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Cadillac dealerships of yesterday

Started by Big Apple Caddy, February 09, 2013, 09:16:12 AM

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Big Apple Caddy

As the "Cadillac vs. EDSEL?" topic seemed to be turning into more of a discussion on dealerships, distributorships, and the local level marketing/selling of Cadillacs in the past, I thought maybe a new topic would be appropriate.  Perhaps this could be where people share memories, knowledge, etc. of dealerships from the past.

Dave Shepherd

I worked in the NY branches of Cad Mtr Car Div from 62-72 then anti trust law forced them to liquidate their holdings all over the country. Stayed with GM for a while then went to work for a multi- line dealer on LI, John Staluppi. We opened a Cad dealer in about 92, in West Islip.

936CD69

The dealership I worked for from 1983-94 had been in business since the early 30's. The building itself was built new in the mid 20s as a Model T store, then converted to a Chevy Buick Cadillac dealer in 1932 IIRC. The used car manager and office manager retired in 1985, both having been continuously employed there for over 50 years! The dealer added Olds and Pontiac in 1983, so we had 5 GM lines. The dealer changed hands in 1970 and then again in 2008, and is now Chevy Buick. Along with several other dealers within 35 miles, GM pulled thier Cadillac franchise in 2009. The dealer is still in the 1920s building which is Listed on the National registry for Historic Places.
Craig Brillhart CLC# 26217
1993 Sedan deVille Spring Edition Carmine Red White Top-SOLD!
1993 Sedan deVille Spring Edition Triple Black
CLCMRC Benefactor #302

Louis Smith

I would like to hear of the experiences of others when they dealt with Cadillac salesmen of the past, mainly 50's forward.  This was a time when a Cadillac was still highly revered and the ultimate car to be owned by most.  It was a time when many of the dealerships, were elegantly decorated.  I have heard stories, where most of the salesmen prejudged customers as if they could or could not afford a Cadillac.  I had a friend at the time, that was a very successful business, and could well afford a Cadillac.  He went to the dealership in his "work clothing",  no suit and tie, and was basically ignored by the salesmen.  He ended up buy a Lincoln.

Walter Youshock

Our town pharmacist had the same experience.  One Saturday, he went shopping after doing yard work and was snubbed by the salesman.  He was so mad that on the following Wednesday afternoon (remember when banks and stores CLOSED on Wednesday afternoons?), he went to the next closest Cadillac dealer.  He came home with a brand new Sedan deVille.  He then took it back to the other dealership for service.  The salesman damn near fell over when he saw who it was.

I was also told a similar story of an old local Russian immigrant farmer who went to buy a new Cadillac in 1958.  The salesmen were less than helpful and the man spoke broken English.  Between the communication barrier and his dirty clothes, things weren't going well.  He got so frustrated, he went down the block to the Buick dealer and bought a new TOTL Limited sedan--with cash. 
CLC #11959 (Life)
1957 Coupe deVille
1991 Brougham

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: 936CD53 on February 09, 2013, 10:56:04 AM
GM pulled thier Cadillac franchise in 2009.

It's been unfortunate to see so many Cadillac dealerships close/lose franchises in the last dozen years or so.  Many markets have lost over 50% of their dealerships including some that had been at locations for decades.

I wonder, assuming Cadillac sales sufficiently rebound, if there will ever be notable openings/reinstatements of Cadillac dealerships and franchises or is this the new normal.

936CD69

10 years ago, I could drive 30 minutes in any direction and get to a Cad dealer. Our county and the six contiguous counties each had a Cadillac dealership in the county seat . Now only 2 remain....

I seriously doubt we will ever see any of them with Cad franchises again. Volume was just too low to justify building multi-million $ facilities that GM insisted on. Perhaps someday they will establish remote service facilities?
Craig Brillhart CLC# 26217
1993 Sedan deVille Spring Edition Carmine Red White Top-SOLD!
1993 Sedan deVille Spring Edition Triple Black
CLCMRC Benefactor #302

Louis Smith

It looks like most businesses today, car dealerships are becoming more like chain stores, with dealers having multi marquees for sale.  This is done with either the same dealership or different facilities altogether. 

Jay Friedman

While I never worked for a Cadillac dealership, in the late '50s I put myself through college working at a summer job as a mechanic at McDonald Oldmobile, Oceanside, Long Island.  In those days not all new car dealerships were large enterprises, with many buildings and a large campus.  McDonald's only had a store-front showroom in a row of shops, on the corner of a main road and a side street.  There were never more than 2 or 3 cars on display and there were only 2 salesmen.  There was no used cars sold and I don't know what they did with cars that were traded in.   The service department with 8 bays was in the back of the same building with a parking lot behind it. 

During my 3rd year there, the owner, Mr. McDonald, passed away.  Within days, using his death as an excuse, GM cancelled the franchise.  The rumor was that a larger Olds dealer a few miles away used its influence to do us in as they didn't like the competition.   After I graduated from college and ceased working there, the service manager kept the place going as a garage servicing Oldsmobiles and other GM cars, including Cadillacs, but it folded after a few years. 

1949 Cadillac 6107 Club Coupe
1932 Ford V8 Phaeton (restored, not a rod).  Sold
Decatur, Georgia
CLC # 3210, since 1984
"If it won't work, get a bigger hammer."

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: 936CD53 on February 10, 2013, 09:34:31 AM
I seriously doubt we will ever see any of them with Cad franchises again. Volume was just too low to justify building multi-million $ facilities that GM insisted on. Perhaps someday they will establish remote service facilities?

It's ironic that the dealership facility standards and related expenses have been elevated so much while the price/cost of the cars, especially when you consider the much more generous and liberal lease and finance terms, have notably come down.

People were spending more money, adjusting for inflation, on new Cadillacs and were buying more of them out of comparatively modest showrooms (with some exceptions) decades ago than they are today.

Strong import market competition has certainly changed things.

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: Louis Smith on February 10, 2013, 11:32:00 AM
It looks like most businesses today, car dealerships are becoming more like chain stores, with dealers having multi marquees for sale.  This is done with either the same dealership or different facilities altogether.

A lot of domestic brands were consolidated in the last 10-15 years due to declining sales and an attempt to reduced competition among the dealerships e.g. at GM there was a time when it seemed most Buick dealerships were exclusives but with these consolidations, many were closed/combined with Pontiac and GMC.

In various markets, Oldsmobile was a popular dual with Cadillac and when that brand was discontinued some added/were combined with Hummer and/or Saab but now that both of those brands are now gone too, more are becoming exclusives again at least in the larger markets.

It has also become more common for multiple dealerships to be owned by the same organization which again, reduces competition.  Large dealership groups are much more prevalent today.

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: Jay Friedman on February 10, 2013, 12:41:04 PM
There were never more than 2 or 3 cars on display and there were only 2 salesmen.

I miss the days when there were more "mom and pop" type dealerships, although I understand why some things had to change.

Walter Youshock

Cadillacs were so revered in the 50's and 60's that USED ones were selling for almost the same price as NEW ones.  Back in the day, the car sold itself.  It didn't need a fancy "salon" setting to cater to the customer.  A desk, a pen and an ashtray were about all the selling tools needed.
CLC #11959 (Life)
1957 Coupe deVille
1991 Brougham

Louis Smith

Many years ago, the host on a radio talk show, said that it was so ridiculous for GM to have so many different marquees.  He went on to say that foreign manufacturers basically only had one marquee, with a model for everyone.  Seems like he was very prophetic. 

Big Apple Caddy

I think Cadillac held its own into the 1990s when the likes of Lexus, Infiniti, Acura and a greater overall acceptance of luxury imports especially among younger people started to really change the ball game.  Except for some down years (although still over 200,000) in the early 1980s due largely to the economy, Cadillac unit sales were consistently over 250,000, if not over 300,000, for most of the 1970s through 1990.

GM's multi-brand system had worked fairly well until buyers started to gravitate more rapidly to imports which didn't have the number of brand tiers that GM did.   Each of GM's brands were able to achieve strong sales into the 1980s (especially) and 1990s but that's when things started to change.  New competition, eventual greater ease of luxury car ownership thanks to liberal finance/lease terms, etc. made middle tier brands like Oldsmobile and Pontiac unnecessary.  I think the attitude became, "Why should I settle for an Oldsmobile when I can now easily jump up to a luxury brand Cadillac...or Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, etc.?"

Doug Scarrow

   Here is a sign from a Miami South Beach Building on Lincoln Road nicely preserved !
Doug Scarrow

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: Doug Scarrow on February 11, 2013, 12:17:05 PM
   Here is a sign from a Miami South Beach Building on Lincoln Road nicely preserved !

It is nice to see some developers preserve things like this.

Big Apple Caddy

A 1935 ad for the "Cadillac Salon" on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach where the above sign existed and still exists today.


C.R. Patton II



Hello Doug

That is a beautiful LaSalle symbol! Thanks for sharing.
All good men own a Cadillac but great gentlemen drive a LaSalle. That is the consequence of success.

soonerinmo

It seems they spared no expense at dressing-up Cadillac dealerships back in the day! :)
Brian Combs ><>

'67 Fleetwood Sixty Special (Sold)
'08 DTS