Do American Luxury Cars Have A Future?

[The True Adonis]

Are you calling Cadillac's, Buick's, Lincoln's, and Chrysler's old man cars.

Just because there are a few 80 year old's driving Cadillac's down in Florida does not make them old man cars. 



That's what I'm talking about, the management at these companies have had thirty years to shake to old man image.  They could have released cars that appeal to a younger demographic.  Instead they released the Fleetwood Brougham and Buick Roadmaster.

"younger" demographics RUIN everything.

Have fun in your shitbox electric smart green energy self driving tendie-mobile.

[Skylge]

Will the Cadillac, Lincoln, Chrysler, and Buick brands still exist ten years from now?

Chrysler maybe not, the rest: yes. China loves them

Odd: SUVs....but Cadillac only has two models.....how many GM managers have been asleep over the past years??

Tesla now is the number one premium high tech American brand. And this really pissed off all the old and often corrupt / criminal managers at FoMoCo and GM   :-)

[APE907]

Case in point, the Buick Encore.  This is the Cadillac Cimarron all over again.  Does anybody look at this and think it's a luxury car.  What it ends up doing is cheapening and damaging the brand.

Agree this vehicle is questionable at best.  Reminds me a little bit of those late 90s GM minivans that looked like dust busters cross bred with a Pontiac Aztec.

[robcguns]

I'll take cadi and Lincoln over BMW,Mercedes and Audi anyday.

[Mr Anabolic]

Drove one just like this for a few years.  It had a 460 V8 in it.  When I put the pedal to the floor I swear I could actually see the gas gauge indicator moving toward E.   These are very expensive to fix/maintain.

[falco]

Drove one just like this for a few years.  It had a 460 V8 in it.  When I put the pedal to the floor I swear I could actually see the gas gauge indicator moving toward E.   These are very expensive to fix/maintain.

In 4x4 aplications, these engines use half a gallon per minute, at WOT in the dunes.

[polychronopolous]

In 4x4 aplications, these engines use half a gallon per minute, at WOT in the dunes.

 

[Mr Anabolic]

In 4x4 aplications, these engines use half a gallon per minute, at WOT in the dunes.

About 8-9 MPG.  Gas tank was huge, probably 25-30 gallon capacity.

[Palumboism]

THAT Cadillac is better than any current cars pretty much.

Sorry, the "new" styling of cars sucks.  With a few exceptions of course.

If the Fleetwood was still offered today, who would buy it?

[Palumboism]

Agree this vehicle is questionable at best.  Reminds me a little bit of those late 90s GM minivans that looked like dust busters cross bred with a Pontiac Aztec.

This is Buick's best selling model and it's based on the Chevrolet Trax.  

[Palumboism]

The Pacifica is Chrysler's best selling model and accounts for over half it's sales.  It doesn't exactly scream aspirational.

[Palumboism]

Of course they do. Lincolns are basically ford models with a few upgrades. Caddys are nice and have a loyal fan base.

Alan Mulally, Ford's previous CEO, wanted to shut Lincoln down, but Mark Fields asked him not to because he could turn it around.  Lincoln only sells 100,000 cars a year.  That barely justifies developing one model let alone an entire brand. 

[The True Adonis]

If the Fleetwood was still offered today, who would buy it?

Me.

[APE907]

The Pacifica is Chrysler's best selling model and accounts for over half it's sales.  It doesn't exactly scream aspirational.

The bigger misstep here was changing the name from Town & Country to Pacifica.

The Town & Country name had lots of brand equity with this customer base.  The Pacifica on the other hand was a formerly unreliable and generic early 00s wagon/SUV that was sh#tcanned years ago.  Many Chrysler dealers were not happy with the name change. 

[OlympiaGym]

I'll take cadi and Lincoln over BMW,Mercedes and Audi anyday.

Hahaha! Spoken like a true guido.

And the answer to the OP's question is no.

[HTexan]

Hahaha! Spoken like a true guido.

And the answer to the OP's question is no.

respect your elders gimmick

[Parker]

Are you calling Cadillac's, Buick's, Lincoln's, and Chrysler's old man cars.

Just because there are a few 80 year old's driving Cadillac's down in Florida does not make them old man cars. 



That's what I'm talking about, the management at these companies have had thirty years to shake to old man image.  They could have released cars that appeal to a younger demographic.  Instead they released the Fleetwood Brougham and Buick Roadmaster.

Baby Boomers are the ones that wanted huge, under powered, boat like riding, non cars American luxury cars. These were the traditionalists.The yuppie Baby boomers went German, Italian, British, Swedish.
The Germans were fast, luxurious, reliable, boxy...
Also, the beancounters at American companies as well as management didn't ok innovative ideas, didn't take into account the Euros, but assume that Americans would buy what they gave them. So, they didn't change.
Next thing you know, the Euros (Germans) produce great handling luxury cars. And now, the Germans are the players when it comes to luxury, all because the Americans failed to adapt.

[Skylge]

Alan Mulally, Ford's previous CEO, wanted to shut Lincoln down, but Mark Fields asked him not to because he could turn it around.  Lincoln only sells 100,000 cars a year.  That barely justifies developing one model let alone an entire brand. 

New models could really increase Lincoln sales, look at the recent new Volvos for example

I think Porsche now makes over 200,000 cars per year, Tesla around 100,000 units

[Bevo]

Baby Boomers are the ones that wanted huge, under powered, boat like riding, non cars American luxury cars. These were the traditionalists.The yuppie Baby boomers went German, Italian, British, Swedish.
The Germans were fast, luxurious, reliable, boxy...
Also, the beancounters at American companies as well as management didn't ok innovative ideas, didn't take into account the Euros, but assume that Americans would buy what they gave them. So, they didn't change.
Next thing you know, the Euros (Germans) produce great handling luxury cars. And now, the Germans are the players when it comes to luxury, all because the Americans failed to adapt.

Don't forget Lexus is number 2 in sales after Mercedes in the US, they are usually first or second every year for sales in America

[APE907]

New models could really increase Lincoln sales, look at the recent new Volvos for example

I think Porsche now makes over 200,000 cars per year, Tesla around 100,000 units

Only if Lincoln builds off a stand alone dedicated platform, preferably rear wheel drive and big V8 power with 4 doors and above average handling.  It would act as a "halo" model that would lend credibility to Lincoln and over time would benefit Lincoln as a brand.  The current line up of warmed over Fords is thinly veiled.

The new Continental being based off Ford Fusion platform does not have pedigree for improving the perception of the brand.

[HTexan]

New models could really increase Lincoln sales, look at the recent new Volvos for example

I think Porsche now makes over 200,000 cars per year, Tesla around 100,000 units

Porsche was better when they handmade everything

[_bruce_]

Drove one just like this for a few years.  It had a 460 V8 in it.  When I put the pedal to the floor I swear I could actually see the gas gauge indicator moving toward E.   These are very expensive to fix/maintain.

 

[Palumboism]

The Town & Country name had lots of brand equity with this customer base.  The Pacifica on the other hand was a formerly unreliable and generic early 00s wagon/SUV that was sh#tcanned years ago.  Many Chrysler dealers were not happy with the name change.  

The crossover/SUV can save all four of these brands.  The flagships of Cadillac and Lincoln are the Escalade and the Navigator.

XT5 and the Escalade are the two things Cadillac is doing right.

[The True Adonis]

Love nondescript jellybeans.   

[Palumboism]

2018 Buick Enclave