Hyper-exclusive supercar builder, Bugatti, recently announced it will build a luxury yacht. Does it have any business building a yacht? It doesn’t matter, because the Bugatti name instantly prints images of dollar signs in a consumer’s head.
The name is bespoke, a status symbol and has earned its keep with a name synonymous with “premium.”
This news is the inspiration for today’s GMA Community Question: should the Cadillac division devote energy and resources to build other exclusive items? We’ll lay out a bit of groundwork.
First: the cons. Cadillac is merely in its infancy in terms of becoming a powerhouse luxury brand again. Right now, it could be argued Cadillac should focus on nothing other than building a competent and competitive portfolio of vehicles to do battle with the best from Germany and Japan.
$12 billion has already been earmarked for the brand’s expansion and investment, and Cadillac desperately needs to fix its image, and fill in the gaps within its crossover and even sedan segments.
Now: the pros. What better way to make a statement than by building some sort of one-off luxury good? Build it, create the value proposition and charge an exorbitant price tag. Surely, someone would be interested. It could do wonders to make the Cadillac name synonymous with another premium good.
So, where do you stand? It’s possible it could do something quite good for Cadillac, but it may not be the best allocation of resources at the moment. In the future, we think it’s a possibility. Right now? Cadillac needs to actually sell its vehicles again.
Talk to us down below, and make sure to vote in our poll to express your opinion.
Comments
Bad idea.
Anyone remember the Gucci Cadillac?
http://automotivemileposts.com/cadillac/seville/seville1979gucci.html
Um, no.
Luxury for the afterlife?
Pioneered by Willie the Wimp and his Cadillac coffin:
http://psv537.blog.com/2011/10/30/willie-the-wimp-stokes/
And immortalized by Stevie Ray Vaughn…
XT2, XT4, XT6…….CT2, CT4, CT6, CT8 ???
If Cadillac is promoting a lifestyle of luxury, it shouldn’t be just limited to cars.
The name ‘Cadillac’ was once an adjective and was used to describe superiour things that weren’t cars. “The Cadillac of whisky”‘ or “The Cadillac of watches”. If the Cadillac name is to be associated with a high-profile lifestyle, why can’t Cadillac cater to them in the way other luxury automakers do?
We’re not talking about vinyl bar stools, mesh caps, and quartz wall clocks here. Leave that to Chevrolet.
A good idea in theory but as I understand it Cadillac doesn’t get very good reliability ratings at present. They should be dedicating everything they have to solve the problems with the cars they’re selling right now.
Maybe once they become more aligned in the luxury car world. I wouldn’t mind a Cadillac watch or something.
Cadillac needs to focus on building cars and SUV models as that is their core product. They need to continue to hone and refine their products till they are seen as thee best or one of the best with no reasonable denial accepted.
Once estabilish this level of quality and image then you must work to secure it so it is never called into question.
Once that is accomplished over some good amount of time you can sell your name and image to people who want to make watches, sell jackets, build boats ot bicycles. Most of these projects are done by someone else and only your imput is placed on them.
Cadillac is not in the Boat, Plane or Even the tank market anymore. Their core focus is to make the best car in the world and to continue to advance their image to even higher markets once they earn it.
The only exlusive things they need to worry about right now is to make a V8-V6 and Tubo 4 that is of their own design and tune for their own cars to set them appart from a Chevy. It is ok to trickle down a Alpha to a Camaro but even as good as a Chevy engine is they need to offer something more if they want to be seen as a automobile of technology and image.
Not knocking the Chevy engine as it is great but in this segment people want something special not what they have in their Tahoe for the price they will be paying.
You can sell the brand to all sort of things to sell as gifts for Christmas but that is just a side line for marketing. Let them worry about that as they have aleady for years.
I would like to see more things like optional fitted Luggage or special custom hangers for suit coats like BMW has. The little things like this that add to the cars experience is what earns image.
Cadillac can do both. It can focus the majority of it’s resources on it’s core products (cars and trucks) but also do strategic partnerships and alliances in not core products that make sense.
Bugatti is not building the boats they are lending their name and some design elements to luxury boat builder Palmer Johnson who has the, know how experience and a fantastic reputation in luxury boat production.
Cadillac can do the same without diverting a significant amount of resources away from it’s core products.
Anything to raise Cadillac’s prestige and cachet should be welcomed.
Until you have secured your image and status why would you?
Bug has gotten to the icon status because of what they build and what they sell. Cadillac is not much past selling a monogramed sweater or golf ball yet.
Give them time and more improved product and then can get there.
These product can add to prestige but you have to earn it first.
Spot on! Build an excellent car then spend some effort and assets on other products.
Cadillac should focus on cars but buy naming rights for the next really iconic skyscraper built in NYC. This is daring greatly. (They could possibly rename the GM building since the GM name means little compared to the brands that it owns)
Maybe they should buy and renovated a Broadway theatre?
NYC is already a very strong luxury brand that Caddy needs to latch onto.