Not enough mentioned in this segment about the poor quality of US made cars pushing customers to foreign brands. This was definitely part of the story behind US decline.
100%. I have a Cadillac CT5-V that was bought back because power steering would only work on left turns but not right turns at highway speeds. 3 power steering racks later, could not fix it. So I went to Lexus. I wish so much to have the Cadillac instead. It was a much better car. Unfortunately, the facility and workers at the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant proved that they still cannot put together a car, no matter how well designed it is.
In the 1950s and 1960s American cars were better made than Asian and European cars. They were very reliable compared to foreign cars and more luxurious. Even a low level American Ford was on a par with the likes of a BMW.
They didn't mention pricing in the 50's and 60's. Cadillacs only cost about twice what a regular family car cost while a Mercedes was 4X as expensive. This gave foreign brands an "old money" or "serious money" image. This price structure lead to de-contenting cars through the 60's and 70's until there was no real difference between a Caddy and a loaded up Chevy. Cadillac had the best V8 in the world in 1950 an pioneered AC and electric windows. By 1970...it was just another GM car with no real prestige or presence. By 1970, the old shop foreman could buy a Caddy....why would the boss want the same car? If they had kept the pricing structure of the 1930's and put 4-5x more money into the cars and development, they could have avoided all this.
Good point. Cadillac diluted themselves to nothing for decades during and after the 1960's. Chasing marketshare and skimping on innovation and largely underestimating or flat out ignoring the competition and consumer demand. Then the whole Northstar V8 engine fiasco that GM let linger for over a decade before properly rectifying which just about killed what Cadillac had left of a reputation. It's a shame really, since it's such an old and dignified American marque that's over 100 years old, but it truly is a pitiful shadow of its former self.
Sometime in the 70s cars were financed for longer terms which also allowed lower management or even a guy that had some really good overtime at the factory a couple of years to purchase a car that he probably couldn't really afford ( 30 years later leasing, balloon payments, smart buys which allowed a guy who could afford a Maxima to buy a 5 series) like a coupe DeVille which made his boss who drove a Fleetwood not feel as special. You got to give general motors a little bit of slack though if we owned GM/Cadillac would we not fall in love with those great prophet margins. I'm saying they built Halo cars (El Dorado brougham, those V16 engines of the 1930s even the Fleetwood Talisman) before and they didn't sell as well as they would have liked. They also took a Nova and made the 1975 Seville. We owned one and it was hella nice. The '80s wasn't all bad they had innovation but not the technology.
@@snuffa.luffagus7588, I’m from Detroit and it’s sad af! They don’t listen to ppl outside of the Big 3, trust me on this. I use to go to GM headquarters and talk to the big bosses and one excuse after another. A Concepts take far too long to bring to the streets.
Let me correct you. They didn't lose their market to prestige imports. They lost market share by stupidly losing their focus on the luxury market. They both became little mid-sized cars with enough plastic to supply Mattel for a decade. To stress my point; Our family has purchased three Cadillac Fleetwoods and two Sedan DeVilles, we owned two Lincoln Mark 4's and 5's as well as three Town Cars. None of us has ever owned a Mercedes or Audi sedan. The reason is clear. Both brands lost their focus trying to be everything to everyone. Now they are just junk.
This is what change management is supposed to prevent from happening. Their job is to read the market and determine what's the direction that should be forged next. What we'e seen over and over is, however, at the end of the day, usually a company that's led well is led by a single visionary. Steve Jobs. Elon Musk. Is it any wonder that Apple has pretty much remained stagnant right after Jobs died?
I agree. PURE PLASTIC JUNK… No one cares about their lil SUV’s that all look almost identical… They were done for back in 2008…. Quit having Liberals design your cars…
@@rdizzo1313 WTF does one's political affiliation has to do with designing cars? And more importantly, what evidence do you have about who the designers are? Oh, you don't have ANY evidence! You just thought to add politics into a subject that NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS! You're very obviously lick the Orange man's taint clean so he doesn't need toilet paper.
@@TradLibChinaman "Quality and dependability" do not equal a dressed up Ford LTD, or a dressed up Chevy Caprice, both of which were 40+ year old designs. The American public will not fall for that crap anymore.
If you pay for the cheapest version of any automaker, you get the lowest quality. Bunch of ignorant people that know ZERO about cars thinking that they are all made equal. Ask how many people that bought top of the line US cars and see if they are disappointed. You are comparing higher end european cars to lower end American ones. Yeah a fair comparison
I don't know how you can call the Tesla Model 3 or Y "premium." They're premium priced, but from a materials quality and fit and finish standpoint, they're in the same class as Chevy or Ford. As BEV powertrains spread (and if the other manufacturers ever catch up to Tesla's lead in powertrain and battery management), Tesla's going to have to either reduce their prices or drastically improve the build and materials quality of their cars.
Premium is not only price, but also desirability. No one would call a Camry a premium product. From a quality POV it certainly is, but it is a tool, no one saves up money and aspires to own a Camry. Tesla though? Currently everyone aspires to own a Tesla. Owning a Tesla is a sign that you are on the cutting edge of automotive technology, it is a status symbol saying "I made it". You see this also with luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes, no one really aspires to them anymore. A Mercedes E class or BMW 5 series don't carry the same gravitas they used to anymore with the endless leasing options available to every brand new college grad and his/her dog.
@@michaelkovalsky4907 Completely agree. Easy credit is the worst thing that's ever happened to society because it allows people to obtain things they don't deserve. I think Volvo's the only brand that still says "I have good taste AND good manners."
@@michaelkovalsky4907 no one looks at a Tesla model 3 or Y and says “I made it”. That’s more of a phrase suited towards vehicles upwards of 80k. Maybe a Model S or X. But again those are still regular traffic. A Model S Plaid would fit that phrase the best
@@michaelkovalsky4907 I would argue that premium is about build quality, materials used and so on. To me the Japanese and the Germans are the leaders. Tesla is certainly not a premium brand, yet neither is Volvo (and I do like them). Why? Just because the build quality is not there. I believe it is a cultural thing. I'm from Europe and have visited both US and Sweden many times. I will always argue that folks in both countries are too laid back to build premium cars. And, let me clear about this, I'm not saying that is bad. I like Volvo's and Lincoln Town Cars. To me they have so much more character than any modern BMW, Merc, Lexus or what have you. In the end to me it is a matter of personal taste more than anything else.
It has nothing to do with that. Government regulations made it far more expensive to produce American cars. Imports did not need to meet half those regulations and could make their cars either cheaper or more reliable while American cars suffered from the inability to compete with cost/performance. European cars are now facing the same problems that American cars faced before and it is not just cars manufactured white goods and electronics are in the same position right now. Apple is an America brand yet it has to manufacture in Asian where there are less regulations.
@@bighands69 Yes it does have to due with badge engineering. Why would someone pay 30,000 more for the same vehicle if there was little changes to and everyone knows what it is. Those same government regulations that made it more expensive to produce American cars? Guess what, the foreign brands had to do the same with additional logistic costs and tariffs but still outsold their American counterparts. BMW has had a plant in the US where most of their SUVs are made for a little over 20 years now and the big three Japanese brands have Multiple plants across the country. They might not have been in this situation if it wasn't for there vehicles being shitboxes, made of cheap plastics and them lobbying Congress to increase Congress to increase the tariffs on the Japanese brands because they were taking market share away which ironically was the main catalyst in being the reason for the creation of Acura, Lexus, and Infiniti.
Most young buyers wants cars that are cheap and reliable. No one wants a cadillac or lincoln as their first car. They both wanted to make their brands feel like luxury so they lost out on buyers wanting affordable and reliable. Most people i know either want Nissan or Toyota cars.
@@mk17173n I actually wanted a DTS as my first car 🤣 but gas 3.55 that 8 cylinder would drain me......but Rn Hyundai and Toyota’s used cost more than a caddy 🤔
Both brands reached a toxic point where they are almost beyond redemption. Gen X and Millennials associate both with the garbage built and marketed to senior citizens throughout the 80’s and 90’s. I thought it was odd GM didn’t axe Buick when they ended the other brands, and then tried to pitch Buick to the younger generation. Buick was the quintessential old person car for our entire lives! No amount of marketing is going to undo decades of engrained perception. Lincoln and Cadillac would both be in that same boat if it weren’t for the goodwill they gained with the first Navigator and Escalade, those broke the mold, but then they let both go stale and lost what little ground they had made in the minds of the younger buyers. I’d bet the Escalade brand has more value than the Cadillac brand does (much like The Ram brand held more value than Dodge).
Buick has quite the following in China for some reason so that's why it's still around. It sells more of them in China than the US. It's actually their star brand in China.
I agree entirely with you, and yet, not at all. Even as recent as the CTS/ATS Cadillac targeted the older generations. Plastic buttons, m'eh build quality, etc. But the latest cars have improved considerably, and as a result I'm a millennial with 2 modern Cadillacs in my driveway. That said... there's 0 chance I would consider a driving a Buick. Even Lincoln is a hard sell.
I love the older American cars from the 80's and 90's. Have owned 87, 92 and 93 Buicks, currently 2 Oldsmobiles 01 and 02. Amazing how clean and low mileage these cars can be found for around $2,000 all thanks to their senior citizen owners 🤣.
Strangely enough I would buy a Buick before I’d get a Cadillac. And Lincoln? They look good but they’re so unreliable for the amount you pay why bother when you can spend your hard earned money on something better and more reliable
@@johniii8147 Buick had some famous Chinese owners; like the last emperor, founder modern China(Sun Yat Sen), and Wife of Chiang Kai Shek. Even after the communist take over, some of the higher up of the communist party own a Buick. In fact, the Buick owned by premier Chou Enlai is preserve in a museum in China.
Those legendary Cadillacs and Lincolns of the 50s and 60s looked so ornate, almost like jewelry. Style was definitely the name of the game from the flamboyant 50s to the sleek 60s. I especially like the thin steering wheel which allows you to control these land yachts with your pinky. Modern fat steering wheels feel out of place in these cars. Modern Cadillacs and Lincolns also don't feel as roomy as the old ones. They have to find a way to somehow combine the style of the past with modern technology and safety.
YES. Cars from the 50s-70s seemed to emphasize beauty first. Modern cars don't feel special at all, and don't get me started about these designs. They simply do not look good.
I agree. For me, it's not so much about the price (I could not afford one anyway) or the build quality (never experienced that). But Cadillacs from the 50s and 60s look cool and stylish, more modern ones just look boring.
Cadillac came really close with the Ciel concept back in 2011. It reminded me of the mid 70s El Dorado. Very much on brand with Caddy historically. Alas, like most of their best concepts, it never made if to production
@@Tuppoo94 Agree about the horizontal lines. It was a great start at the same time. It had the potential to develop into a seriously trendsetting line of cars. It struck a balance between innovative and retro.
Here’s the problem with US made cars, they offer significantly less quality at a marked up value. They have been sitting on their high horse of being American brand for years and we now see that it costed them the relationship with many consumers. Brands like Honda, KIA, and Toyota are now being shopped for generations to come simply cause they offer more than standard model American vehicles. I’m a huge fan of the Chevy brand as it was my first vehicle, but I’d rather buy a second hand fully loaded Honda Accord sport than a brand new standard model Malibu cause I know the features alone blows Chevy out of the water.
Absolutely. CNBC only asks why questions with the mindset that American companies should succeed, while it’s obvious to see how much they had skimmed on R&D, fit and finish, design and everything. It’s a surprise that these companies are still around.
Tell that to the average American white male with an ego & powertrip in tow…..that’s their modus operandi…greed & profits over people….the environment & anything else for short term gain ….& long term detriment….yay to the American way. 🥳
Nope. Management's focused on adversarial unions and their counterproductive motivation and innovation killing contracts instead of building cars for customers.
It looks good until you realize you can never see it because it’s always in the shop. I know because I own a modern-ish Lincoln (2013). In 2021 Lincoln was rated the worst on reliability so I assumed nothing has changed
@@lintonfr Depends a lot on the model in question. For example the Lincoln LS, built on a Jaguar platform was complete trash and always breaking down. On the other hand, the Town Car on the panther platform is one of the most reliable cars ever made. From what I've seen the Continental ought to be pretty reliable, built on the same platform as the Taurus Sadly Ford decided not to make cars any more, so folks that actually want a luxury sedan have to look to imports now for anything resembling a proper luxury car that actually rides nice and/or had room for anything in it.
I have a slightly different take. Back in the 1950's, when I was a kid, most cars were poor quality. So you bought a Cadillac or Lincoln not just for pristige but for quality. In the 1960's and 70's quality of all cars improved, especially with the Japanese imports, reducing the significance of the luxury brand of car.
Me personally I agree with that because if you buy a mainstream domestic or foreign brand, usually you can get some form of luxury out of the higher trims. Meaning now I think luxury car brands don’t sell much because nobody really wants one because mainstream brands became much more reliable now.
I'm a mechanic and you are correct. These people are ignorant and don't appreciate what these brands have came from. Today's cars would run circles around the old ones in every area.
I have a 2002 Ford van with 230;000 miles, starts and runs great. In the 50's and 60's and even 70's a car would start smoking at 60 to 80;000 miles. Additionally, I'm in Minnesota and my car started last winter at 25 below. In the 60's we had to the battery in every night that was below zero. You young whippersnappers have it good.
@@evanc6110 Yes. Back then if you reached 100,000 miles on a car you got lucky and could pretty much expect it to die within the next year or two. Then the Japanese came and changed all that. It took Honda and Toyota cars to show that a 200,000-300,000 mile old car was even possible. Reliability and build quality more than anything killed Cadillac and Lincoln.
I LOVE my 2017 Lincoln Continental, I really wish they kept making them, but American's seem to want SUV's. Nothing against SUV's, but they have no style and are boring. The Lincoln Continental is just so classy, and the design inside and out was so well done. The Continental was all about large, quiet, refinement, comfort American cruiser, with great lines, plus has all wheel drive. Really wish they stuck around, mine has the full glass roof, so nice. I test drove the Cadillac CT6, also had All Wheel Drive, it is also a large, very nice car, it is a lighter car, due to using Aluminum, it is the faster car, but I really didn't care about high speed, I am not going to a track, I wanted the heavy, comfy, American large luxury sedan. the Lincoln Continental style inside and out was better, in my opinion. I feel the materials used inside are slightly better in the Lincoln, better layout and the seats are just amazing. Test drove the Lincoln after the Cadillac and I was sold on the Lincoln. Ford/Lincoln I feel really turned that brand around, but so sad no more Continental. Also, sad no more Cadillac CT6. Wish more American's bought sedans. One last side note, one other thing that turned me off on the Cadillac I just hate the alpha numeric names, CT6 sounds like a calculator model number. Should have named it the Seville or the Sedan Deville, Loved how Lincoln brought back real names to the cars and SUVs, sad the Continental is gone. They nailed it.
I am now 70 and have been through too many vehicles to count, small ones, large sedans, trucks. I recently bought a Continental 2018 Premium model and I love this vehicle. Smooth comfy, classy...just plain beautiful. I had a Mercedes gle 350 which turned out to be not so nice. My very first car was a 1954 Olds Delta 88. That was a monster to drive. I will probably keep the Lincoln until I die. That should tell you the quality of Lincoln Continental. I talk from experience.
@GothRocker You should test drive the Genesis G90...much better car in a luxury old school V8 kind of way. Should be very reliable ling term as well I test drove one back to back with a Cadillac CT6 and the Genesis G90 came off, to me, as much more luxurious
We have the new Continental and absolutely love it. Sadly, it was canceled too soon. The biggest mistake Lincoln has made recently is not putting the suicide doors on all Continentals. It would have sold 2x as many. Still a great car with unmatched comfort in the front seats. My Audi S8 was amazingly comfortable, but it cannot touch the Continental’s front seats.
No. The Continental was a waste of engineering time and money. No suicide doors will save sedans from the desire of Americans to purchase SUVS. The sedan is dying out and Lincoln responded to that.
@@NileshR12 true, but most who bought it were livery company and such, so not a lot of regular daily driving customers got to even touch them, except for a lucky few.
No. It is over for them. They lost the very core they were a part of. Unless they go back to making living rooms on wheels they are over. I sat in a 70s Cadillac and I never wanted to leave. Such beauty and comfort.. They just knew what they were doing back then. Don’t get me started on Lincoln. They had the town car market without competition. They were the “limousine”. And they just gave it up. Pretty stupid if you ask me. They should go back to producing what they used to..
If you think sitting in one is comfortable, try driving one. I currently have a 64 Caddy. Power steering is so light you can almost breath on the wheel to turn a corner, brakes are very light aswell and the suspension is so comfortable that you can drive over the most bumpy roads without feeling anything. The downside is that it drives like a boat. But I completely agree with you. They used to be innovative luxury cruisers that were filled with cutting edge technology and were trendsetters in terms of styling
Imagine... With the technology that's available today, I'm certain that modern day reiterations of the big land yachts would be possible. I'd even like to see a manufacturer further develop the old 20's/30s steam power technology of Abner Doble... His cars ran about as good as their contemporary gasoline powered cars, like the Duesenberg. Also, it's never made sense to me why the manufacturers never release in production what we see as "show" cars... Like the Chrysler Atlantic of several years ago... Or that cool looking Holden that resembled a 1950 Chevrolet. I once saw a Continental Concept that was a modernized version of the 61-65 Continental, slab sides, "electric razor" grill, French doors and all. I'm positive that it would have sold like sliced bread.
I dont want a friggin' Escalade or CTS. I want a big, glitzy Fleetwood Brougham or Eldorado with soft, pillowy velour seats, chrome bumpers and trim, wire wheels, hood ornaments and a quiet, cushy ride. PLEASE!
The new cars are great in many ways but the big Caddys of the 50s and 60s were so distinctive and special both in design and luxury that no other brand could compete with them. The extra money made all the difference in quality too. When I was only 19 years old in the RCAF in 1968 I had a beautiful 1959 de Ville 4 door hardtop and later two 1961 Coupe de Ville models. They had all the special options and had such luxurious upholstery. All three had high performance 390 cu in engines and 4 speed overdrive Hydramatics which pushed them easily over 125-130 mph and still gave approx 21 mpg cruising at 75 mph. Not bad for a 4800 lb bullet with a 130 inch wheel base. They could even surprise the Roadrunners with their amazing top end. I still love them today. God Bless America. RS, Maj Ret, Alberta, Canada.
Agreed, until GM's quality specifically comes close to that of the overseas competition, they are deservedly losing sales to better made overseas models. I say this as someone who has owned GMs (my first car was a GM) and until I drove my first import, I thought all cars had rattles, broke several times a year, and were basically supposed to wallow while going down the highway. One of my early jobs in my 20's, was one where I ferried customer's cars from one city to another nearby one. This is where I discovered just how much of a difference there was between Mercs, BMWs, Cadillacs, Toyotas and pretty much every major brand of car. This is where I discovered how much better made overseas cars were than our own American ones. And it doesn't help that Cadillac's have gotten uglier and uglier.
When you don’t adapt with times. There is always a new generation of buyers and new money. And another problem is the complacency. But with all honestly, the new Escalade is nice!
It's stupid to judge a person by the car they happen to occupy at the moment--but I always thought anyone who purchases an Escalade must be stupid, don't know the new ones but there was nothing but cheesy Chevy in them traditionally. Horrible drama styling with cheep plastic chrome crap everywhere, dashboard made out of half a trash bin....rubbish on road and off, unreliable, totally tasteless. I'd have to be in best humor to be seen in one, sort of the expensive version of the laughable PT Cruiser.
Auto industry is so competitive too. Tesla and the whole EV movement and many people also like SUV’s and pick ups now. They’ve took a lot of market share.
I remember an article published in the late 80s where they studied the actual demographics of who bought a Cadillac: a retired blue-collar man. In most cases is was the very last car they ever bought, and it had been that way since the 60s. It wasn't a luxury car to the people that they wanted to sell it to.
I think it's what they call "aspirational." Normal people couldn't afford it unless they worked their entire lives for it. True luxury should mean it's unaffordable. Period.
@@Rudenbehr Luxury is a standard that constantly changes and is entirely subjective much of the time. Cotton, for example, was considered a luxury item for centuries, but now only the best cotton is, and anyone of moderate means can afford expensive cotton sheets.
I was raised on domestics, and five of my first six vehicles were domestics (one Ford and one Chevy from the 1970s, three Chryslers from the late 1980s and early 1990s). When we needed a station wagon in 2001, our options were the Subaru Legacy, the Saturn LW, and the VW Passat. My wife liked the Passat, which we still own. Even she noticed the improvement in handling and driving experience. It has been VW/Audi for us ever since.
These brands need to restore the faith of buyers. The prestige and reliability of them is how American vehicles are perceived. Those that seek prestige usually pursue imports!
Most of you do not realize what is actually going on. No matter what the American brands do they cannot overcome all the regulations that put on them. It is the reason why American Manufacturers have outsourced to Mexico and Canada.
Leave the reliability to the Japanese. Americans are all show and no go. They are just way too jaded. You can’t keep innovating without being humble. Americans are not humble.
Quality always shows. Unlike probably every other poster here, I actually BUILT cars, in Tarrytown NY. We were contracted to build 59 cars an hour. We never, ever built less than 63, and usually 65. We actually went to management and said "We could build you a Rolls Royce - if you'd slow the line down to 55 cars an hour, maximum". They didn't even laugh. What counted was NUMBERS, not quality. And the "management" didn't WANT the cars to last - they wanted you buying a new one at least every three years. This was true all across GM and probably Ford as well. Chrysler had such legendary quality control problems we never took them seriously I mean, they got sued by the US government because the Aspen/Volare had such bad rust problems!
Lincoln is coming back gradually, but according to consumer reports, they're at the bottom of the reliability list, they're dead last. Still not good at all.
Is any modern ICE car reliable? Interference engines, rubber timing belts, planned obsolescence at 100k miles (unless you get a Toyota Hilux truck, and btw they had rust problems and had to settle a nasty class action lawsuit for big bucks)? I think the only thing left to define luxury is the interior, unless you want to become a gear-head and see how fast you can accelerate in a quarter mile or around curves (i.e., buy a super car). As for Tesla...their greatest asset is their trademark (Nicholas Tesla's next of kin get nothing), since EVs are in general unreliable at today's level of technology (in 30-50 years I'm sure it will be different).
I went to test-drive a new Lincoln a couple of years ago; it smelled so strongly of glue and cheap plastic that I was instantly nauseated. The salesman said "That's the new-car smell!"; as I left, I said "You should test-drive a new BMW".
😬 That’s no good. You can tell certain German cars are made with more detail. I drive a Chevy personally and it does the job but you’re right about BMW’s. Mercedes too.
I took the wife to look at the Lincoln Corsair last summer and I thought it smelled like very nice leather. Ended up with a Lexus NX that actually smells even better, but that was only due to getting a better lease rate. The Lincoln interior was actually much more premium looking.
@@vtr279 - I have a couple buddies that have Audi’s. They swear by them. Great cars. I actually have some family that lives in Germany too. I’m riding my Chevy til the wheels fall off lol and maybe after that I’ll change to something different
Great video. I really love the historical photographs and videos. American car brands optimize quarterly profits. Alfred P. Sloan of General Motors originated hands off division management as long as the Return On Investment met targets. Toyota optimizes customer satisfaction.
I've had two Cadillacs loved both; If American car makers would make cars that don't systematically break down, one thing after another, as soon as the warranty runs out, Maybe they'd sell a lot more cars and folks would be more loyal to your brand. I drive a Toyota now with 99% less problems after warranty expired.
@@Mrbfgray Not really. Bought the wife a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica by choice. We're in our early 30's lol. Great van so far, I think we're the only people on our street with an American car besides a couple pick up trucks I've seen lol.
@@Stressless2023 I don't know about the Pacifica per se but Chryslers are known to be crap, no offense. Pickups the exception. I bet you will have major problems with it over time, transmission particularly. It will fall to pieces.
We own a Continental Black Label, and we get compliments everywhere we go. Such a gorgeous car. I hope Lincoln revives it again in the future on a proper RWD electric platform and make it a competitor to Lucid & EQS.
You can thank the bean counters at GM for demise of Cadillac. Between the V8-6-4, the diesel, the aluminum V8’s and the lack of distinctive styling, they were bound to fall out of favor with the American buyer. Their products of late share almost everything with the cheaper Chevrolet. Why spend the extra money? In my opinion the Lexus was the make that put final nails in the coffin. I can afford a Cadillac, but I wouldn’t even consider it.
Yes, how well I remember the Cimmaron. I only drove one, and it had a manual transmission. I never was much of a Lincoln fan, but I suppose that they had their clinkers too.
@Dave Cook: V864 was only 1 model year (unless you bought a factory limo which were very low production), Diesel was only 10% of Total Cadillac production of the time, aluminum V8's are still in use today, Cadillac is not in a coffin, Lexus is a rebadged Toyota.
Sadly, no. Both Cadillac and Lincoln are rudderless. Cadillac has spent a couple decades trying unsuccessfully to be an American copy of BMW M division and Mercedes AMG. But that market of buyers wanting a fast sedan is vanishingly small. Lincoln has been nothing more than an upscale Ford trim level, with nothing special to recommend it.
This, they are still just a rebadge company with tweaks. Same view I hold to infinity and lexus as well. Versus bmw, mercedes, or even porche. Those I think of with their own unique cars specifically designed with a goal. While the rebadges are left with a hull and told to make it look good. But because of that, they also carry the weight of anything about the base model. Got a yukon getting deadpanned for mechanical issues? No one is going to buy the upscale escalade either since you know they are similar enough to expect similar troubles.
The Lincoln Aviator has a PHEV that none of the Ford vehicles have. That's the only unique thing that Lincoln has. That and the fact that the Corsair doesn't share the 1.5 ecoboost engine with the Escape.
"But that market of buyers wanting a fast sedan is vanishingly small".... So, why do BMW and Mercedes sell so many cars then?? The vanishingly small market is those buyers who want plushness and floatiness - those buyers are DEAD. Global tastes for premium brands tend to favor athleticism and clean, sporty character. Cadillac is building precisely the cars they should be building, otherwise they would be already dead. Brand image is a tough nut to crack, and often takes decades to build - in Cadillac's case, they have a double challenge of shedding an "old luxury" image and building a contemporary brand that is in tune with today's tastes in premium autos - that's why it is taking so long and is so hard for them.
Cadillac didn’t lose me, loved em since I was kid and that’s what I started buying once I could afford one in my 20’s. I’m 41 now and I have 3 Cadillacs!
I’ve had a few Cadillac’s and the main thing that I have noticed is that they sure got smaller interior size especially. When we were taking my father to the hospital for treatments I had a 93 Sedan Deville. He could just get in the back seat by himself with the bigger rear doors and higher roof line. When we got to the 98’s it got a little bit harder for him. Come 2004 he just couldn’t” fold up” enough to sit in the back anymore. I feel very strongly that if they would make a good 4door sedan. The size of the 93 at least. They would have a winner. People want the style of a Cadillac and always will. But not all of us can climb up into a Escalade just to have the interior room. And pay up to 90,000 +. There technology has improved so much that the engineers could build something a lot better than the old 4.6. Longer and wider please. At least one model and see what happens.
They can't anymore. Nether company as the resources. It would cost each company billions of dollars to built=d a car as good as Lexus. People wont buy it in sufficient enough numbers to make a profit because the perception is they build crap. Then both GM and Ford would have to spend billions more building a car as good as Lexus, and again they will loose a fortune because the perception is they build crap, but now a little more favorable. Then they have to spend billions more for the 3rd generation, and again will loose a fortune, because the perception will still be they build crap, but getting better. Then they will have to spend billions more of a 4th generations, maybe by now they can break even because it's 20 years down the road and people see they build cars equal to Toyota. Then they would have to spend billions more on a 5th generation before their perceptions is equal to Toyota and they can start making a profit. For 50 years both GM and Ford made crap, it will take 25-30 years of pouring 10's of billions and losing money the whole time to turn it around. It cannot be done, both companies will be bankrupt long before then. They would be much better off merging. Getting out of building cars completely. Shrinking the size of their business. Focus on building the best possible pickup and SUV, a lot of profit in trucks & SUV's. Forget badge engineering, keep Caddy separate from GMC & Chevy. Really get a good reputation for building quality trucks & SUV and a reputation like Toyota has now, and slowly getting back into the car market. It will still take 25-30 years, but wont cost as much and they will be making a profit along the way.
In California in West L.A when I drive through these neighborhoods pretty much every driveway features: Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Range Rover, Lexus, Tesla! Very, very few Navigators or Escalade's no sedans from Cadillac or Lincoln. The Euro brands seem to carry prestige that the American brands no longer have. If things don't change soon we might sadly see the end of Cadillac and Lincoln.When the brands go electric and if Lincoln and Cadillac misstep they are completely dead! I really hope they can survive.
It's not really about "reliability" in that space. It's more about a status symbol. And Cadillac and Lincoln are not really good creditability in that space anymore.
@@geekedmaxx i believe that. My older sister bought a white 98 olds mobile from this elderly couple a few years ago. It looked brand new, nothing wrong with it. The old couple really took care of that car, they even said that they only used the car to go to church. Lol I was just amazed how great in condition it was an the interior an low mileage an it ran great after having that car for like 20 years. So taking care of the vehicle im sure helps it last. An that car was reliable. Thats why right now i take care of my 2018 honda civic. 😂i try to keep it pristine as much as i can . I even detail under my hood an under my vehicle so theres no dirt or dust. Its my OCD i guess🤣
@@betterthanyourname2391 I had a '99 Oldsmobile Intrigue that I bought brand new and the damn thing held up for 21 years, I drove it for 7 years/140k miles almost problem free (I remember a window regulator, struts, and I believe the A/C gave me some trouble), it sat as a spare car for a few years until my oldest son started driving, gave him very little trouble that he told me about, middle son took it over, trashed it, and just last year we donated it with 192k miles and beat to hell but it still cranked up and drove itself up onto that flatbed when they hauled it away. Great car.
Short answer No. That ship has sailed long ago. Luxury isn't just car looks, fit and finish. Luxury is perception, marketing and branding more than anything. I drive a Benz and can tell you that my 1991 3000GT had better interior than this squeaky ass W212. But people no matter what love this damn car and I'm just like I've seen and had better from less. Here's how they could possibly get it back. Long wheelbase, (Rolls Royce) tall, squeak free interior meaning the damn materials don't sound like a children's toy 🤦🏾♂️ make the car accessible to owner servicing. I get manufactures need to allow dealers to service cars to make profit but if you look back or at any successful car that was luxury could be serviced by the owner. Here's the thing, owners up in age generally take their cars to be serviced out of convenience. Why do owners like to wrench, b/c it says that car is mine. I can teach my child something. Right now the industry is greedy and consumers are being shafted off the deep end because, of greed and financial illiteracy among many. I digress. A luxury car isn't a sports car. Get back to the 80s Mercedes and BMW quality then you'd have something on your hands. The last good American Luxury car was the Lincoln Coach Door, prior it was a long 30yr gap.
Man do I agree with you! I don't understand this fascination with gearing luxury cars toward sports/performance cars and forcibly meshing the two together to make a product that doesn't serve what the market wants. I go to the auto show every year and I'm just dumbfounded by how cheap the interiors are in some of these rides. I was shocked by Jaguar. The material was so cheap and the interior design was meh. I think Cadillac and Lincoln will do fine to make their way back toward the top but they need to work on image and stop trying to copy other brands and be innovative.
I drive a Lincoln town car daily and never have had a single issue with the vehicle. Such a luxurious ride and a reliable car all around. Sad that they stopped production of them in 2011. Wish I could get a brand new one once mine runs through its life cycle.
I never understood that I have a 2002 Town car that 98 to 2011 panther platform is solid. You know I understand Ford wasn't selling as many of the three types to the public crown Vic Town car Grand Marquis but I always wanted what about the sales to the police in town departments I mean in the US and in Canada. Did they lose the contract or something?
@@WhatsCookingTime Most police departments back then before 2012 were mostly Crown Vics. They loved them and that's why they've kept some of them for so long. They never wanted to get rid of them
Lincoln and Cadillac are like driving cigar boxes for an older generation. Keep the comfort and luxury, but modernize them with sustainable materials and fun features. Think outside of the traditional box. Give me a living room on wheels and a backseat limo experience.
I agree. I think that Cadillac and Lincoln messed up by trying to fight Germans at their game of sport touring cars. Traditional American luxury was soft comfortable luxury.
@@Jrtowns1 True Cadillac and Lincoln were what luxury cars was supposed to be they messed up when they tried to make them high performance luxury vehicles they should have stuck to what they did best luxury vehicles and left the high performance vehicles to chevy and ford
Cadillac's target audience started dying in large numbers during the 90's so Fleetwood's, Coupe De Ville's, Seville's and Eldorado's were no longer selling. Their attempts at "European" cars (Cimarron, Catera and Allante all failed due to lousy engineering and quality) and younger buyers prefer Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and Infinity along with many other choices. The Cadillac's of the last 20 years with the exception of the DTS were all attempts at their own "Mercedes" or "BMW" and again have failed due to boring styling, bad engines (3.6) and electrical glitches like the cue screen problems. Their crossovers are all average at best in both styling and reliability. Their only star is the Escalade which is extremely expensive and not without quality issues itself. Cadillac meant something completely different as a brand when GM controlled almost 50% of the market and domestics were the only luxury offering. As for Lincoln, I'm surprised Ford even keeps it around. It's one of the least reliable vehicles made today.
Corporate greed has pretty much sent American car manufacturers in this industry into this downward spiral during . Then in the eighties American car manufacturers were caught red-handed building cars and trucks to break down on the consumer so they would have to pay for repairs. As you know this is when all the foreign car sales start skyrocketing led by the Japanese manufacturers with dependable gas saving quality vehicles . These foreign manufacturers did not allow greed to get in their way of manufacturing reliable vehicles for the American consumers.
@@jlr194 Oh me too. I'm a Buick guy and I drive '95 and '96 Roadmaster sedans. I always drove big Electras and Rivs back in the day. I hate the crap Buick puts out now. Same with Cadillac, give me a 19 foot long car with the famous egg crate grill. For me the last great Cadillac's were the '93 to '96 Fleetwood Broughams.
Yeah you must have never seen a CTS, CTS Coupe or CTS Wagon then...especially in their V editions Those were gorgeous cars..actually helped bring Cadillac back along with the Escalade
Yip, I just mentioned the Cadillac Tailsman the other day as one to nab if you can find one. Sofa seats on wheels baby! Now there is luxury. I own 9 Cadillac's from the '80 to '92 era.
Couch seats, soft suspensions, and a tire with a sidewall. It would immensely help if they built Toyota quality, durability, and reliability but none of those things will ever happen.
Nice puff piece about a couple of dying companies. Having witnessed GM and Ford decline for a couple of decades, it saddens me to no end to see the product quality deterioration compared to the competition not to mention the dealership's third-rate experiences a potential buyer is likely to endure.
Dying? Lol ok when they fully go electric, and last forever, im gonna laugh at your opinion. If you buy the lowest price car then guess what, you dont get such a good and quality product like you would the more expensive European.
@@ssj2camaro21 There is nothing I would like to witness other than a strong comeback from Ford and GM. However, they are more than 10 years behind the power curve and saddled with lots of baggage. Given the consumer product quality of late, entering the EV market may result in some spectacular fires and many deep-fried, crisp customers.
Because Infiniti is an absolute trash brand, Nissan has totally forgotten about them for 10+ years. They depreciate as much as the Germans and are multiples worse vehicles then them, so why buy them? The only people who do get a screaming good lease deal on them.
Lincoln has some nice looking cars but can't perform as well as other brands. They got style and comfort but high performance, better technology and quality is more important to consumers. The Cadillac CTS-V from years ago alone is more exciting then any newer Lincoln out there right now.
I hope both Cadillac and Lincoln will be more successful, but would I bet money on it? Absolutely not. Looking at the new Range Rover, X7, GLS, and newcomers like Genesis, Lucid or RIVIAN, I'm afraid both GM and Ford will have a hard time finding more buyers.
The only market where GM trumps is in the China market. Seems Chinese are so into it without them knowing that their domestic companies like Huawei are being harassed by the American Government. Be the Chinese and be gullible.
@@joecool9739 It will take more than just two popular models for a brand to grow. Both Lincoln and Cadillac are not global brands. They sell practically zero cars in the EU for example (About 460 million inhabitants if you include Norway and Switzerland). German premium brands or even Volvo are sold in nearly every country worldwide. Same for Lexus.
@@joecool9739 Perhaps but the brands lost their followers a long time ago. People have a preconcieved idea. When u ask the young crowd where they shop, Sears is(was) not one of them. Caddy and Lincoln(except for the SUVs) is not one of them. Today, name is more than reliability. Range Rover has an engine that breaks timing chains at ~50K miles. bmw engine overheats(not to mention plastic engine parts break left and right). Mercedes ranks in the bottom 1/3 of brands when it comes to reliability. All of this yet people think highly of those brands. This preconcieved idea is a tough hill to reclimb for Caddy and Lincoln.
Everybody loves the Escelade and the CTS V coupe. The problem is that if you are appealing to someone who can afford a fully loaded 120k dollar suv or 100k coupe there are better options with more exclusive status and identical performance. I personally drive cheap cars and am holding out for self driving to spend some of my fortune, IF I came into easy money I would personally opt for the Mercedes 10/10 times. Edit: I have had a few gm company cars and they were hot garbage. I will forever be dismissive of everything under the umbrella.
First impressions matter a lot. The first time I drove an E46 BMW 330i I was enamored with its simplicity, stylishness, quality, and later, when working on it, its engineering. Comparing it to the chintzy plastic, odd design choices, and obvious rebadging of similar Cadillac and Lincoln products of that time, it was clear which was the better luxury car. I was very happy to see Cadillac take BMW head on with their CTS and ATS. Cadillac had quickly matched BMW in performance and were making progress in refinement only to drop it all and focus on rebadging Chevy SUVs. An example of this was the Cadillac SRX which in its first iteration was a Cadillac specific platform and won many awards. By 2010, Cadillac threw it all away to instead reskin a Chevy Impala as the new SRX. It was about $10,000 cheaper than its predecessor but it was also an inferior product. That didn't matter to GM though as it became their best selling vehicle. It made them a lot of money, but did nothing to develop their brand. BMW on the other hand took the qualities that they cultivated over years of development to organically create SUV and crossover products from the ground up. Until American companies stop making short term profit the ultimate goal of their business model, they will never retake their place at the top of the luxury brand segment.
Superb video. You correctly pointed out that Lincoln cars have amazing interiors. Town Car was my favorite, and then came the Continental. I think Continental was Town Car rebadged, as the latter was introduced in place of Continental, and Continental came back to the helm again after Town Car got discontinued in 2011. I also loved the shape and style of the MKS and MKZ. Lincoln SUVs, esp. Navigator, are off course so good looking and luxurious. Ditto with Cadillac's Escalade. Since American car makers specialize in making big cars, it seems they have hit upon their strength in the big car (SUV/ Trucks/ Van) segment, and with US customers going more for bigger cars now, these companies have a chance to lift up their revenue and profitability again.
Town Car was the rebadged Continental. The Continental became the new car where the Town Car continued on with the same basic styling as the 61 Continental.
I own 9 Cadillac's from the '80 to '92 era. I keep watching for good ones and nab them. Somewhere someone is wanting to just move one at a low price. Just have to watch for them and move fast.
Every GM (x3) I have ever owned has been the biggest POS. In the shop by 50-75k for major repairs. I’ve had a new Toyota that I put 240K miles on and still hasn’t been to the shop for more than tires and regular maintenance. I’ll stick with Japan made Toyotas.
The problem with Cadillacs and Lincolns today is that they are completely indistinguishable from everything else on the road. Faceless, gray corporate blobs that resemble any Toyota/Kia/Honda etc. Bring back the long, low, cushy sedans styled like the 1960s and 1970s - with 30+ paint and interior color choices, fabric/leather options, and more but with today’s engine power and efficiency. Those are the cars that will interest buyers again.
I got a used 04 Navigator, best car I've ever owned. Seems mostly german engineering, previous car was a VW and I see many similarities in suspension/ frame design. Heard my whole life how american cars past the 70's were junk, so I stayed away from them, after getting the Lincoln, I wish I'd gone domestic sooner, would have saved a lot of maintenance time and cost in my life
Interesting take... The Navigator is a rebadged and slightly upgraded Ford Expedition... which in turn is based on the Ford F150. As far as a full size SUV goes it's pretty good, in every generation, but then, so is the F150 it's based on...Though about as straight up American style engineering as it comes.
@@johngaltline9933 I've owned used Mazda, Toyotas, BMW, VW, GMC's, Dodge and now Ford. American stuff seems designed to be repaired, while the German and Japanese stuff seemed built to be replaced. The German and Japanese cars left me stranded a few times while the American cars always managed to limp home.
As a lifelong auto enthusiast I can tell you that, Ford and GM threw away the luxury market in the 1990s when they started manufacturing low quality plastic imitation luxury cars! BMW has been doing exactly the same thing for the last several years, that's why they can't catch up to Mercedes Benz.
@japanwatchconnection Don't forget the buying experience. I dread going to most dealers, especially Mazda and Nissan. Lexus provides the best experience with Porsche, MB and BMW close behind. Probably Rolls Royce beats them all, but I think they scan us to determine our tax returns as we walk in, so an automatic call to the police reporting me as a trespasser is the best I can hope for there.
@japanwatchconnection When MB took over Chrysler, MB quality went down the toilet and they never recovered. The maintenance on a 5 year old BMW is more extensive then buying a new one. I love cars, I always have. I can't change a tire, but I have studied the history of cars going back to the 20's. Of all the car makes, Toyota by far the best ( even though I always had Honda's), and I would rank Mazda & Honda tied for 2nd. At one time I would rank Honda & Toyota tied. All the rest, CRAP. It's not that BMW & MB use cheap materials, but the quality of engineering is not like it once was, especially for MB. They added way to much electronics, which does not last, they are overly complex witch not only doesn't last but expensive to fix.
@japanwatchconnection Much like Boeing, modern durable goods manufacturers have become far too obsessed with posting huge profit margins and they have put quality and prestige, not even on the back burner but, right off of the stove! It was very interesting to me to watch Microsoft's founders make billions of dollars selling floppy disks, which probably didn't cost them fifty cents for $169.00 per pop and then graduate to selling downloadable software and upgrades for $200.00+ plus annual updating fees... It directly inspired me to build an academic software program of my own!
What they are going to have to do which they won't! Is Lower the prices and offer superior service. No one even trusts these cars. They need to do like Hyundai. Hyundai are wack! But sell like hell! They are cheaper and offer the best warranty. Then Hyundai had the audacity to come out with a luxury line! Lol. People know Lexus cars are gonna last and not gonna cost youvalot in maintenance. What does American luxury cars have to offer outside of a terrible maintenance record. Those cars aren't bad but they aren't doing anything better than the other luxury cars and people know feel those cars' maintenance record sucks. I'm in the market for a luxury car. If Cadillac were cheaper...I would. Or if they offered a warranty or good routine maintenance agreement. They have to do those things and offer a great product. Trust me no one is checking for Cadillacs or Lincolns.
@@Striker50_ yeah, I'm not buying a Buick lol. Was just looking at the Lincoln Continental after watching this only to find out they discontinued it in favor of an all suv lineup...Umm I want a sedan.
Hyundai doesn't crack the top 25 in models sold for 2020. Ford, GM and jeep all have a model in that list. Nothing you wrote is even remotely true and is entirely anecdotal.
Both brands have a huge opportunity with electrification. Other brands like VW & Hyundai are experimenting with classic styling with modern engineering, both of which are achievable.
I live in Canada and I never had an car from a US brand. Today I have a Subaru, if it isn't a pleasure to drive, it has a huge cost benefit. Hope in the future I can have a F150 Electric version.
The market for "traditional" American luxury isn't there anymore (and really hasn't been there for about 20-25 years). The problem is American cars can't match the Europeans or Japanese on the objective measures, and yet really haven't been able to find a new identity that characterizes "American luxury".
As my mother always has a saying "Nothing stays at the top forever " and that is true. It also depends on what part of Country you live in or what side of the town you live in. For example, I used to live in Denver, CO, I have never seen so many Audi & Subaru in my life. There was only one Lincoln Dealership I knew of,and only 3 Cadillac Dealership's. I now live in Minneapolis,MN and when first moving out here seeing brand-new Lincoln's were so foreign to me...lol Still to this day there are parts of the Country that domestic cars are more popular than foreign vehicles. When I lived in Florida they have Huge Chevrolet & Cadillac Dealership's than what I am used to..lol I was at a Carmax once, test driving a Acura, the Sales rep told me he used to Work at a Honda dealership in North Carolina and the Honda's didn't sell as much as Domestic Dealership's did. But once when he lived in upstate New York, the Honda's sold like hotcakes.
I’m sorry but BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Acura, Lexus, and even now Genesis just have better fit and finish, materials, and quality control than American Luxury brands.
Tbh I think new Cadillacs and Lincolns look really nice. They all might have similar designs but it's still kinda new. The german brands have just evolved the same design for decades and I find it really boring. I do hope they get better but knowing their parent companies histories I wouldn't bet on it.
Lincoln and Cadillac lost their dominance in 1971. At that time, MBZ and BMw were virtually unknown and the only car above them was Rolls Royce. Staring in 1972, The Detroit Dark Ages began and would last for 3 decades. By the mid 80's Mercedes and BMw were the clearly superior automobiles and in 1990 Lexus added themselves to the pair. Nissan and Honda tried with Infiniti and Acura, but both failed. There were moments of hope though. The 1976-79 Cadillac Seville was world class, and the Continentall reintroduced in 2015 gave hope. The problem was the Continental was not priced high enough - you could get one for $45k. Cadillac offered great products in the 2000's: XLR, ELR, CTS, ATS, XTS, CT6. the problem was that they didn't stick with any ofthem long enough, and over-emphasized boy racer handling performance - clearly the domain of BMW, while they downplayed luxury. Big Mistake. Now Lucid air has shamed them both showing what a new generation luxury car needs to beL Cool, exclusive and expesive.
I wouldn't say Honda and Nissan failed with infinity and Acura. Both are of a higher quality than most domestics they just don't have a huge share of the market sales due to competition. The market is flooded with cars.
Acura started it all actually in 1987 and was so successful it was outselling BMW, Mercedes, and Audi combined. So Toyota copied and made Lexus and then Nissan followed with INFINITI. That was the beginning of the down fall for American luxury brands. Acura definitely didn’t fail and there wouldn’t even be asian luxury brands if it wasn’t for Acura proving they have a place in the market. They still sell extremely well and were breaking sales figures earlier this year. They have also been outselling Cadillac and Lincoln for years. Now INFINITI is indeed on its last leg you got that part right.
IMO, Cadillac started losing its brilliance in the late 60's. The last truly great Cadillac was the 1967-70 Eldorado. Lincoln however had the Mark III, IV, V, and the four door Mark VI which were all great cars. They started going to hell with the Mark VII and the Continental series. The Town Cars remained as true Lincolns and when they were phased out, that was the death of the brand.
The Lincoln Continental had tons of hope. If they made the Continental, a V8 Front Engine, RWD/AWD, it would have been a serious contender to the Genesis G90, Cadillac ST6, BMW 7, Audi A8, Lexus LS, Volvo S90, Mercedes S-class sedans. The great thing about Lincoln now, is that they mostly make CUVs and Suvs and they have been doing good so far. Cadillac is trying to be like BMW/Audi nowadays.
Lincoln needs also more identify in design, they all still look like Jaguars… the design highlight was the Mark V Bill Blass .. wonderful and American! 🇺🇸
11:58 "We looked at all the automation systems out there including Tesla and others......the market will follow them very quickly" If the company's mindset are like that in a competitive market for innovation, I doubt they will succeed.
Lack of investments and innovation. Thing they looked at the bottom line and did not want to invest enough into research and quality. Thats often the problem with leaders with share options. They`re in for the short run and rake up money for themselfs. Just look at how the in general (outside car industry) exploit the US people by end production in the US and start up in China. Bad for the country, the US worker and even the company in the long run (as the chinese stole the technology). Now, the US hardly has any manufactoring left. Its gone. So is the skills and the workers. But the CEO`s and shareholders got filthy rich!! Cant believe you let them do it!
Out performed, out priced and out designed. Aside from huge trucks or some nitch cars (e.g. muscle cars Ford Focus STI) theres little reason to buy from US car brands
I think Ford could never die, the government wouldn't let it. Too many American workers (I think more than GM now) and too much American heritage, as it's the oldest American brand now. Plus Ford seems to really be "trying". But if GM keeps playing it's cards wrong and goes bankrupt again I'd bet the government wont step in next time.
@@Stressless2023 Ford won't die. It didn't need a government bail out in 08 because it's well run. They actually innovative. GM tho gets lazy and thinks people will just buy it. Saving GM was a huge waste of money. Imagine how many more car companies we would have if the brand failed. Tesla would just be one of many new brands. (Tesla started by buying a shut down GM plant. Same with Lucid) Sadly tho the jobs had to be saved so the government stepped in and lost billions.
How did CNBC find that B-roll footage of the BMW E38 7-Series from 1993? 0:42 That's the first public video ever of the E38, used for its debut. Rare stuff!
The bar for luxury is really low compared to what it used to be. The old luxury cars were like riding on air and had tons of room. They also had their own identity. We won’t see that again.
Back then a luxury car felt like a tank driving over potholes like it was nothing. The sound insulation made it a smooth quiet ride. Nowadays a “luxury” car consists of a bigger tablet on the dash and a few extra buttons.
@@angelgjr1999 Pretty much spot on. No one has made a real, American style, luxury car since the Town Car died in 2011. Even at that the newer ones don't ride as nice as the old ones did. Have owned 6 full size lincolns/mercurys, My 88 grand marquis could take any speed bump or pothole you threw at it and you didn't feel a thing. The 03-11 Town Car is still better than anything made today, but is a noticeably rougher ride than the 88, or my 95 TC.
@@metallic4888 I've only driven rentals on the latest Continental, but as far as anything made in the last decade, it's not bad. Actually looking to buy one now as it's the closest thing to what I want that exists...and it looks good. It's pushed a bit heavy on the 'sporty' side than it needs to be, but is fun to drive and rides well enough. Have to go with the AWD version, however, as the FWD models have that over/under steer issue on acceleration. The trunk is large by current standards, though about half the size of a Town Car. It's no body on frame, Rear Wheel Drive, floating sofa, but it's not bad. Also the adaptive cruise control actually works well enough, unlike the crap on other cars I've driven that like to slam on the brakes when someone half a mile ahead slows to turn... or for no reason at all. (Looking at you, Lexus)
I was looking for an entry level premium SUV and I was excited after seeing the list advanced features in German Big 3 ( Merc, BMW n Audi)... I was shocked to see the lack of features for comparable models in Lincoln and Cadillac... I think they still don't even know that people can easily compare the features side by side of different cars!!! I am not sure what prompts people to buy Lincoln or Cadillac when we can buy super reliable German cars with lot more features 😎
That’s the thing right now. German automakers put more detail and effort into the cars. Saying you own a Cadillac sounds nice but when comparing BMW, Audi they are just better right now
"Super reliable German cars": Today's Oxymoron. The horrible resell value of over engineered German vehicles is due to their reliability. Everyone knows that a used 100k mileage German car will cost a small fortune to keep on the road. The high tech electronics will crap out along with all the cheap plastic that is used in the engine bay. Japanese cars will last twice+ as long. That's why Acura & Lexus have high resale values.
@@jaydibernardo4320 Exactly. I don't know who thinks a German car is reliable besides a German themselves. Even an American car may not be the most reliable as a whole but at least it wont cost a fortunate to fix as parts are generally just as cheap or even cheaper than Japanese parts.
@@Stressless2023 Oh... There is no doubt on Lexus and Acura... I would say they are in one level above German cars. I am not planning to use my current car till 100k. So hopefully I may not reach the point of spending a fortune for repair works 🤞
I have owned European and Japanese vehicles. I now own a 2005 Ford Explorer Limited V8 and It's quality and reliability is excellent. I have 200,000 miles on it and it has had few problems. I will definitely by another. The new Lincoln that I looked at was absolutely gorgeous. I see a comeback happening for American luxury automobiles.
I’ve always like Cadillacs. Lincoln’s too. You see more classic, older gentlemen driving them now. They would have to innovate to get with the times honestly. Tesla and other companies have taken a lot of market share.
Tesla have not taken the market share. Foreign imports into America do not need to meet the same level of regulations that American manufacturing has. It is the reason for manufacturing outsourcing.
Great video! You guys slightly underestimated the Lincoln Navigators impact on the market. I was working at a Lincoln Dealership at the time and they couldn't keep them on the lot. Middle aged guys were paying cash left and right.👍
I own an 85 Lincoln Town Car. V8, body on frame, rear wheel drive. Most comfortable car I've ever owned. Most cars today are just little crap mobiles with fancy technology.
I think Cadillac and Lincoln are both modern-day losers because they departed from what made them great cars. There's nothing wrong with being a beautiful gorgeous land yacht. That is what made Cadillac and Lincoln great cars. Then came the hack and slash kids that reduced their beautiful land yachts to compacts and some ugly square looking SUVs. What a bunch of atrocious mistakes!
My favorite American luxury car of all time is the '61 Continental. Reduced in size outside but ideal in room provided inside, still has a real understated quality look to it.
After 35 years of buying a dozen different top of the line Honda and Acura products, on a whim, during the pandemic, I bought a fully loaded 2020 Lincoln Continental. The Continental is a nice space to be in, plus it is fast, nimble, quiet, and has a silky smooth ride. It is also bristling with modern tech features. It gives me hope, American manufacturers can compete and survive.
Not enough mentioned in this segment about the poor quality of US made cars pushing customers to foreign brands. This was definitely part of the story behind US decline.
100%. I have a Cadillac CT5-V that was bought back because power steering would only work on left turns but not right turns at highway speeds. 3 power steering racks later, could not fix it.
So I went to Lexus. I wish so much to have the Cadillac instead. It was a much better car. Unfortunately, the facility and workers at the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant proved that they still cannot put together a car, no matter how well designed it is.
@@ruslanmishiyev9815 you made a great decision!!! DO NOT GO BACK TO DOMESTIC BRANDS
In the 1950s and 1960s American cars were better made than Asian and European cars. They were very reliable compared to foreign cars and more luxurious. Even a low level American Ford was on a par with the likes of a BMW.
@@ruslanmishiyev9815
And what Lexus is offering anything even remotely similar to a CT5V?
Chasing profits and keeping CEO salries super high is the problem..
They didn't mention pricing in the 50's and 60's. Cadillacs only cost about twice what a regular family car cost while a Mercedes was 4X as expensive. This gave foreign brands an "old money" or "serious money" image. This price structure lead to de-contenting cars through the 60's and 70's until there was no real difference between a Caddy and a loaded up Chevy. Cadillac had the best V8 in the world in 1950 an pioneered AC and electric windows. By 1970...it was just another GM car with no real prestige or presence. By 1970, the old shop foreman could buy a Caddy....why would the boss want the same car? If they had kept the pricing structure of the 1930's and put 4-5x more money into the cars and development, they could have avoided all this.
Good point. Cadillac diluted themselves to nothing for decades during and after the 1960's. Chasing marketshare and skimping on innovation and largely underestimating or flat out ignoring the competition and consumer demand. Then the whole Northstar V8 engine fiasco that GM let linger for over a decade before properly rectifying which just about killed what Cadillac had left of a reputation. It's a shame really, since it's such an old and dignified American marque that's over 100 years old, but it truly is a pitiful shadow of its former self.
Sometime in the 70s cars were financed for longer terms which also allowed lower management or even a guy that had some really good overtime at the factory a couple of years to purchase a car that he probably couldn't really afford ( 30 years later leasing, balloon payments, smart buys which allowed a guy who could afford a Maxima to buy a 5 series) like a coupe DeVille which made his boss who drove a Fleetwood not feel as special. You got to give general motors a little bit of slack though if we owned GM/Cadillac would we not fall in love with those great prophet margins. I'm saying they built Halo cars (El Dorado brougham, those V16 engines of the 1930s even the Fleetwood Talisman) before and they didn't sell as well as they would have liked. They also took a Nova and made the 1975 Seville. We owned one and it was hella nice. The '80s wasn't all bad they had innovation but not the technology.
That is what happens when governments start to design cars.
@@snuffa.luffagus7588, I’m from Detroit and it’s sad af!
They don’t listen to ppl outside of the Big 3, trust me on this.
I use to go to GM headquarters and talk to the big bosses and one excuse after another. A
Concepts take far too long to bring to the streets.
You have to also remember, the German brands of those days had higher import tariffs as well...
Let me correct you. They didn't lose their market to prestige imports. They lost market share by stupidly losing their focus on the luxury market. They both became little mid-sized cars with enough plastic to supply Mattel for a decade. To stress my point; Our family has purchased three Cadillac Fleetwoods and two Sedan DeVilles, we owned two Lincoln Mark 4's and 5's as well as three Town Cars. None of us has ever owned a Mercedes or Audi sedan. The reason is clear. Both brands lost their focus trying to be everything to everyone. Now they are just junk.
This is what change management is supposed to prevent from happening. Their job is to read the market and determine what's the direction that should be forged next. What we'e seen over and over is, however, at the end of the day, usually a company that's led well is led by a single visionary. Steve Jobs. Elon Musk. Is it any wonder that Apple has pretty much remained stagnant right after Jobs died?
I agree. PURE PLASTIC JUNK…
No one cares about their lil SUV’s that all look almost identical…
They were done for back in 2008….
Quit having Liberals design your cars…
@@rdizzo1313 WTF does one's political affiliation has to do with designing cars? And more importantly, what evidence do you have about who the designers are? Oh, you don't have ANY evidence! You just thought to add politics into a subject that NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS! You're very obviously lick the Orange man's taint clean so he doesn't need toilet paper.
Sad however true .....They were... The Standard
@@gcb345 Just look at Buick….😂🤣🥴
What a joke that company turned out to be…
American Car Companies: Buy American Made.
American Consumers: We want quality and dependability.
American Car companies: NO.
This is why killing the Lincoln Town Car and Cadillac Fleetwood is a mistake!
Exactly
@@TradLibChinaman "Quality and dependability" do not equal a dressed up Ford LTD, or a dressed up Chevy Caprice, both of which were 40+ year old designs. The American public will not fall for that crap anymore.
If you pay for the cheapest version of any automaker, you get the lowest quality. Bunch of ignorant people that know ZERO about cars thinking that they are all made equal. Ask how many people that bought top of the line US cars and see if they are disappointed. You are comparing higher end european cars to lower end American ones. Yeah a fair comparison
@@ssj2camaro21 used corolla cough used rx350 cough lollllllllllllllllllllllll
I don't know how you can call the Tesla Model 3 or Y "premium." They're premium priced, but from a materials quality and fit and finish standpoint, they're in the same class as Chevy or Ford. As BEV powertrains spread (and if the other manufacturers ever catch up to Tesla's lead in powertrain and battery management), Tesla's going to have to either reduce their prices or drastically improve the build and materials quality of their cars.
Premium is not only price, but also desirability. No one would call a Camry a premium product. From a quality POV it certainly is, but it is a tool, no one saves up money and aspires to own a Camry. Tesla though? Currently everyone aspires to own a Tesla. Owning a Tesla is a sign that you are on the cutting edge of automotive technology, it is a status symbol saying "I made it".
You see this also with luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes, no one really aspires to them anymore. A Mercedes E class or BMW 5 series don't carry the same gravitas they used to anymore with the endless leasing options available to every brand new college grad and his/her dog.
@@michaelkovalsky4907 Completely agree. Easy credit is the worst thing that's ever happened to society because it allows people to obtain things they don't deserve. I think Volvo's the only brand that still says "I have good taste AND good manners."
@@michaelkovalsky4907 no one looks at a Tesla model 3 or Y and says “I made it”. That’s more of a phrase suited towards vehicles upwards of 80k. Maybe a Model S or X. But again those are still regular traffic. A Model S Plaid would fit that phrase the best
@@michaelkovalsky4907 I would argue that premium is about build quality, materials used and so on. To me the Japanese and the Germans are the leaders. Tesla is certainly not a premium brand, yet neither is Volvo (and I do like them). Why? Just because the build quality is not there. I believe it is a cultural thing. I'm from Europe and have visited both US and Sweden many times. I will always argue that folks in both countries are too laid back to build premium cars. And, let me clear about this, I'm not saying that is bad. I like Volvo's and Lincoln Town Cars. To me they have so much more character than any modern BMW, Merc, Lexus or what have you. In the end to me it is a matter of personal taste more than anything else.
@@wallyballou7417 we don't get to decide what others deserve. If they work hard for it they should be able to get it
The “badge engineering” caused damage to the brands that they still haven’t really recovered from in my opinion.
It has nothing to do with that. Government regulations made it far more expensive to produce American cars. Imports did not need to meet half those regulations and could make their cars either cheaper or more reliable while American cars suffered from the inability to compete with cost/performance.
European cars are now facing the same problems that American cars faced before and it is not just cars manufactured white goods and electronics are in the same position right now.
Apple is an America brand yet it has to manufacture in Asian where there are less regulations.
@@bighands69 Yes it does have to due with badge engineering. Why would someone pay 30,000 more for the same vehicle if there was little changes to and everyone knows what it is. Those same government regulations that made it more expensive to produce American cars? Guess what, the foreign brands had to do the same with additional logistic costs and tariffs but still outsold their American counterparts. BMW has had a plant in the US where most of their SUVs are made for a little over 20 years now and the big three Japanese brands have Multiple plants across the country. They might not have been in this situation if it wasn't for there vehicles being shitboxes, made of cheap plastics and them lobbying Congress to increase Congress to increase the tariffs on the Japanese brands because they were taking market share away which ironically was the main catalyst in being the reason for the creation of Acura, Lexus, and Infiniti.
@@bighands69 Lots of fluff here. Mostly not true😤😤😥😥😧😧
Most young buyers wants cars that are cheap and reliable. No one wants a cadillac or lincoln as their first car. They both wanted to make their brands feel like luxury so they lost out on buyers wanting affordable and reliable. Most people i know either want Nissan or Toyota cars.
@@mk17173n I actually wanted a DTS as my first car 🤣 but gas 3.55 that 8 cylinder would drain me......but Rn Hyundai and Toyota’s used cost more than a caddy 🤔
If BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Lexus stop making cars, these guys are golden.
Hahaha
And Tesla
@@jamesparson teslas are not luxury cars
All the sedans that Cadillac built on the camaro chassis are surprisingly good cars in comparison the the imports but it was too little too late.
And Range Rover, Infiniti, Acura, Genesis, Jaguar, Volvo and Saab.
Both brands reached a toxic point where they are almost beyond redemption. Gen X and Millennials associate both with the garbage built and marketed to senior citizens throughout the 80’s and 90’s. I thought it was odd GM didn’t axe Buick when they ended the other brands, and then tried to pitch Buick to the younger generation. Buick was the quintessential old person car for our entire lives! No amount of marketing is going to undo decades of engrained perception. Lincoln and Cadillac would both be in that same boat if it weren’t for the goodwill they gained with the first Navigator and Escalade, those broke the mold, but then they let both go stale and lost what little ground they had made in the minds of the younger buyers. I’d bet the Escalade brand has more value than the Cadillac brand does (much like The Ram brand held more value than Dodge).
Buick has quite the following in China for some reason so that's why it's still around. It sells more of them in China than the US. It's actually their star brand in China.
I agree entirely with you, and yet, not at all. Even as recent as the CTS/ATS Cadillac targeted the older generations. Plastic buttons, m'eh build quality, etc. But the latest cars have improved considerably, and as a result I'm a millennial with 2 modern Cadillacs in my driveway.
That said... there's 0 chance I would consider a driving a Buick. Even Lincoln is a hard sell.
I love the older American cars from the 80's and 90's. Have owned 87, 92 and 93 Buicks, currently 2 Oldsmobiles 01 and 02. Amazing how clean and low mileage these cars can be found for around $2,000 all thanks to their senior citizen owners 🤣.
Strangely enough I would buy a Buick before I’d get a Cadillac. And Lincoln? They look good but they’re so unreliable for the amount you pay why bother when you can spend your hard earned money on something better and more reliable
@@johniii8147 Buick had some famous Chinese owners; like the last emperor, founder modern China(Sun Yat Sen), and Wife of Chiang Kai Shek. Even after the communist take over, some of the higher up of the communist party own a Buick. In fact, the Buick owned by premier Chou Enlai is preserve in a museum in China.
Those legendary Cadillacs and Lincolns of the 50s and 60s looked so ornate, almost like jewelry. Style was definitely the name of the game from the flamboyant 50s to the sleek 60s. I especially like the thin steering wheel which allows you to control these land yachts with your pinky. Modern fat steering wheels feel out of place in these cars. Modern Cadillacs and Lincolns also don't feel as roomy as the old ones. They have to find a way to somehow combine the style of the past with modern technology and safety.
YES. Cars from the 50s-70s seemed to emphasize beauty first.
Modern cars don't feel special at all, and don't get me started about these designs. They simply do not look good.
I agree. For me, it's not so much about the price (I could not afford one anyway) or the build quality (never experienced that). But Cadillacs from the 50s and 60s look cool and stylish, more modern ones just look boring.
Cadillac came really close with the Ciel concept back in 2011. It reminded me of the mid 70s El Dorado. Very much on brand with Caddy historically. Alas, like most of their best concepts, it never made if to production
@@sazonsongs They should've gone for more horizontal lines at the front IMO. But yeah, unfortunately most concepts never make it into production.
@@Tuppoo94 Agree about the horizontal lines. It was a great start at the same time. It had the potential to develop into a seriously trendsetting line of cars. It struck a balance between innovative and retro.
Here’s the problem with US made cars, they offer significantly less quality at a marked up value. They have been sitting on their high horse of being American brand for years and we now see that it costed them the relationship with many consumers.
Brands like Honda, KIA, and Toyota are now being shopped for generations to come simply cause they offer more than standard model American vehicles. I’m a huge fan of the Chevy brand as it was my first vehicle, but I’d rather buy a second hand fully loaded Honda Accord sport than a brand new standard model Malibu cause I know the features alone blows Chevy out of the water.
That's what they get for choosing greed over quality.
Absolutely.
CNBC only asks why questions with the mindset that American companies should succeed, while it’s obvious to see how much they had skimmed on R&D, fit and finish, design and everything.
It’s a surprise that these companies are still around.
It’s the American way though.
Tell that to the average American white male with an ego & powertrip in tow…..that’s their modus operandi…greed & profits over people….the environment & anything else for short term gain ….& long term detriment….yay to the American way. 🥳
Nope.
Management's focused on adversarial unions and their counterproductive motivation and innovation killing contracts instead of building cars for customers.
Too many bean counters.
Its a legit shame that they discontinued Continental. Such a gorgeous looking car.
I wish they’d bring back the Mercury marauder. Imagine a modern version.
@@angelgjr1999 The problem is that no one buys big cars anymore. Only crossovers, everything is a crossover.
It looks good until you realize you can never see it because it’s always in the shop. I know because I own a modern-ish Lincoln (2013). In 2021 Lincoln was rated the worst on reliability so I assumed nothing has changed
@@quixomega And yet, my Town Car has more cargo capacity than any of these SUVs except maybe the Navigator and gets better mileage.
@@lintonfr Depends a lot on the model in question. For example the Lincoln LS, built on a Jaguar platform was complete trash and always breaking down. On the other hand, the Town Car on the panther platform is one of the most reliable cars ever made. From what I've seen the Continental ought to be pretty reliable, built on the same platform as the Taurus Sadly Ford decided not to make cars any more, so folks that actually want a luxury sedan have to look to imports now for anything resembling a proper luxury car that actually rides nice and/or had room for anything in it.
I don’t trust GM Products to many accountants helping the engineers make design choices.
Yeah I have a 16 CTS and for some reason, I don't want the newer CT5. It seems it took a step back. Especially on the inteior.
totally agree with this.
Louder, for the folks in the back
That's why I want the C8 Corvette to fail
I have a slightly different take. Back in the 1950's, when I was a kid, most cars were poor quality. So you bought a Cadillac or Lincoln not just for pristige but for quality. In the 1960's and 70's quality of all cars improved, especially with the Japanese imports, reducing the significance of the luxury brand of car.
Me personally I agree with that because if you buy a mainstream domestic or foreign brand, usually you can get some form of luxury out of the higher trims. Meaning now I think luxury car brands don’t sell much because nobody really wants one because mainstream brands became much more reliable now.
I'm a mechanic and you are correct. These people are ignorant and don't appreciate what these brands have came from. Today's cars would run circles around the old ones in every area.
I have a 2002 Ford van with 230;000 miles, starts and runs great. In the 50's and 60's and even 70's a car would start smoking at 60 to 80;000 miles. Additionally, I'm in Minnesota and my car started last winter at 25 below. In the 60's we had to the battery in every night that was below zero. You young whippersnappers have it good.
@@neilabernath5862 Odometers used to only go up to 100,000, was the expectation to take it to the junkyard soon?
@@evanc6110 Yes. Back then if you reached 100,000 miles on a car you got lucky and could pretty much expect it to die within the next year or two. Then the Japanese came and changed all that. It took Honda and Toyota cars to show that a 200,000-300,000 mile old car was even possible. Reliability and build quality more than anything killed Cadillac and Lincoln.
I LOVE my 2017 Lincoln Continental, I really wish they kept making them, but American's seem to want SUV's. Nothing against SUV's, but they have no style and are boring. The Lincoln Continental is just so classy, and the design inside and out was so well done. The Continental was all about large, quiet, refinement, comfort American cruiser, with great lines, plus has all wheel drive. Really wish they stuck around, mine has the full glass roof, so nice. I test drove the Cadillac CT6, also had All Wheel Drive, it is also a large, very nice car, it is a lighter car, due to using Aluminum, it is the faster car, but I really didn't care about high speed, I am not going to a track, I wanted the heavy, comfy, American large luxury sedan. the Lincoln Continental style inside and out was better, in my opinion. I feel the materials used inside are slightly better in the Lincoln, better layout and the seats are just amazing. Test drove the Lincoln after the Cadillac and I was sold on the Lincoln. Ford/Lincoln I feel really turned that brand around, but so sad no more Continental. Also, sad no more Cadillac CT6. Wish more American's bought sedans. One last side note, one other thing that turned me off on the Cadillac I just hate the alpha numeric names, CT6 sounds like a calculator model number. Should have named it the Seville or the Sedan Deville, Loved how Lincoln brought back real names to the cars and SUVs, sad the Continental is gone. They nailed it.
I am now 70 and have been through too many vehicles to count, small ones, large sedans, trucks. I recently bought a Continental 2018 Premium model and I love this vehicle. Smooth comfy, classy...just plain beautiful. I had a Mercedes gle 350 which turned out to be not so nice. My very first car was a 1954 Olds Delta 88. That was a monster to drive. I will probably keep the Lincoln until I die. That should tell you the quality of Lincoln Continental. I talk from experience.
@GothRocker
You should test drive the Genesis G90...much better car in a luxury old school V8 kind of way. Should be very reliable ling term as well
I test drove one back to back with a Cadillac CT6 and the Genesis G90 came off, to me, as much more luxurious
We have the new Continental and absolutely love it. Sadly, it was canceled too soon. The biggest mistake Lincoln has made recently is not putting the suicide doors on all Continentals. It would have sold 2x as many. Still a great car with unmatched comfort in the front seats. My Audi S8 was amazingly comfortable, but it cannot touch the Continental’s front seats.
They made a limited edition the Continental Coach Door Edition with the suicide doors within the past 2 years
They Ended the CT6 too a damn shame
No. The Continental was a waste of engineering time and money. No suicide doors will save sedans from the desire of Americans to purchase SUVS. The sedan is dying out and Lincoln responded to that.
Also Ford didn’t make a convertible.
Too much bean counting.
@@NileshR12 true, but most who bought it were livery company and such, so not a lot of regular daily driving customers got to even touch them, except for a lucky few.
No. It is over for them. They lost the very core they were a part of. Unless they go back to making living rooms on wheels they are over. I sat in a 70s Cadillac and I never wanted to leave. Such beauty and comfort.. They just knew what they were doing back then. Don’t get me started on Lincoln. They had the town car market without competition. They were the “limousine”. And they just gave it up. Pretty stupid if you ask me. They should go back to producing what they used to..
Agreed.
If you think sitting in one is comfortable, try driving one. I currently have a 64 Caddy. Power steering is so light you can almost breath on the wheel to turn a corner, brakes are very light aswell and the suspension is so comfortable that you can drive over the most bumpy roads without feeling anything. The downside is that it drives like a boat.
But I completely agree with you. They used to be innovative luxury cruisers that were filled with cutting edge technology and were trendsetters in terms of styling
Imagine... With the technology that's available today, I'm certain that modern day reiterations of the big land yachts would be possible.
I'd even like to see a manufacturer further develop the old 20's/30s steam power technology of Abner Doble... His cars ran about as good as their contemporary gasoline powered cars, like the Duesenberg.
Also, it's never made sense to me why the manufacturers never release in production what we see as "show" cars... Like the Chrysler Atlantic of several years ago... Or that cool looking Holden that resembled a 1950 Chevrolet.
I once saw a Continental Concept that was a modernized version of the 61-65 Continental, slab sides, "electric razor" grill, French doors and all. I'm positive that it would have sold like sliced bread.
I dont want a friggin' Escalade or CTS. I want a big, glitzy Fleetwood Brougham or Eldorado with soft, pillowy velour seats, chrome bumpers and trim, wire wheels, hood ornaments and a quiet, cushy ride. PLEASE!
@Taino Blaze: They made a CT6 for Fleetwood/Deville fans. Check out the new CT5-it's big too.
The new cars are great in many ways but the big Caddys of the 50s and 60s were so distinctive and special both in design and luxury that no other brand could compete with them. The extra money made all the difference in quality too. When I was only 19 years old in the RCAF in 1968 I had a beautiful 1959 de Ville 4 door hardtop and later two 1961 Coupe de Ville models. They had all the special options and had such luxurious upholstery. All three had high performance 390 cu in engines and 4 speed overdrive Hydramatics which pushed them easily over 125-130 mph and still gave approx 21 mpg cruising at 75 mph. Not bad for a 4800 lb bullet with a 130 inch wheel base. They could even surprise the Roadrunners with their amazing top end. I still love them today. God Bless America. RS, Maj Ret, Alberta, Canada.
Agreed, until GM's quality specifically comes close to that of the overseas competition, they are deservedly losing sales to better made overseas models. I say this as someone who has owned GMs (my first car was a GM) and until I drove my first import, I thought all cars had rattles, broke several times a year, and were basically supposed to wallow while going down the highway. One of my early jobs in my 20's, was one where I ferried customer's cars from one city to another nearby one. This is where I discovered just how much of a difference there was between Mercs, BMWs, Cadillacs, Toyotas and pretty much every major brand of car. This is where I discovered how much better made overseas cars were than our own American ones. And it doesn't help that Cadillac's have gotten uglier and uglier.
When you don’t adapt with times. There is always a new generation of buyers and new money. And another problem is the complacency. But with all honestly, the new Escalade is nice!
It's stupid to judge a person by the car they happen to occupy at the moment--but I always thought anyone who purchases an Escalade must be stupid, don't know the new ones but there was nothing but cheesy Chevy in them traditionally. Horrible drama styling with cheep plastic chrome crap everywhere, dashboard made out of half a trash bin....rubbish on road and off, unreliable, totally tasteless. I'd have to be in best humor to be seen in one, sort of the expensive version of the laughable PT Cruiser.
Auto industry is so competitive too. Tesla and the whole EV movement and many people also like SUV’s and pick ups now. They’ve took a lot of market share.
Preach.
Traditional American car manufacturers are always late to the party.
American cars are not exactly behind European and Asian cars.
So you’re saying making cadillacs on ex daewoo platforms in China and Lincoln’s just rebadged middle level fords didn’t work out?
Relying on legacy instead of innovation is a bad idea.
LVMH, Gucci and basically every luxury brand disagree
@@suntzu1409 sorry it’s very different. You can’t compare Those brands are specialised in leather bags with Car brands .
@@clarissearmitage1042 they still rely on brand name and legacy rather than innovation
@@suntzu1409 cars and bags are completely different, the challenges that come with buying a car are way bigger. Go to sleep little boy
Jeep relies on legacy - pretty much a same look since WWII…
I remember an article published in the late 80s where they studied the actual demographics of who bought a Cadillac: a retired blue-collar man. In most cases is was the very last car they ever bought, and it had been that way since the 60s.
It wasn't a luxury car to the people that they wanted to sell it to.
I think it's what they call "aspirational." Normal people couldn't afford it unless they worked their entire lives for it. True luxury should mean it's unaffordable. Period.
@@Rudenbehr Luxury is a standard that constantly changes and is entirely subjective much of the time. Cotton, for example, was considered a luxury item for centuries, but now only the best cotton is, and anyone of moderate means can afford expensive cotton sheets.
@@nolongeramused8135 true!
I was raised on domestics, and five of my first six vehicles were domestics (one Ford and one Chevy from the 1970s, three Chryslers from the late 1980s and early 1990s). When we needed a station wagon in 2001, our options were the Subaru Legacy, the Saturn LW, and the VW Passat. My wife liked the Passat, which we still own. Even she noticed the improvement in handling and driving experience. It has been VW/Audi for us ever since.
Get a toyota/lexus u weirdo
These brands need to restore the faith of buyers. The prestige and reliability of them is how American vehicles are perceived. Those that seek prestige usually pursue imports!
Most of you do not realize what is actually going on. No matter what the American brands do they cannot overcome all the regulations that put on them. It is the reason why American Manufacturers have outsourced to Mexico and Canada.
Leave the reliability to the Japanese. Americans are all show and no go. They are just way too jaded. You can’t keep innovating without being humble. Americans are not humble.
I think currently Tesla is how American vehicles are perceived.
These brands will not exist in 10 years. The future is not large ICE cas but smart and still comfortable EVs. That is the future market.
@@csanadbarczy9153 with Jim farley ford can survive but GM . Time is gone
CNBC's best highlights are on cars and fast-food chains. Their deep looks into these brands is really great.
It’s actually depressing.
The big problem with Cadillac, and Lincoln is General Motors, and Ford.
Problem is GM and Ford run for the quarterly profits not long term retention of loyal buyers by pushing for higher quality/reliability.
*THIS*
Quality always shows. Unlike probably every other poster here, I actually BUILT cars, in Tarrytown NY. We were contracted to build 59 cars an hour. We never, ever built less than 63, and usually 65. We actually went to management and said "We could build you a Rolls Royce - if you'd slow the line down to 55 cars an hour, maximum". They didn't even laugh. What counted was NUMBERS, not quality. And the "management" didn't WANT the cars to last - they wanted you buying a new one at least every three years. This was true all across GM and probably Ford as well. Chrysler had such legendary quality control problems we never took them seriously I mean, they got sued by the US government because the Aspen/Volare had such bad rust problems!
Then how does these cheap Japanese brands have such quality.
Lincoln is coming back gradually, but according to consumer reports, they're at the bottom of the reliability list, they're dead last. Still not good at all.
Ford could barely make the EEC-IV
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DO IT THESE DAYS.
But Consumer Reports didn't include Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, or Mitsubishi on that list.
Is any modern ICE car reliable? Interference engines, rubber timing belts, planned obsolescence at 100k miles (unless you get a Toyota Hilux truck, and btw they had rust problems and had to settle a nasty class action lawsuit for big bucks)? I think the only thing left to define luxury is the interior, unless you want to become a gear-head and see how fast you can accelerate in a quarter mile or around curves (i.e., buy a super car). As for Tesla...their greatest asset is their trademark (Nicholas Tesla's next of kin get nothing), since EVs are in general unreliable at today's level of technology (in 30-50 years I'm sure it will be different).
@@raylopez99 Rust problems? LOL you talking about Ford.
@@marktrinidad7650 Many Toyota trucks are known for rust problems, particularly here in the north.
I went to test-drive a new Lincoln a couple of years ago; it smelled so strongly of glue and cheap plastic that I was instantly nauseated. The salesman said "That's the new-car smell!"; as I left, I said "You should test-drive a new BMW".
😬
That’s no good. You can tell certain German cars are made with more detail. I drive a Chevy personally and it does the job but you’re right about BMW’s. Mercedes too.
I took the wife to look at the Lincoln Corsair last summer and I thought it smelled like very nice leather. Ended up with a Lexus NX that actually smells even better, but that was only due to getting a better lease rate. The Lincoln interior was actually much more premium looking.
I hope your had a priest or rabbi next to you when you said this. That Sales Rep EXPIRED 😭🥶😭
@@KingOfFinance1 You should try an Åudı!!!
@@vtr279 - I have a couple buddies that have Audi’s. They swear by them. Great cars. I actually have some family that lives in Germany too. I’m riding my Chevy til the wheels fall off lol and maybe after that I’ll change to something different
Great video. I really love the historical photographs and videos. American car brands optimize quarterly profits. Alfred P. Sloan of General Motors originated hands off division management as long as the Return On Investment met targets. Toyota optimizes customer satisfaction.
Maybe the old Toyota…
I love both Cadillac and Lincoln especially the past models
I've had two Cadillacs loved both; If American car makers would make cars that don't systematically break down, one thing after another, as soon as the warranty runs out, Maybe they'd sell a lot more cars and folks would be more loyal to your brand. I drive a Toyota now with 99% less problems after warranty expired.
Cost cutting, businessmen took priority over engineers. There. That’s the answer.
Lincoln was recently rated LAST for quality by Powers for 34 brands. Case Closed!
They kept targeting Senior Citizens for too long & lost the market 👴👵🧓
Like harley davidsson.
Folks who purchase American names no matter how crap they are.
@@Mrbfgray Not really. Bought the wife a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica by choice. We're in our early 30's lol. Great van so far, I think we're the only people on our street with an American car besides a couple pick up trucks I've seen lol.
Well before it used to be only that age demographic could even afford a car. Before loans became the default.
@@Stressless2023 I don't know about the Pacifica per se but Chryslers are known to be crap, no offense. Pickups the exception. I bet you will have major problems with it over time, transmission particularly. It will fall to pieces.
We own a Continental Black Label, and we get compliments everywhere we go. Such a gorgeous car. I hope Lincoln revives it again in the future on a proper RWD electric platform and make it a competitor to Lucid & EQS.
I drink Johnny Walker Black Label. I get compliments everywhere I go on how good I look drinking it. Until they can't revive me again.
I've had a 95 town car that I bought when I was 13 and it still survived a teenager and still runs great I love it it's always done me good
NO CAR RIDES LIKE A LINCOLN!
You can thank the bean counters at GM for demise of Cadillac. Between the V8-6-4, the diesel, the aluminum V8’s and the lack of distinctive styling, they were bound to fall out of favor with the American buyer. Their products of late share almost everything with the cheaper Chevrolet. Why spend the extra money? In my opinion the Lexus was the make that put final nails in the coffin. I can afford a Cadillac, but I wouldn’t even consider it.
Yes, how well I remember the Cimmaron. I only drove one, and it had a manual transmission. I never was much of a Lincoln fan, but I suppose that they had their clinkers too.
@Dave Cook: V864 was only 1 model year (unless you bought a factory limo which were very low production), Diesel was only 10% of Total Cadillac production of the time, aluminum V8's are still in use today, Cadillac is not in a coffin, Lexus is a rebadged Toyota.
Sadly, no. Both Cadillac and Lincoln are rudderless. Cadillac has spent a couple decades trying unsuccessfully to be an American copy of BMW M division and Mercedes AMG. But that market of buyers wanting a fast sedan is vanishingly small.
Lincoln has been nothing more than an upscale Ford trim level, with nothing special to recommend it.
This, they are still just a rebadge company with tweaks. Same view I hold to infinity and lexus as well. Versus bmw, mercedes, or even porche. Those I think of with their own unique cars specifically designed with a goal. While the rebadges are left with a hull and told to make it look good. But because of that, they also carry the weight of anything about the base model. Got a yukon getting deadpanned for mechanical issues? No one is going to buy the upscale escalade either since you know they are similar enough to expect similar troubles.
The Lincoln Aviator has a PHEV that none of the Ford vehicles have. That's the only unique thing that Lincoln has. That and the fact that the Corsair doesn't share the 1.5 ecoboost engine with the Escape.
Whoever thinks that Lincoln is a rebadge hasnt been paying attention these last 6-7 years
"But that market of buyers wanting a fast sedan is vanishingly small".... So, why do BMW and Mercedes sell so many cars then?? The vanishingly small market is those buyers who want plushness and floatiness - those buyers are DEAD. Global tastes for premium brands tend to favor athleticism and clean, sporty character. Cadillac is building precisely the cars they should be building, otherwise they would be already dead. Brand image is a tough nut to crack, and often takes decades to build - in Cadillac's case, they have a double challenge of shedding an "old luxury" image and building a contemporary brand that is in tune with today's tastes in premium autos - that's why it is taking so long and is so hard for them.
@M1911jln
That "vanishingly" small market you talk about absolutely dominates the US luxury sedan market
Cadillac didn’t lose me, loved em since I was kid and that’s what I started buying once I could afford one in my 20’s. I’m 41 now and I have 3 Cadillacs!
The navigators and Escalades cost nearly 100k and are both luxurious as any other car in that price range
Not the S class
@ you said any car in that price range.
You'd be a fool to pay that for those mediocre vehicles.
@@johniii8147 they're selling like hot cakes though and are definitely the money makers for each brand.
@@seanthe100 True they are by far the top sellers of the brand. Probably the only reason the brands are even still around.
I’ve had a few Cadillac’s and the main thing that I have noticed is that they sure got smaller interior size especially. When we were taking my father to the hospital for treatments I had a 93 Sedan Deville. He could just get in the back seat by himself with the bigger rear doors and higher roof line. When we got to the 98’s it got a little bit harder for him. Come 2004 he just couldn’t” fold up” enough to sit in the back anymore. I feel very strongly that if they would make a good 4door sedan. The size of the 93 at least. They would have a winner. People want the style of a Cadillac and always will. But not all of us can climb up into a Escalade just to have the interior room. And pay up to 90,000 +. There technology has improved so much that the engineers could build something a lot better than the old 4.6. Longer and wider please. At least one model and see what happens.
as a mechanic I believe if either one specifically Cadillac wants to beat the competition they should start by not building JUNKS.
They can't anymore. Nether company as the resources. It would cost each company billions of dollars to built=d a car as good as Lexus. People wont buy it in sufficient enough numbers to make a profit because the perception is they build crap. Then both GM and Ford would have to spend billions more building a car as good as Lexus, and again they will loose a fortune because the perception is they build crap, but now a little more favorable. Then they have to spend billions more for the 3rd generation, and again will loose a fortune, because the perception will still be they build crap, but getting better. Then they will have to spend billions more of a 4th generations, maybe by now they can break even because it's 20 years down the road and people see they build cars equal to Toyota. Then they would have to spend billions more on a 5th generation before their perceptions is equal to Toyota and they can start making a profit. For 50 years both GM and Ford made crap, it will take 25-30 years of pouring 10's of billions and losing money the whole time to turn it around. It cannot be done, both companies will be bankrupt long before then. They would be much better off merging. Getting out of building cars completely. Shrinking the size of their business. Focus on building the best possible pickup and SUV, a lot of profit in trucks & SUV's. Forget badge engineering, keep Caddy separate from GMC & Chevy. Really get a good reputation for building quality trucks & SUV and a reputation like Toyota has now, and slowly getting back into the car market. It will still take 25-30 years, but wont cost as much and they will be making a profit along the way.
In California in West L.A when I drive through these neighborhoods pretty much every driveway features: Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Range Rover, Lexus, Tesla! Very, very few Navigators or Escalade's no sedans from Cadillac or Lincoln. The Euro brands seem to carry prestige that the American brands no longer have. If things don't change soon we might sadly see the end of Cadillac and Lincoln.When the brands go electric and if Lincoln and Cadillac misstep they are completely dead! I really hope they can survive.
That's been true for decades now. Nothing new. They lost that market a long time ago now.
It's because if they're priced the same, someone is always going to go for the prestigious import when they're in the $80k+ market
@@johniii8147 Yep your 100% right!
@@johniii8147 I agree with that!
@@Striker50_ Yeah if you have that to spend other than the huge SUV's neither is on the list to buy.
It is simple: GM and Ford can start being honest and make reliable cars that last. People WILL buy them!
Gm made Oldsmobiles and those are reliable as heck I have a 1998 and it still runs good
It's not really about "reliability" in that space. It's more about a status symbol. And Cadillac and Lincoln are not really good creditability in that space anymore.
It's too late for petrol vehicles now so they're in no man's land
@@geekedmaxx i believe that. My older sister bought a white 98 olds mobile from this elderly couple a few years ago. It looked brand new, nothing wrong with it. The old couple really took care of that car, they even said that they only used the car to go to church. Lol I was just amazed how great in condition it was an the interior an low mileage an it ran great after having that car for like 20 years. So taking care of the vehicle im sure helps it last. An that car was reliable. Thats why right now i take care of my 2018 honda civic. 😂i try to keep it pristine as much as i can . I even detail under my hood an under my vehicle so theres no dirt or dust. Its my OCD i guess🤣
@@betterthanyourname2391 I had a '99 Oldsmobile Intrigue that I bought brand new and the damn thing held up for 21 years, I drove it for 7 years/140k miles almost problem free (I remember a window regulator, struts, and I believe the A/C gave me some trouble), it sat as a spare car for a few years until my oldest son started driving, gave him very little trouble that he told me about, middle son took it over, trashed it, and just last year we donated it with 192k miles and beat to hell but it still cranked up and drove itself up onto that flatbed when they hauled it away. Great car.
Short answer No. That ship has sailed long ago. Luxury isn't just car looks, fit and finish. Luxury is perception, marketing and branding more than anything. I drive a Benz and can tell you that my 1991 3000GT had better interior than this squeaky ass W212. But people no matter what love this damn car and I'm just like I've seen and had better from less.
Here's how they could possibly get it back.
Long wheelbase, (Rolls Royce) tall, squeak free interior meaning the damn materials don't sound like a children's toy 🤦🏾♂️ make the car accessible to owner servicing. I get manufactures need to allow dealers to service cars to make profit but if you look back or at any successful car that was luxury could be serviced by the owner. Here's the thing, owners up in age generally take their cars to be serviced out of convenience. Why do owners like to wrench, b/c it says that car is mine. I can teach my child something. Right now the industry is greedy and consumers are being shafted off the deep end because, of greed and financial illiteracy among many.
I digress. A luxury car isn't a sports car. Get back to the 80s Mercedes and BMW quality then you'd have something on your hands.
The last good American Luxury car was the Lincoln Coach Door, prior it was a long 30yr gap.
Man do I agree with you! I don't understand this fascination with gearing luxury cars toward sports/performance cars and forcibly meshing the two together to make a product that doesn't serve what the market wants. I go to the auto show every year and I'm just dumbfounded by how cheap the interiors are in some of these rides. I was shocked by Jaguar. The material was so cheap and the interior design was meh. I think Cadillac and Lincoln will do fine to make their way back toward the top but they need to work on image and stop trying to copy other brands and be innovative.
I drive a Lincoln town car daily and never have had a single issue with the vehicle. Such a luxurious ride and a reliable car all around. Sad that they stopped production of them in 2011. Wish I could get a brand new one once mine runs through its life cycle.
Ford discontinuing the Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and the Lincoln Town Car was the worst decision they ever made
I never understood that I have a 2002 Town car that 98 to 2011 panther platform is solid. You know I understand Ford wasn't selling as many of the three types to the public crown Vic Town car Grand Marquis but I always wanted what about the sales to the police in town departments I mean in the US and in Canada. Did they lose the contract or something?
@@WhatsCookingTime Most police departments back then before 2012 were mostly Crown Vics. They loved them and that's why they've kept some of them for so long. They never wanted to get rid of them
My mother has a 95 town car
And she wouldn’t trade it for the world
And NO CAR RIDES LIKE A LINCOLN
If they could return to building cars like they did from 1953 to about 1970 , I would say "yes".
That'd be a no thank you from everyone sane and under 80.
That’s true! 🇺🇸 where is the proud design of an Harley Earl today ?
79 and 92 were good year 7.2 and 4.9...not between years..?
Lincoln and Cadillac are like driving cigar boxes for an older generation. Keep the comfort and luxury, but modernize them with sustainable materials and fun features. Think outside of the traditional box. Give me a living room on wheels and a backseat limo experience.
I agree. I think that Cadillac and Lincoln messed up by trying to fight Germans at their game of sport touring cars. Traditional American luxury was soft comfortable luxury.
@@Jrtowns1 True Cadillac and Lincoln were what luxury cars was supposed to be they messed up when they tried to make them high performance luxury vehicles they should have stuck to what they did best luxury vehicles and left the high performance vehicles to chevy and ford
Cadillac's target audience started dying in large numbers during the 90's so Fleetwood's, Coupe De Ville's, Seville's and Eldorado's were no longer selling. Their attempts at "European" cars (Cimarron, Catera and Allante all failed due to lousy engineering and quality) and younger buyers prefer Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and Infinity along with many other choices. The Cadillac's of the last 20 years with the exception of the DTS were all attempts at their own "Mercedes" or "BMW" and again have failed due to boring styling, bad engines (3.6) and electrical glitches like the cue screen problems. Their crossovers are all average at best in both styling and reliability. Their only star is the Escalade which is extremely expensive and not without quality issues itself. Cadillac meant something completely different as a brand when GM controlled almost 50% of the market and domestics were the only luxury offering. As for Lincoln, I'm surprised Ford even keeps it around. It's one of the least reliable vehicles made today.
Corporate greed has pretty much sent American car manufacturers in this industry into this downward spiral during . Then in the eighties American car manufacturers were caught red-handed building cars and trucks to break down on the consumer so they would have to pay for repairs. As you know this is when all the foreign car sales start skyrocketing led by the Japanese manufacturers with dependable gas saving quality vehicles . These foreign manufacturers did not allow greed to get in their way of manufacturing reliable vehicles for the American consumers.
Its too bad , I still like the big land yatch
@@jlr194 Oh me too. I'm a Buick guy and I drive '95 and '96 Roadmaster sedans. I always drove big Electras and Rivs back in the day. I hate the crap Buick puts out now. Same with Cadillac, give me a 19 foot long car with the famous egg crate grill. For me the last great Cadillac's were the '93 to '96 Fleetwood Broughams.
Yeah you must have never seen a CTS, CTS Coupe or CTS Wagon then...especially in their V editions
Those were gorgeous cars..actually helped bring Cadillac back along with the Escalade
In terms of reliability I’d take a Lincoln over a Land rover.
I think it’s time for them to bring back the land yachts with couch-like seats.
Yip, I just mentioned the Cadillac Tailsman the other day as one to nab if you can find one. Sofa seats on wheels baby! Now there is luxury. I own 9 Cadillac's from the '80 to '92 era.
I'll part with my Cadillac's when I die!
Couch seats, soft suspensions, and a tire with a sidewall. It would immensely help if they built Toyota quality, durability, and reliability but none of those things will ever happen.
@@timw8228 And you'll ride in one after you do! 😆
Cadillac Will Never Loose Its Prestige , Style & Look And As A Cadillac Owner I Take Pride In Mine
My ATS is superb; just as good looking, comfortable and fun as a comparable MB and 3 series
Nice puff piece about a couple of dying companies. Having witnessed GM and Ford decline for a couple of decades, it saddens me to no end to see the product quality deterioration compared to the competition not to mention the dealership's third-rate experiences a potential buyer is likely to endure.
Dying? Lol ok when they fully go electric, and last forever, im gonna laugh at your opinion. If you buy the lowest price car then guess what, you dont get such a good and quality product like you would the more expensive European.
@@ssj2camaro21 There is nothing I would like to witness other than a strong comeback from Ford and GM. However, they are more than 10 years behind the power curve and saddled with lots of baggage. Given the consumer product quality of late, entering the EV market may result in some spectacular fires and many deep-fried, crisp customers.
It's funny how nobody mentions Infiniti. Even the Japanese luxury brands can fail. (And does anyone remember Amati?)
The Kia Amanti?
@@42luke93 the stillborn Mazda luxury brand
Infiniti's allure is in the 90's when it was a head turner.
@@sutherlandA1
Thanks. Never knew about it. Must be foreign from American car sales.
Because Infiniti is an absolute trash brand, Nissan has totally forgotten about them for 10+ years. They depreciate as much as the Germans and are multiples worse vehicles then them, so why buy them? The only people who do get a screaming good lease deal on them.
I really like the all the new Lincolns they actually look really good, and I enjoy the Ecoboost. Cadillac I can't get excited about though.
A big problem for Lincoln though is that they have no sedans in their lineup.
Only thing they got is the CTS V tbh
I agree!
CT4, CT4-V,
CT4-V BLACKWING
OR
CT5, CT5-V
CT5-V BLACKWING
GOOD BETTER & GREAT
Cadillac fan 😁
Lincoln has some nice looking cars but can't perform as well as other brands. They got style and comfort but high performance, better technology and quality is more important to consumers. The Cadillac CTS-V from years ago alone is more exciting then any newer Lincoln out there right now.
I hope both Cadillac and Lincoln will be more successful, but would I bet money on it? Absolutely not. Looking at the new Range Rover, X7, GLS, and newcomers like Genesis, Lucid or RIVIAN, I'm afraid both GM and Ford will have a hard time finding more buyers.
They arent afraid
Have you seen what the Navigator and Escalade are offering?
The only market where GM trumps is in the China market. Seems Chinese are so into it without them knowing that their domestic companies like Huawei are being harassed by the American Government. Be the Chinese and be gullible.
@@joecool9739 It will take more than just two popular models for a brand to grow. Both Lincoln and Cadillac are not global brands. They sell practically zero cars in the EU for example (About 460 million inhabitants if you include Norway and Switzerland). German premium brands or even Volvo are sold in nearly every country worldwide. Same for Lexus.
@@joecool9739 Perhaps but the brands lost their followers a long time ago. People have a preconcieved idea. When u ask the young crowd where they shop, Sears is(was) not one of them. Caddy and Lincoln(except for the SUVs) is not one of them.
Today, name is more than reliability. Range Rover has an engine that breaks timing chains at ~50K miles. bmw engine overheats(not to mention plastic engine parts break left and right). Mercedes ranks in the bottom 1/3 of brands when it comes to reliability. All of this yet people think highly of those brands.
This preconcieved idea is a tough hill to reclimb for Caddy and Lincoln.
Everybody loves the Escelade and the CTS V coupe. The problem is that if you are appealing to someone who can afford a fully loaded 120k dollar suv or 100k coupe there are better options with more exclusive status and identical performance. I personally drive cheap cars and am holding out for self driving to spend some of my fortune, IF I came into easy money I would personally opt for the Mercedes 10/10 times.
Edit: I have had a few gm company cars and they were hot garbage. I will forever be dismissive of everything under the umbrella.
First impressions matter a lot. The first time I drove an E46 BMW 330i I was enamored with its simplicity, stylishness, quality, and later, when working on it, its engineering. Comparing it to the chintzy plastic, odd design choices, and obvious rebadging of similar Cadillac and Lincoln products of that time, it was clear which was the better luxury car. I was very happy to see Cadillac take BMW head on with their CTS and ATS. Cadillac had quickly matched BMW in performance and were making progress in refinement only to drop it all and focus on rebadging Chevy SUVs. An example of this was the Cadillac SRX which in its first iteration was a Cadillac specific platform and won many awards. By 2010, Cadillac threw it all away to instead reskin a Chevy Impala as the new SRX. It was about $10,000 cheaper than its predecessor but it was also an inferior product. That didn't matter to GM though as it became their best selling vehicle. It made them a lot of money, but did nothing to develop their brand. BMW on the other hand took the qualities that they cultivated over years of development to organically create SUV and crossover products from the ground up. Until American companies stop making short term profit the ultimate goal of their business model, they will never retake their place at the top of the luxury brand segment.
Bmw means bust my wallet. Cars are a money pit
The "Cadillac" CTS and ATS are not luxury cars. A 1961 Fleetwood Sixty Special is a LUXURY car.
need:
pillar-less hardtops
whitewalls
wheel covers
fender skirts (optional)
Superb video. You correctly pointed out that Lincoln cars have amazing interiors. Town Car was my favorite, and then came the Continental. I think Continental was Town Car rebadged, as the latter was introduced in place of Continental, and Continental came back to the helm again after Town Car got discontinued in 2011. I also loved the shape and style of the MKS and MKZ. Lincoln SUVs, esp. Navigator, are off course so good looking and luxurious. Ditto with Cadillac's Escalade. Since American car makers specialize in making big cars, it seems they have hit upon their strength in the big car (SUV/ Trucks/ Van) segment, and with US customers going more for bigger cars now, these companies have a chance to lift up their revenue and profitability again.
Town Car was the rebadged Continental. The Continental became the new car where the Town Car continued on with the same basic styling as the 61 Continental.
LINCOLN. IS. LUXURY
I miss the giant land yachts of past with the floaty ride. I would buy one if they had one today.
I own 9 Cadillac's from the '80 to '92 era. I keep watching for good ones and nab them. Somewhere someone is wanting to just move one at a low price. Just have to watch for them and move fast.
Every GM (x3) I have ever owned has been the biggest POS. In the shop by 50-75k for major repairs. I’ve had a new Toyota that I put 240K miles on and still hasn’t been to the shop for more than tires and regular maintenance. I’ll stick with Japan made Toyotas.
The problem with Cadillacs and Lincolns today is that they are completely indistinguishable from everything else on the road.
Faceless, gray corporate blobs that resemble any Toyota/Kia/Honda etc.
Bring back the long, low, cushy sedans styled like the 1960s and 1970s - with 30+ paint and interior color choices, fabric/leather options, and more but with today’s engine power and efficiency. Those are the cars that will interest buyers again.
Best comment here.
I got a used 04 Navigator, best car I've ever owned. Seems mostly german engineering, previous car was a VW and I see many similarities in suspension/ frame design. Heard my whole life how american cars past the 70's were junk, so I stayed away from them, after getting the Lincoln, I wish I'd gone domestic sooner, would have saved a lot of maintenance time and cost in my life
Interesting take... The Navigator is a rebadged and slightly upgraded Ford Expedition... which in turn is based on the Ford F150. As far as a full size SUV goes it's pretty good, in every generation, but then, so is the F150 it's based on...Though about as straight up American style engineering as it comes.
@@johngaltline9933 I've owned used Mazda, Toyotas, BMW, VW, GMC's, Dodge and now Ford. American stuff seems designed to be repaired, while the German and Japanese stuff seemed built to be replaced. The German and Japanese cars left me stranded a few times while the American cars always managed to limp home.
As a lifelong auto enthusiast I can tell you that, Ford and GM threw away the luxury market in the 1990s when they started manufacturing low quality plastic imitation luxury cars!
BMW has been doing exactly the same thing for the last several years, that's why they can't catch up to Mercedes Benz.
@japanwatchconnection Don't forget the buying experience. I dread going to most dealers, especially Mazda and Nissan. Lexus provides the best experience with Porsche, MB and BMW close behind. Probably Rolls Royce beats them all, but I think they scan us to determine our tax returns as we walk in, so an automatic call to the police reporting me as a trespasser is the best I can hope for there.
@japanwatchconnection When MB took over Chrysler, MB quality went down the toilet and they never recovered. The maintenance on a 5 year old BMW is more extensive then buying a new one. I love cars, I always have. I can't change a tire, but I have studied the history of cars going back to the 20's. Of all the car makes, Toyota by far the best ( even though I always had Honda's), and I would rank Mazda & Honda tied for 2nd. At one time I would rank Honda & Toyota tied. All the rest, CRAP. It's not that BMW & MB use cheap materials, but the quality of engineering is not like it once was, especially for MB. They added way to much electronics, which does not last, they are overly complex witch not only doesn't last but expensive to fix.
@japanwatchconnection Much like Boeing, modern durable goods manufacturers have become far too obsessed with posting huge profit margins and they have put quality and prestige, not even on the back burner but, right off of the stove!
It was very interesting to me to watch Microsoft's founders make billions of dollars selling floppy disks, which probably didn't cost them fifty cents for $169.00 per pop and then graduate to selling downloadable software and upgrades for $200.00+ plus annual updating fees...
It directly inspired me to build an academic software program of my own!
What they are going to have to do which they won't! Is Lower the prices and offer superior service. No one even trusts these cars. They need to do like Hyundai. Hyundai are wack! But sell like hell! They are cheaper and offer the best warranty. Then Hyundai had the audacity to come out with a luxury line! Lol. People know Lexus cars are gonna last and not gonna cost youvalot in maintenance.
What does American luxury cars have to offer outside of a terrible maintenance record. Those cars aren't bad but they aren't doing anything better than the other luxury cars and people know feel those cars' maintenance record sucks.
I'm in the market for a luxury car. If Cadillac were cheaper...I would. Or if they offered a warranty or good routine maintenance agreement. They have to do those things and offer a great product. Trust me no one is checking for Cadillacs or Lincolns.
Buicks are priced great for example, but the name alone is the epitome of old people
@@Striker50_ yeah, I'm not buying a Buick lol. Was just looking at the Lincoln Continental after watching this only to find out they discontinued it in favor of an all suv lineup...Umm I want a sedan.
@@KB-Unc Exactly, GM & Ford have an obsession with selling their highest margin vehicles
Cadillac only produced 811 CT5 cars in Q3 2021 for example.
Hyundai doesn't crack the top 25 in models sold for 2020. Ford, GM and jeep all have a model in that list. Nothing you wrote is even remotely true and is entirely anecdotal.
@@mickym.6711 He's referencing the Genesis lineup and its stellar warranty & pricing
The decline of Cadillac and Lincoln is 100% about product execution. Marketing can't fix that.
Both brands have a huge opportunity with electrification. Other brands like VW & Hyundai are experimenting with classic styling with modern engineering, both of which are achievable.
I live in Canada and I never had an car from a US brand. Today I have a Subaru, if it isn't a pleasure to drive, it has a huge cost benefit. Hope in the future I can have a F150 Electric version.
Cadillac & Lincoln look awesome, but just let Toyota build the Engines & Transmissions.
✌️
LOL no they don't look awesome.
The new ones do look pretty nice design wise.
The market for "traditional" American luxury isn't there anymore (and really hasn't been there for about 20-25 years). The problem is American cars can't match the Europeans or Japanese on the objective measures, and yet really haven't been able to find a new identity that characterizes "American luxury".
As my mother always has a saying "Nothing stays at the top forever " and that is true. It also depends on what part of Country you live in or what side of the town you live in. For example, I used to live in Denver, CO, I have never seen so many Audi & Subaru in my life. There was only one Lincoln Dealership I knew of,and only 3 Cadillac Dealership's. I now live in Minneapolis,MN and when first moving out here seeing brand-new Lincoln's were so foreign to me...lol Still to this day there are parts of the Country that domestic cars are more popular than foreign vehicles. When I lived in Florida they have Huge Chevrolet & Cadillac Dealership's than what I am used to..lol I was at a Carmax once, test driving a Acura, the Sales rep told me he used to Work at a Honda dealership in North Carolina and the Honda's didn't sell as much as Domestic Dealership's did. But once when he lived in upstate New York, the Honda's sold like hotcakes.
Fact! So many Subies in Denver and Boulder.
I’m sorry but BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Acura, Lexus, and even now Genesis just have better fit and finish, materials, and quality control than American Luxury brands.
but which is more reliable? Definitely not the German vehicles. And Lexus doesn’t innovate at all.
They will never capture the golden age of luxury like they did then. Lot of celebrities loved Lincoln and Cadillac.
Tbh I think new Cadillacs and Lincolns look really nice. They all might have similar designs but it's still kinda new.
The german brands have just evolved the same design for decades and I find it really boring.
I do hope they get better but knowing their parent companies histories I wouldn't bet on it.
The Lincoln continental sedan looks like it's copying a Chinese automaker trying to copy German automaker.
The Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Aviator are steps in the right direction though
Not when they're behemoth gas guzzlers
Aviator is an awesome vehicle. Very poor marketing plan for all of these vehicles. That is if they have any marketing plan at all!!
Steps to the landfill. LOL!
@@Striker50_ The Aviator has a hybrid and the Escalade has a diesel. Both are efficient for what they are.
@@Striker50_ but that's literally any full size SUV lmao you don't really buy these cars and expect to have the gas mileage of a small sedan.
Lincoln and Cadillac lost their dominance in 1971. At that time, MBZ and BMw were virtually unknown and the only car above them was Rolls Royce. Staring in 1972, The Detroit Dark Ages began and would last for 3 decades. By the mid 80's Mercedes and BMw were the clearly superior automobiles and in 1990 Lexus added themselves to the pair. Nissan and Honda tried with Infiniti and Acura, but both failed. There were moments of hope though. The 1976-79 Cadillac Seville was world class, and the Continentall reintroduced in 2015 gave hope. The problem was the Continental was not priced high enough - you could get one for $45k. Cadillac offered great products in the 2000's: XLR, ELR, CTS, ATS, XTS, CT6. the problem was that they didn't stick with any ofthem long enough, and over-emphasized boy racer handling performance - clearly the domain of BMW, while they downplayed luxury. Big Mistake. Now Lucid air has shamed them both showing what a new generation luxury car needs to beL Cool, exclusive and expesive.
I keep looking for a good '76 to '79 Seville. Darn things are hard to find. Supposedly the suspension was one of the best rides.
I wouldn't say Honda and Nissan failed with infinity and Acura. Both are of a higher quality than most domestics they just don't have a huge share of the market sales due to competition. The market is flooded with cars.
Acura started it all actually in 1987 and was so successful it was outselling BMW, Mercedes, and Audi combined. So Toyota copied and made Lexus and then Nissan followed with INFINITI. That was the beginning of the down fall for American luxury brands. Acura definitely didn’t fail and there wouldn’t even be asian luxury brands if it wasn’t for Acura proving they have a place in the market. They still sell extremely well and were breaking sales figures earlier this year. They have also been outselling Cadillac and Lincoln for years. Now INFINITI is indeed on its last leg you got that part right.
IMO, Cadillac started losing its brilliance in the late 60's. The last truly great Cadillac was the 1967-70 Eldorado. Lincoln however had the Mark III, IV, V, and the four door Mark VI which were all great cars. They started going to hell with the Mark VII and the Continental series. The Town Cars remained as true Lincolns and when they were phased out, that was the death of the brand.
The Lincoln Continental had tons of hope. If they made the Continental, a V8 Front Engine, RWD/AWD, it would have been a serious contender to the Genesis G90, Cadillac ST6, BMW 7, Audi A8, Lexus LS, Volvo S90, Mercedes S-class sedans.
The great thing about Lincoln now, is that they mostly make CUVs and Suvs and they have been doing good so far.
Cadillac is trying to be like BMW/Audi nowadays.
Lincoln needs also more identify in design, they all still look like Jaguars… the design highlight was the Mark V Bill Blass .. wonderful and American! 🇺🇸
Being born in 2003, Cadillac has and always will be my favorite car brand. They have managed this far!
11:58 "We looked at all the automation systems out there including Tesla and others......the market will follow them very quickly"
If the company's mindset are like that in a competitive market for innovation, I doubt they will succeed.
Lack of investments and innovation.
Thing they looked at the bottom line and did not want to invest enough into research and quality.
Thats often the problem with leaders with share options. They`re in for the short run and rake up money for themselfs.
Just look at how the in general (outside car industry) exploit the US people by end production in the US and start up in China. Bad for the country, the US worker and even the company in the long run (as the chinese stole the technology).
Now, the US hardly has any manufactoring left. Its gone. So is the skills and the workers.
But the CEO`s and shareholders got filthy rich!!
Cant believe you let them do it!
Out performed, out priced and out designed. Aside from huge trucks or some nitch cars (e.g. muscle cars Ford Focus STI) theres little reason to buy from US car brands
Yep
Pretty awful take. American cars are better than ever. Lots to be excited about. Also it's niche.
yeah the big three do big trucks and SUVs right... hell ford even stopped making all their sedans except for the mustang
I think Ford could never die, the government wouldn't let it. Too many American workers (I think more than GM now) and too much American heritage, as it's the oldest American brand now. Plus Ford seems to really be "trying". But if GM keeps playing it's cards wrong and goes bankrupt again I'd bet the government wont step in next time.
@@Stressless2023 Ford won't die. It didn't need a government bail out in 08 because it's well run. They actually innovative. GM tho gets lazy and thinks people will just buy it. Saving GM was a huge waste of money. Imagine how many more car companies we would have if the brand failed. Tesla would just be one of many new brands. (Tesla started by buying a shut down GM plant. Same with Lucid) Sadly tho the jobs had to be saved so the government stepped in and lost billions.
It says a lot when sometimes I find a Volkswagen interior just as impressive, if not more so, than that of a Lincoln.
They don’t own a set of eyeballs then.
Maybe the Corsair but every other Lincoln is way better.
How did CNBC find that B-roll footage of the BMW E38 7-Series from 1993? 0:42
That's the first public video ever of the E38, used for its debut. Rare stuff!
The bar for luxury is really low compared to what it used to be. The old luxury cars were like riding on air and had tons of room. They also had their own identity. We won’t see that again.
Most of the regulations and government designed destroyed that luxury. Even the physical movement of workers is regulated today.
Back then a luxury car felt like a tank driving over potholes like it was nothing. The sound insulation made it a smooth quiet ride. Nowadays a “luxury” car consists of a bigger tablet on the dash and a few extra buttons.
@@angelgjr1999 Pretty much spot on. No one has made a real, American style, luxury car since the Town Car died in 2011. Even at that the newer ones don't ride as nice as the old ones did. Have owned 6 full size lincolns/mercurys, My 88 grand marquis could take any speed bump or pothole you threw at it and you didn't feel a thing. The 03-11 Town Car is still better than anything made today, but is a noticeably rougher ride than the 88, or my 95 TC.
what about the last gen continental?
@@metallic4888 I've only driven rentals on the latest Continental, but as far as anything made in the last decade, it's not bad. Actually looking to buy one now as it's the closest thing to what I want that exists...and it looks good. It's pushed a bit heavy on the 'sporty' side than it needs to be, but is fun to drive and rides well enough. Have to go with the AWD version, however, as the FWD models have that over/under steer issue on acceleration. The trunk is large by current standards, though about half the size of a Town Car. It's no body on frame, Rear Wheel Drive, floating sofa, but it's not bad. Also the adaptive cruise control actually works well enough, unlike the crap on other cars I've driven that like to slam on the brakes when someone half a mile ahead slows to turn... or for no reason at all. (Looking at you, Lexus)
I knew it was over before they used Matt McConaughey 🤷♂️
I was looking for an entry level premium SUV and I was excited after seeing the list advanced features in German Big 3 ( Merc, BMW n Audi)... I was shocked to see the lack of features for comparable models in Lincoln and Cadillac... I think they still don't even know that people can easily compare the features side by side of different cars!!! I am not sure what prompts people to buy Lincoln or Cadillac when we can buy super reliable German cars with lot more features 😎
That’s the thing right now. German automakers put more detail and effort into the cars. Saying you own a Cadillac sounds nice but when comparing BMW, Audi they are just better right now
what features did you find absent on lincolns and cadillacs which you found on the big 3 German brands?
"Super reliable German cars": Today's Oxymoron. The horrible resell value of over engineered German vehicles is due to their reliability. Everyone knows that a used 100k mileage German car will cost a small fortune to keep on the road. The high tech electronics will crap out along with all the cheap plastic that is used in the engine bay. Japanese cars will last twice+ as long. That's why Acura & Lexus have high resale values.
@@jaydibernardo4320 Exactly. I don't know who thinks a German car is reliable besides a German themselves. Even an American car may not be the most reliable as a whole but at least it wont cost a fortunate to fix as parts are generally just as cheap or even cheaper than Japanese parts.
@@Stressless2023 Oh... There is no doubt on Lexus and Acura... I would say they are in one level above German cars. I am not planning to use my current car till 100k. So hopefully I may not reach the point of spending a fortune for repair works 🤞
I have owned European and Japanese vehicles. I now own a 2005 Ford Explorer Limited V8 and It's quality and reliability is excellent. I have 200,000 miles on it and it has had few problems. I will definitely by another. The new Lincoln that I looked at was absolutely gorgeous. I see a comeback happening for American luxury automobiles.
Let's hope Cadillac and Lincoln can rectify their mistakes. I actually really like their cars. They just need to get serious about quality
I’ve always like Cadillacs. Lincoln’s too. You see more classic, older gentlemen driving them now. They would have to innovate to get with the times honestly. Tesla and other companies have taken a lot of market share.
Tesla have not taken the market share.
Foreign imports into America do not need to meet the same level of regulations that American manufacturing has.
It is the reason for manufacturing outsourcing.
@@bighands69 - Interesting … I did not know that. Thank you for sharing.
@@bighands69 but tesla has taken market share tho
Great piece CNBC! Although, you didn't talk enough about the reliability and durability issues that separate American luxury from foreign luxury
Especially from Japanese brands.
Poorly done piece Very negative and one sided and full of incorrect information. Not surprising from the NBC family.
Every car is a luxury car now. Electric windows FM radio.
Great video! You guys slightly underestimated the Lincoln Navigators impact on the market. I was working at a Lincoln Dealership at the time and they couldn't keep them on the lot. Middle aged guys were paying cash left and right.👍
I own an 85 Lincoln Town Car. V8, body on frame, rear wheel drive. Most comfortable car I've ever owned. Most cars today are just little crap mobiles with fancy technology.
Most cars built in the last 25 years are lasting longer than ever before.
They need to build back the large cars
Ford and GM would have better luck relaunching/reintroducing a new EV company, that would save them.
I think Cadillac and Lincoln are both modern-day losers because they departed from what made them great cars. There's nothing wrong with being a beautiful gorgeous land yacht. That is what made Cadillac and Lincoln great cars. Then came the hack and slash kids that reduced their beautiful land yachts to compacts and some ugly square looking SUVs. What a bunch of atrocious mistakes!
My favorite American luxury car of all time is the '61 Continental. Reduced in size outside but ideal in room provided inside, still has a real understated quality look to it.
i agree, especailly now adays when we can make semi fuel efficient yachts, even with v8 engines
After 35 years of buying a dozen different top of the line Honda and Acura products, on a whim, during the pandemic, I bought a fully loaded 2020 Lincoln Continental.
The Continental is a nice space to be in, plus it is fast, nimble, quiet, and has a silky smooth ride.
It is also bristling with modern tech features.
It gives me hope, American manufacturers can compete and survive.
I bought a 2021 Lincoln Nautilus. Love it. I considered another Volvo and Lexus. I like this better.