Breaking: Cadillac Will Return To Detroit
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After four years in New York City, Cadillac President Steve Carlisle is taking the luxury brand’s headquarters back to Detroit, Michigan.
The Wall Street Journal reported on the Cadillac headquarters’ bombshell move back to Detroit on Wednesday after Carlisle confirmed the move in an interview. The Cadillac President explained the decision by saying, “We’ve got to think about how we take inefficiencies out of the communication process between the Cadillac team and the GM partners.” He noted the “inefficiencies” when referencing Cadillac’s flood of new vehicles launching between now and the end of 2021.
The official word on relocating Cadillac headquarters back to Detroit from New York City comes in direct contrast to Cadillac’s own statement following ex-Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen’s ouster earlier this year. After de Nysschen was replaced with Carlisle, the luxury division said it was never a question that Cadillac would leave NYC.
“It’s 100 percent that we’re staying here,” Andrew Lipman, a Cadillac spokesperson, said just this past June.
The plan to move (or expand, by the brand’s definition) the Cadillac division to NYC came under scrutiny in the earlier years by media and even some customers, who saw the relocation as the brand abandoning its hometown. However, analysts came to more or less praise the move as the NYC image played well with Cadillac’s largest market: China. Cadillac also said NYC attracted new talent that would otherwise not consider relocating to Detroit.
The personnel at Cadillac’s NYC office was mostly made up of marketing, strategy and advertising. Engineering operations remained settled in the Midwest.
Rather famously, CEO Mary Barra backed up the decision to give de Nysschen the authority to move Cadillac out of Detroit in 2014.
“We have a plan, we’re going to execute it,” Barra said. “Three years, five years, ten years, you’ll know by the success of Cadillac if it was a good decision or not.”
It appears four years was the determining timetable.
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Niiiiice!
lolololol The poor New York City faux hipster b.s. has run its course and failed. Cadillac In dirty New York city failed to produce anything of value in marketing and advertising. A few half-a**ed bs commercials and print crap. Oh, the Oscars! The Oscars are a failure and Cadillac aligned with them out of NYC.
Now the NYC staff have to come back to face the people they are completely clueless about in Detroit or lose their jobs. Good enough for them. But they should love Detroit since they are so all about “saving the world and the less fortunate”…lol
This also proves Mary Barra is a liar or she doesn’t have the power she claims to hold or at least others do for her.
To borrow a phrase from an automaker that is actually winning market share – “Truth in engineering.”
All these strategists and marketers in NYC don’t amount to a hill of beans. Design/engineer great vehicles, and people will buy them. It’s that simple.
Yes. The marketing is the cherry on top. It’s not the whole damn thing.
Build the right vehicle at the right price. Cadillac had a better outlook with Johan. He had the right vehicle mindset.
The truth is most in NYC are former Detroit residence.
The reason for the move to NYC was to avoid interference from the GM board. Now that the board tossed JDN and took back control again there is no reason to hide from their own destructive self.
My fear is things will get watered down as we get farther away from the JDN product they could not change.
I pray they do not do to the Blackwing what they did to the Northstar.
As for Mary she holds power but everyone at GM is responsible to answer to the board even the director.
GM needs to get a plan and true leader for the brand and stick with it. The revolving door of leaders and direction of product have driven them to a muttled mess.
But I guess it could be worse they could be Lincoln who may not be here much longer per recent speculation.
Cadillac had a true leader and non Insider that was not in fear of losing his 30 years at GM. They should have stuck with him.
GM had set on the right path post bailout but appear to be losing their way by not doing the thing the way they should vs the way they want to do.
This is a marathon not a sprint and short term rewards come at long term cost in product and image.
Sorry, but you could see this coming a mile away.
So NY HQ; hugely expensive and likely money-losing sublease. The talent they hired? Sorry. Also Cadillac Houses in Munich and Shanghai to deal with.
The price tag on this experiment – not saying it wasn’t expirimenting with, tho you wonder why they so totally bought into it – that’s gotta be some harsh $.
But you had to figure the Melody/Uwe vision wasn’t going to stand the test of time.
It’s been reported the NY HQ move cost $12.7 million
Here we go…
New president is a *ucking idion. JDN please come back.. *ucking bean counter.
Amen
Yeah. I have serious doubts about the brand now. I was excited under JDN. He left because GM wanted to restrict Cadillac from getting out of its cacoon.
So now, we will have the same old same old. Coming right out from Detroit. Not that I care about the Detroit move/new York move… but you could tell … JDN wanted to make BIG changes – and Mary said no… let’s keep cad sup par.
My next vehicle will most likely not be a Cadillac now.
Next news:
Cadillac shot down the plans for the new RWD VSS-R platform. Because Chevy FWD platforms are cheaper.
XT7/XT8 are cancelled, just like the CT7/CT8. There will be fwd Chevyllacs, Chevyllacs everywhere.
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Bean counters, die slow you old and dumb *aggots.
He is Canadian, says it all. A yes man. Name a Canadian car company…there aren’t any for a reason because they can’t build any. Even little Sweden can make Volvo’s for Pete sake. So don’t expect anything great from Carlisle. He will ride the coattails of his predecessor and then ride into the sunset.
G are you ever an ignorant M0ron!
If he was AMerican, would that say it all? Meaning he would be a stupid, arrogant, ignorant, loser leading a bankrupt company about to be taken over by their Chinese partner like every other American corporations. ROFLMAO
Canadian sales are falling and they will fall further. We are buying European now because of our free trade agreement with Europe. And they are a far more ethical and reliable partner than the corrupt US that we see now. DEATH to AMERiKA aZZ hole!
Both G and Canuck are two stupid birds that we dont need here in these forums. Take your cousin sniping somewhere else.
Evo69,
When you treat someone with disrespect, you deserve the same.
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There is a reason why Canada is so far behind in tech and leadership. Not because we lack home grown intelligent people.. but because they leave the country for greener pastures. Our taxes are too high, our government doesn’t know how to build infrastructure, we have way to many natives that are leaches and as well now immigrants who are leaches. Its a complete mess and I wish we had Trump here to clean it up.
Once I am done school I am most likely leaving for the US, unless our elections next year prove to be fruitful.
Please stay where you are and get a few more years of school in while you are at it. We have more than enough ignorant racists here now!
Austin,
Guess no one wants you. Even Canada has its own deplorables. Lol
Cadillac will peak due to JDN fall shortly after.
The economy will be blamed. Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus and even Volvo will be somehow uneffected by economy issues.
The new Cadillac renaissance will come shortly after (as it has every 5-8 years). Rinse. Repeat.
No wonder the brand is going nowhere! There is simply no continuity in the decision making process. Just being reactionary and going around in circles…
Over 20 years of restructuring and nothing to show for it.
Proof Mary Barra is not a leader with vision. Not a leader period.
It’s probably because Carlisle was photographed eating a bagel with a knife and fork.
I knew it!!! Going to NYC had stupid and lack of heritage written all over it. Detroit born and bred.
I used to think (or was it just hope) there was some intelligent grand plan for GM, designed by the Board of Directors and Top Management, to restructure the company into a lean efficient worldwide enterprise to produce world class vehicles. These last few years have only seen retreat form world markets deemed too competitive, Europe, India, Russia, Australia, barely hanging on in South Korea and South America. All that is left is the much touted China 50% joint ventures and pickups in North America and that is not a world class manufacturer. Without a presence in Europe, where even Hyundai is a player, there can only be further decline in the competitiveness of GM. Returning to Detroit, Cadillac management will be even more influence by the “That’s Good Enough” corporate ideology.
I hope you all like the Cadillac crest lazily glued onto an overly chromed-out Chevy. Buy some stock in the GM parts bin.
More evidence that the Bean-Counters are once again running GM. This is why Johan left.
They Finally hired someone with a true vision and knowledge to bring Cadillac back to true Luxury form and we all know what GM ended up doing. Went the cheap route once again. Chevrolet Platforms and engines still.
The Cost cutting ways of the General never allowed Johan the freedom to truly bring Cadillac back to Top Tier Luxury. Cadillac will unfortunately still remain a small step above the likes of Volvo, Acura, Infinity, and Lincoln. I pray we the Tax payers do not have to bail out our beloved GM again. This is getting ridiculous. Bean Counters need to go away ASAP!!!
I agree with that except for the ‘Chevrolet platforms & Chevrolet engines’ part… I WISH there were genuine Chevrolet engines and platforms, there isn’t. The Chevrolet Motor Division was shuttered in the early 80’s. There are no Chevrolet engines or platforms or Chevrolet anything. It’s all generic GM. It’s been generic GM for nearly 40 years. Names like Chevrolet or Cadillac are just that. Names… They aren’t real companies, they aren’t even real divisions any longer. They’re marketing pie in the sky… Exactly how the bean counters coming out of the 1970’s envisioned it. ONE GM.
Sucks for the families that are being juggled around
NYC is not an engineering kind of town. Money, marketing, advertising and international business is it repertoire.
Engineering wasn’t in NYC
Cadillac engineering is now in China. That is where all the new vehicles are released first. If they won’t fly there you won’t see it here in the U.S., Cadillac’s only other market, which is shrinking daily. Luxury Market share in the U.S. is less than 5%…Pathetic!
World luxury market share is below 2% for Cadillac, which makes it basically irrelevant. Can it be turned around, yes? But you first need a viable long-term plan and live and die by it.
RIP Cadillac.
I’ve stated from the start that the move to NYC was a lousy idea. Welcome home Cadillac!
It was only a lousy idea if GM wasn’t 100% committed to making Cadillac Standard of the World once again in the Luxury Market. Turns out GM is who we always knew they were. A company completely run by the Bean-Counters.It is a shame really. I remember reading reports about how happy Johan was with the type of talent he was able to hire in NYC as apposed to being in Detroit.
Dumb, dumb, dumb, now Caddy lost credibility to whatever they going to putout because of this ” I wanna save at Kmart”azz backwards, Mid-westren thinking. Can’t these guys think past next 3 model years?. Back to Detroit huh, Cadillac’s new tagline ” bread by losers, made by losers”…..
LOL.
I think it’s safe to say, Cadillac is never going to get its act together. There’s an endless parade of new managers, office moves, shifts in strategy, hiring and firing of advertising agencies, promising product announcements followed soon thereafter by their cancellation, shifts in taglines and ad campaigns, etc. They’re just a confused mess, a ruderless ship with no identity, no focus, no cohesion, no long-term plan. They’re a hapless brand whose best days are in the rear view mirror.
Even if their much hyped “product offensive” yields some decent cars, the rest of the brand is in such disarray they won’t be able to adequately support and promote them so as to hamstring the cars right out of the gate. I think it just isn’t going to work out for Cadillac. I wish that wasn’t the case but it seems to be. Johan de Nycsshen was perhaps their ‘last best hope’ and now he’s gone.
Man, the comments in here are a dumpster fire.
I don’t see how the move back to Detroit is any indication of Cadillac’s direction, or lack thereof. You guys have some imagination.
Cadillac will be fine.
It’s about three things:
1. The GM culture is far from great. You really need to experience it first hand by working there to understand. I did… and it’s far from inspiring, productive, or conducive. This awful culture is the reason GM can keep very few “outsiders” for more than a few years… after they absorb they “get it” by working there a few years, they understand they’ve made a big mistake in their career, and leave.
Examples: JdN, KT Neumann, Chris Liddell, Tina Mueller, Joel Ewanick.
The environment within the Ren Cen is downright toxic for Cadillac in its current position of breaking out of the typical GM mold of doing things. The move out of Detroit (doesn’t matter where, just away from GM proper) was about removing that “GM think” from Cadillac. Now that Cadillac is coming back, it will suck them back in and sap all forms of creativity, understanding of luxury, etc. The only way this will work is if they move to Detroit, but NOT into the Ren Cen… and even then it’s a bit too close.
2. The move back to Detroit is also representative of how quickly a new leader is allowed to change direction at a GM brand, subsidiary, product, service or department.
That might be considered a good thing by some, but in this case it’s not – as too much change without a clear direction, which equates to change for the sake of change. It doesn’t give time for the product, the process, the thinking, or the people to settle in and do good work. It’s like moving houses every three months for no reason.
In this case, the move is not about communication with “GM partners”… but it’s about pinching pennies. Carlisle seems to be running Cadillac the way Batey runs Chevy: strip the cars of regular features and cut all costs in order to save a few pennies here and there. Short-term thinking is never good.
3. Name me one successful luxury automaker that shares its headquarters with its mainstream parent:
– Audi is away from VW and is highly successful, in part because it is removed and is a separate company that can make its own decisions
– Porsche is away from VW and is extremely successful
– The same goes for Lamborghini and Bugatti… both of which are separate from VW
– Lexus was partially separate, but has recently come back to good-ol’ Toyota… the result are already starting to show, as they’re killing the GS
– Acura and Infiniti are also-rans… and happen to share headquarters with parent Honda and Nissan, respectively (although Infiniti has a half-assed standalone HQ)
They’re not relocating to the Ren Cen, they’ll be in Warren at the old Cambell Ewald building.
I agree 100% with everything you said. Johan knew he had to get Cadillac away from corporate to get the freedom to truly transform Cadillac once again. That obviously did not last. You will now start hearing of a mass exit of talent from Cadillac as most do not want to live in Detroit. They accepted a job with struggling Cadillac because of the NYC living.
Agree, with the exception of Ewanick. That wasn’t a voluntary departure – ‘Chevy Runs Deep’? Made a mess of Cadillac. Cut a big, unapproved deal with Man U to put the bow tie on their kit. (They don’t sell Chevy in the UK, nor in Man U’s other fan base, SE Asia).
The guy was an egomaniacal, self-promoting disaster. And scared GM away from the idea of (what they still need), a real CMO.
That said, Cadillac moving into the soul-sucking confines of the Ren Cen; bad.
Agree w/ Alex, with the exception of Ewanick. That wasn’t a voluntary departure – ‘Chevy Runs Deep’? Made a mess of Cadillac. Cut a big, unapproved deal with Man U to put the bow tie on their kit. (They don’t sell Chevy in the UK, nor in Man U’s other fan base, SE Asia).
The guy was an egomaniacal, self-promoting disaster. And scared GM away from the idea of (what they still need), a real CMO.
That said, Cadillac moving into the soul-sucking confines of the Ren Cen; bad.
For folks that have not worked at GM they need to just understand this. You either get on board and play the politics game really quickly and you will do fine, otherwise you will be working in a basement office at the GM Tech Center still drying out from the big flood of 2014 for the next 10 years.
Looks like the OLD GM corporate MACHINE wins again..Hopefully the new CT5 still looks promising..I will hold off from judgement until I see what the BEAN COUNTERS are going to do with this VERY storied brand…Its an insult to see a company like Cadillac,Once the STANDARD of the WORLD now becomes the QUESTIONAL JOKE in the luxury car market that it is now (I personally don’t feel that way)Just look at every review (including the new XT4)…I still have a little hope for the brand but GM better not DISAPPOINT us even more….
Sigh ******** beancounters.
They never stick to their decisions. How in the world can we take Cadillac or anything GM says seriously?
The XTS is still in production.
The CT6 got the stupid base i4 engine back.
They’re already running behind on their new car every 6 month “assault”.
They made a CT 6 V despite saying it won’t happen.
Now this.
Next up, the 4.2 will show up on Denali trucks.
At this rate, Cadillac will never change & they’ll be a second rate.
I hope JDN fleeced those ********* dry.
Well, im NOT against a 4.2 tt Denali pick-up but good points otherwise…
IceDree,
I have a different take on the 4.2, I’m thinking the reason the Cadillac Blackwing V8 is being hand-built by a few people in Bowling Green is because since GM developed it, they’ve changed their minds on the need for it and will instead stick with the corporate 2.0 T I-4 and 3.6 V6 for most applications and only produce very limited quantities of the Blackwing then withdraw it entirely in a couple of years. I’m sure it’s much too expensive of an engine for the Denali line.
You might be right, according to Auto Evolution the next Escalade will continue to use the current 6.2.
F***in GM.
Here’s some much better, more accurate info that paints a more complete picture:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2018/08/2020-cadillac-escalade-may-offer-three-powertrain-options/
I wouldn’t give much credibility to some of those those other sites.
I would’ve dismissed it if it wasn’t for the quote :
“the powertrain is the same as the current generation”.
That was from one the dealers who attended the event & saw the new Escalade. Now granted it could be just the configuration Cadillac showed or a 4.2 Escalade wasn’t available at the time. But given today’s news everything is possible.
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/2020-cadillac-escalade-features-console-mounted-shifter-128926.html
A Dealer told The Detroit Free Press that the All New Escalade shown to them by GM will still use 6.2.
At least it will finally utilize Floor Mounted Shifter per Dealer Reports
Agreed.
And don’t forget GM refuses to let the 3.6 Family HF V6 die in cadillacs. It is so ridiculous to me. They are too cheap to use the 3.0TT that is a Cadillac Specific engine. And they wonder why the ATS/CTS were flops. Crazy.
GM is pathetically short sited and clueless when it comes to drivetrains. They just put in any engine where there is extra capacity in that factory. Just look at a C Class Mercedes. There are 6 engine options, including a hybrid and 3 AMG different engine options. One is able to chose the power and price and type of engine the buyer wants. This is not to mention the 3 body styles available in the US, including a convertible but not including the SUVs. Just one look in the interior and one will not find shiny black plastic anywhere, just wood and aluminum. Just this lowly C Class outclasses even the CT6.
Look at the Steve’s face. He’s a typical bean counter from GM lmfao. I bet he loves FWD Chevyllacs. No, I bet he has an “FWD” tattoo on his ass lol
I feel this is not the worst decision he has made. The main worst decisions are in the future. Be ready for the FWD platforms and Chevyllacs.
As a owner of two Cadillacs–big mistake to oust Nysschen–back to sharing the parts bins with the lesser makes–what could have been.
So you think using Corvette parts is from a lesser make? Corvettes are world class!