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Cadillac model names XTS, CT6, and the like

Started by Scot Minesinger, May 24, 2017, 10:03:16 AM

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59-in-pieces

Scott,
I agree - number one is STYLING.

Humans - us - remember best through association and most of all imagery - and far less easily by strings of numbers or letters.
Everyone knew what a DeVille, Seville, Fleetwood, Brougham, and Eldorado was - it was a Cadillac - no need to say Cadillac first, nor recite a year - it remained a Cadillac.

The prototypes/concepts of Cadillacs with great styling are known as: Ciel, Elmiraj, Converj, Cien, Eco-jet, and others - Don't see No 3 letters nor number - hummmmm.

When you go to buy a car and you are asked which interior you would like, you are presented with a pellet to chose from - sadly oh so few selections these days (a far cry from the past) - note ALL with expressive names for white, tan, gray, and even black - NOT a string of numbers or letters.

Names not letters or number are emotive, they conjure up memories/emotions - good & bad - and once you buy the car it  continues to tug at your emotions going forward- reinforcing that decission.   No numbers or letters can do that, unless you get a DUI.

Like orange is the new black - Speed is the new black - so should cars with Exotic NAMES become the new black.

Have fun,
Steve B.
S. Butcher

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: smokuspollutus on May 25, 2017, 01:49:45 PM
I stood around the CT6 at the auto show to admire, and within about 10 minutes I had heard it called the CTS6 at least 3 times. How bad is it that people don't know the name of the brands flagship? No one called the Continental the MKC. I am in support of any concise naming system that won't be shaken up every few years in a hair-brained attempt to get nonexistant rich young people to buy luxury cars but lets face it that the 3 letter thing has to go, its beyond repair. I feel that using the traditional names would be the best insurance against further patchwork, not to mention the brand has a rich heritage with them.
It happens.  Over time, people have referred to Broughams as Fleetwood Broughams or Fleetwood Eldorados as Eldorado Biarritzs or Seville Elegantes as Seville d'Elegances or 1981+ Town Cars as Continental Town Cars, and so on.  New or changed model or trim names can create some confusion for a while especially if one is not an enthusiast.   As much as I prefer "actual" model names for brands like Cadillac and Lincoln, I don't find the 3-character names confusing at all.  For me it's more about nostalgia and what I grew up with but also appreciate that it's a different world these days.


Quote from: smokuspollutus on May 25, 2017, 01:49:45 PM
What is your opinion on the course that should be taken?
More crossovers/SUVs as that is where the real growth is in the luxury space right now.   However, that doesn't mean completely abandoning cars (some have actually suggested Cadillac do that) and I'm sure Cadillac has no plans to do so.  They are still a top seller in the large sedan market, for example.  I would LOVE to see large sedans make a comeback and CUVs/SUVs lose appeal but it doesn't look like that will occur anytime soon.

30326

Looked on the models. I don't understand from the 3-letter combination what is what. A model starting with a "C" is bigger than a "X"? Or is it the digit "6"? But then what does the "S" means?

BMW are a lot smarter. If the model starts with 100 its the smallest and 700 for the largest car. There is no smartness at all to the letter/number combination for Cadillacs. At least not something I can figure out and I am very much into Cadillacs, so a person not specifically interested in Cadillacs but wants a "luxury" car will never figure it out at all. Only way to understand what a model is, is looking on the price tag. The more expensive price tag the bigger and better. But then Cadillac ruined that as well by having a special "racing" type series. Or maybe its just me.

Cadillac has a car on the drawing board that could change very much. A four-door convertible named Ciel. Priced just less of 100K in a good layout and it will sell. A lot. Make it happen 2018!

30326

All Ford cars have names. None have the 3-letter constellation. Everybody knows what a Fiesta, Fusion and so on means. And if you say you have a Fiesta nobody asks if its a Ford. Because everybody knows! Nobody knows what a CT6 means and might ask what brand it is! When saying its a Cadillac then they ask what happened to the DeVilles, Eldorados and so on...

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: CLC 30326 on May 26, 2017, 02:15:05 AM
Looked on the models. I don't understand from the 3-letter combination what is what. A model starting with a "C" is bigger than a "X"? Or is it the digit "6"? But then what does the "S" means?

BMW are a lot smarter. If the model starts with 100 its the smallest and 700 for the largest car. There is no smartness at all to the letter/number combination for Cadillacs. At least not something I can figure out and I am very much into Cadillacs, so a person not specifically interested in Cadillacs but wants a "luxury" car will never figure it out at all. Only way to understand what a model is, is looking on the price tag. The more expensive price tag the bigger and better. But then Cadillac ruined that as well by having a special "racing" type series. Or maybe its just me.

If you are referring to the new Cadillac model names, the numbers will identify models similarly to how brands like BMW and Audi use numbers for their model names.

All Cadillac cars will start with CT (which stands for Cadillac Touring) and crossovers will start with XT (which stands for X-over or Crossover Touring) and will be followed by a number which corresponds to the position in the lineup.  This is very similar to Audi's A4, A6, Q5, Q7, etc numbering and BMW's 3, 5, X1, X3, etc numbering.  Cadillac's will be CT4, CT6, XT4, XT6, etc.   Pretty straightforward.  How is BMW's "a lot" smarter?

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: CLC 30326 on May 26, 2017, 08:49:47 AM
All Ford cars have names. None have the 3-letter constellation. Everybody knows what a Fiesta, Fusion and so on means. And if you say you have a Fiesta nobody asks if its a Ford. Because everybody knows! Nobody knows what a CT6 means and might ask what brand it is! When saying its a Cadillac then they ask what happened to the DeVilles, Eldorados and so on...

Ford isn't a luxury brand and doesn't compete in the luxury market where alphanumeric model names are the norm.

As far as the Fiesta and Fusion names go, they are recognizable as Fords because they've been used as Ford model names for a while (Fiesta was first used way back in the 1970s and Fusion has been used for about 12 years).  If CT6 isn't recognizable to some it's because the name has only been used as a Cadillac model for a short time.

59-in-pieces

#26
Guys
Interesting how these posts shake out.
Do I detect a pattern here.
Have fun,
Steve B.
S. Butcher

Bill Young

Boring lack of styling and virtually no color choices aside , I never remember a Women named (Woman 36-24-36).

WTL

The only currently recognizable Cadillac name in production is Escalade.  Even CTS is barely a blip.  Among the general population, if you shouted "there goes a CTS" on a bus..maybe 2 in 10 would know you are talking Cadillac.  But if you said Durango, or Impala or Continental, generally people would know.  Its the difference between having an internet password that is a random collection of numbers, and a name which evokes an image.  Which can you remember easier?

I really don't think sales will go way up with true names, but I do think people will be happier.  I have not heard a good reason why Eldorado needs to be sidelined.  The grandpa argument might have even been true 15 years ago...but among my millennial friends, very few have any current associations with the name Fleetwood. And we all like throwbacks anyway. 


35-709

1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2