As a company, Cadillac has been around since 1902, but by the time General Motors purchased it in 1909, it had already made a name for itself as a premier luxury vehicle producer. Since then, Cadillac has undergone a variety of changes, but unfortunately, the marque failed to seize on an opportunity to show off its latest wares at the 2021 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. By contrast, Cadillac rival Lexus was at SEMA in force.
We’ll explain. Cadillac is in the middle of a rebranding effort, leading General Motors in launching a wealth of new technologies and several new electric vehicles. However, although Cadillac enjoys a tremendous amount of cachet among older buyers, the younger crowd still seems to have a hard time connecting with what Cadillac has to offer.
As such, showing up at SEMA may have been a good move to help rectify that disconnect. And it’s not like Cadillac doesn’t have products to show at SEMA – something like an upgraded Blackwing sedan or Escalade would certainly fit the bill.
Unfortunately, Cadillac was sorely missed this year. While there was one CT5-V Blackwing in attendance, it belonged to the Cadillac V-Series Academy driving school, and was not officially a part of Cadillac.
By contrast, one of Cadillac’s biggest rivals, Lexus, was at SEMA, showing up with a variety of interesting vehicles and debuts. Highlights include the Hiraku & Townsend Bell Street performance IS 500, a 2022 Lexus IS 500 sedan built in partnership with Kiraku Co. and professional racing driver / Lexus ambassador Townsend Bell. The four-door includes a new one-off 3D-printed body kit, Seibon carbon fiber hood and trunk, and a vinyl wrap, while the V8 under the hood was upgraded with a new intake, exhaust, and throttle controller. The suspension was upgraded with new coilovers and chassis bracing, while 20-inch wheels are found in the corners.
Lexus builds at SEMA
Continuing the performance theme, Lexus also brought the DSport & Scott Pruett Track Performance IS 350, intended for racing with a new widebody treatment, carbon fiber body pieces, KW coilovers, and more.
The point is this – Lexus was at SEMA, and Cadillac should have been as well. Do you agree? Voice your opinion in the poll below, and remember to subscribe to GM Authority for more GM-related SEMA news, General Motors competition news, Cadillac news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
No … and with the decision to go total electrics, the Cadillac name plate will join others like Oldsmobile, Pontiac, etc that were discontinued.
Yes Cadillac should have been there , they have so much to offer , and a concept or future car would showcase what is to come from Cadillac .
What do they have to offer, just rebadged Chevys by an large.
I spoke with Brandon Vivian and Tony Roma @ Road Atlanta last week and they said the 6 gen Camaro platform was actually developed for Cadillac , so the 6 generation Chevrolet Camaro is sharing Cadillac’s .
Of course, Caddy should show off their wares and what is possible to make them unique. As a closed event to the general public, business people are there to see glitzy product offerings and customized vehicles. Adding stickers to a car does not make it appealing or individualized. Real Individualization of the Chariot is our market here. My family has been at this for 80 years and altho the market changes, people’s attitudes do not when it comes to a cool ride. The car owner wants a vehicle to be seen as a reflection of their personality. That’s what sells whether it is a wild custom or the right shade of color. Everything on that vehicle is an economy within itself which is an extension of the $2 trillion auto industry. The customization is just a 100Billion by-product that most mfrs have not figured out. People like Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell knew what sold to bored consumers. Vehicular Emotion Marketing? Yes. When have you ever seen people buy a car with rationality? Not many. I learned this from selling cars since the age of 15, 50 years ago. But then again, at this time in history, the long line of common humanity does some strange things.
Cadillac may become another “my daddy’s Oldsmobile”. They need to be careful, get a young popular celebrity to promote. Show the young engineers designing and engineering the new EV’s. .
They are doing that right now, some young female singer … GM has managed stupidly the Cadillac brand, the Cadillac name once meant the best there was … not anymore. Their lineup is basically rebadged Chevys, with hardly a standout. Makes with names like BMW, Volvo, even Mercedes is in trouble as people don’t want what they are offering.
What female singer are you talking about? If you are talking about Regina King, she is an actress.
YES, Cadillac should have been at SEMA, why the hell do they have Blackwing and V series?
The General missed the boat in more ways than one at the 2021 SEMA Show. Ford rocked and stole the show. GM’s display lacked pizazz. Ford’s display was mobbed all the time. GM’s display had lots of carpet showing.
I have attended many SEMA shows and unfortunately this has been the case for years. Ford puts a lot more time and effort into their show vehicles and displays. They also typically have a big drift and jump course outside in a prime location. GM has at times had a small test drive or ride along track hidden outback but it’s been hit and miss. With the exception of the Corvette you see the same timidness in their product lines. I have wished for years that GM would inject a little more excitement into their cars, trucks and public events. I see things slowly improving but not as fast as I would like. I want to see the day that GM is once again the undisputed leader!
Truckz: AMEN to your SEMA Show comment. Also Ford had huge blue oval signage hung from the front of the convention center’s display halls. GM had nada.
I’ve never been to a SEMA and I always thought it was more after market products and new vehicle introductions. GM or at least Chevrolet should partner with third parties to go show their wares on GM vehicles.
Yes, regardless of the move to electric which will make it a less exciting brand. They needed to take the V-series and give it something to make it stand out or with in-house upgrade kits. I’m sure there is someone out there doing cool stuff with both the CT4 and CT5. Look at what Emelia Hartford has done with her C8! I’m sure there is someone out there doing something like this with a Caddy.
People are and have been doing things with Caddy’s for as long as I can remember. My dad had a 64 sedan Deville with a built 390, pewter silver with a mint green top way back in 1967. My CTS-V wagon had 800HP, lowered, and other things that made it mine. Was at the Drags a few weeks ago and there were several CT models in various forms all with Hi-Po addons, wheels, lowered. So yes, people are getting them cool’d up.
It seems as though you haven’t had the privilege to sample the new Blackwing , the car is so well rounded and engineered from the factory, most people can’t drive them at their limits , no need to modify it just learn how to drive it .Don’t get me wrong I would have loved a LT5 in my CT5 V Blackwing but I guess a measly 668 horsepower LT4 will have to do.
Yes thay should have been there, I’m a proud owner of a 21 XT 5 sport love it. Raybe LV,NV
Here is my take on Cadillac. Back in the early 80’s import restrictions were placed on Japanese low cost compact vehicles. It was to give the big three time to catch up. But the way the law was written it did not cover luxury vehicles. What happen, the big Japanese three imported luxury brands that were the Acura, Infinity and Lexus. All three stole business from Cadillac. Mine you quality on the American side was trash at the time.
Cadillac has a great product coming out, the Lyric. A nice modern kind of name, modern style and technology that should attract the young techies. GM should use this to create a new division named the Lyric and let it distant itself from the Cadillac branding. Lyric be EV and Cadillac ICE driven until the ICE fads away.
Wouldn’t it be cool to voice “Say Lyric”…… instead of my daddy’s Cadillac?
Lyric name is a great brand name for an Estee Lauder lipstick. Love the vehicle brand name Escalade.
The Escalade is a stellar flagship model for Cadillac. Also a high $$$ margin product for the General. A loaded Escalade is extremely popular with Gangbangers, NFL, NBA players and primadonnas. Highly recommend it be exhibited at the Sema Show.
Absolutely they should have been there! If not them, then perhaps a tuner like D3 Cadillac.
Cadillac brand needs a complete contemporary refocus. Cadillac is a dated brand name. Cadillac was a French explorer who founded Detroit along the straight narrows, aka Detroit River, which was an industrial sewer for many years until the Feds with their EPA came down on Michigan and Ontario.
GM needs a new brand name based on a technology something. Musk hit a home run with the Tesla name. Let GM contact me and I’ll provide some suggestions gratis.
GM needs to stop leaving money on the table when it comes to Cadillac. The answer is very obvious.
No.
I’d hate to see a CT5 with no doors, matte camo-painted, 4′ diameter black wheels, and roll bars.