they change production runs in the middle of the year.

It is one thing to have the car,but another to be able to enjoy it more then it is in the shop.

Superior does not look good on lift,MB has a big following in Germany because they support buy local made,more then we do.

[Richard]

perhaps the move to NY wasn't terribly notable in the first place



link

In other words,the bean counters that proably never stepped in a plant,they did lose thier way for a bit.

[iheartthed]

In other words,the bean counters that proably never stepped in a plant,they did lose thier way for a bit.

It was actually a marketing gimmick that fell flat. From the very beginning I thought it was stupid and ill-timed. Other brands were managing to build luxury projects branded around Detroit from scratch [[Shinola, the Chrysler Varvatos line), but Cadillac needed to go to New York to sell a car whose brand name is the most tied to Detroit of any auto nameplate [[the car is literally named after the founder of the city!).

It was misguided at best, or more likely a decision made by a GM leadership that is all out of ideas for what to do with that brand.

[Towne Cluber]

Well, they are superior. No one outside of the Detroit market would consider a Cadillac equivalent to an Audi.

Cadillac and Lincoln are "luxury" in the Detroit bubble, but not outside.

You could have at least compared Cadillac to the [[two) higher end of the three.

[Bham1982]

I would take a Cadillac over a BMW or MB anyday,cost of maintenance plays a big part in it.

If your primary consideration is maintenance, yes, but then why buy a Cadillac? Get a Subaru, then.

Luxury cars aren't about cheapest carrying costs.

[Bham1982]

You could have at least compared Cadillac to the [[two) higher end of the three.

MB and BMW aren't higher end than Audi. They all have semi-similar price points and carrying costs.

[Richard]

If your primary consideration is maintenance, yes, but then why buy a Cadillac? Get a Subaru, then.

Luxury cars aren't about cheapest carrying costs.

Because the Cadillac would be designed and built in Detroit by Detroit as it should be,which brings a level of pride of ownership.

Something growing a man bun and buying a Subaru could not even come close to.

Ask a 2 year old BMW owner if maintenance and reliability plays a part in ownership.

[Towne Cluber]

MB and BMW aren't higher end than Audi. They all have semi-similar price points and carrying costs.

BMW and Mercedes are generally considered more prestigious than Audi.

[Richard]

It was actually a marketing gimmick that fell flat. From the very beginning I thought it was stupid and ill-timed. Other brands were managing to build luxury projects branded around Detroit from scratch [[Shinola, the Chrysler Varvatos line), but Cadillac needed to go to New York to sell a car whose brand name is the most tied to Detroit of any auto nameplate [[the car is literally named after the founder of the city!).

It was misguided at best, or more likely a decision made by a GM leadership that is all out of ideas for what to do with that brand.

Nice info.

Sometimes I think there are only 2 designers sitting in a room with a computer coming up with cars.

I miss the days when you could look at a car and say,that is a Cadillac or a Lincoln,anymore they all look the same and you have to look at the badge to see what it actually is.

They lost thier identity,I remember when I was a kid if you had a Cadillac you made it in life and bought one as a reward to yourself,now it seems like it is just a bunch of badges stuck on cars,not very impressive.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

BMW and Mercedes are generally considered more prestigious than Audi.

Maybe in the past. Audi has up the ante, and is right there with the other two.

[Towne Cluber]

Maybe in the past. Audi has up the ante, and is right there with the other two.

Depends on who you talk to...

[hybridy]

Have to agree with you CinciKid. Perhaps it’s generational but I’d much rather have an Audi RS7 over an equivalent bmw or benz.

[Atticus]

The whole New York move never made sense to me. It was essentially moving the HQ of a car brand to Manhattan, a place where no one actually needs a car.

Going forward, I see suburban and rural America as the places where car ownership will continue to exist for a while longer. I expect most of America's urban areas, of which most have transit anyway, to be the areas that really start to dive in deep with the Ubers, Lyfts, and other managed fleets. I could see car ownership in urban areas really dropping off in the near future, as technology makes the rent-a-ride market more prevent in the urban cores.

[iheartthed]

Depends on who you talk to...

Audi has been level with Mercedes and BMW for nearly 20 years. They compete well for customers who would otherwise only consider BMW or Mercedes.

Volvo will also soon be in that tier. Below that will be the Japanese luxury brands. And after that the American brands. I doubt the American automakers shake this hierarchy up any time soon, other than with SUVs.

[Johnnny5]

Here's the 2014 thread about the initial move to NYC. Interesting.


https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showth...light=cadillac

[Richard]

The whole New York move never made sense to me. It was essentially moving the HQ of a car brand to Manhattan, a place where no one actually needs a car.

Going forward, I see suburban and rural America as the places where car ownership will continue to exist for a while longer. I expect most of America's urban areas, of which most have transit anyway, to be the areas that really start to dive in deep with the Ubers, Lyfts, and other managed fleets. I could see car ownership in urban areas really dropping off in the near future, as technology makes the rent-a-ride market more prevent in the urban cores.

Uber added an additional 100,000 cars on the streets of New York,I really do not think that they are really a sub-stainable concept because all they are really doing is pulling customers out of the taxis by offering lower fares and faster service.

A lot of cities are starting to impose regulations on them which will make them like the taxi,expensive to operate.

But like they did in the past with the rental car market the manufacturers could actually get back into it by providing the inventory in the urban core.

But maybe that is fords long term objective with its recent purchase,they could make little electric urban cars,10 mile radius,just something to go from point a to b.

Kinda strange how history cycles back since Detroit already had Electric cars from the start.We are back to where we started.

Meh as long as you can look at it and say,that’s an electric car.

[Towne Cluber]

Naturally, opinions about automobiles [[both brands as well as the entire concept of their existence) on Detroityes will vary from the mainstream.

[archfan]

It was misguided at best, or more likely a decision made by a GM leadership that is all out of ideas for what to do with that brand.

They only had 110 people in NY, with a cast of thousands back in Detroit. It always seemed like a way to attract a big player to work for Cadillac - it was planned before they hired Johan de Nysschen - by letting them live in NY.

[EGrant]

No matter where Cadillac is headquartered, their designs are boring, safe and cater to an older demographic. Nothing about them is unique; I could be convinced that they are modern Pontiacs in some alternate reality, if you changed the logos. Even Mercedes and Audi's "low end" models at least have edge to them.