Cadillac, Not Your Grandfathers Land Yacht Anymore

The transformation of Cadillac from a grandparents car to the luxury sedan it is today is nothing less than remarkable. The Escala concept is the latest example of the new Cadillac.

For those of us in our 40’s, we grew up with Cadillac’s that covered a lot of ground sitting still. Land Yachts with decades old styling cues that floated along the road. It seemed every real estate agent had a Deville with a trunk that you could play in with three friends.

Then in the 80’s General Motors started to take the iconic brand and slap it on upgraded versions of Chevrolet mid-sized sedans. It took the once proud identity of Cadillac and turned it into a second rate luxury car. Loyal owners started to turn away, and a new direction was needed for the brand.

The turnaround started in an unfamiliar area for the car maker, the SUV. GM took its popular Suburban/Tahoe and upgraded the interior, added some styling cues and branded it the Cadillac Escalade. It was a hit with a younger customer looking for a luxury SUV to take the kids to school in.

Since then Cadillac has transformed its entire line with modern styling and distinctive features to reestablish itself as Americas premier luxury car maker. From the CTS-V sports coupe to the new ELR plug-in hybrid, they have been on the cutting edge of car making. Today’s Cadillac has an entirely new identity that has its future looking bright.