Cadillac and Corvette re-enter the UK market

The Americans have been good at choosing memorable brand and model names for their cars. But in Europe historically the names have, in most cases, been better than the products.

Mustang, Viper, Hummer, Pontiac and Thunderbird are just a few of those names. Now the famous brands of Cadillac and Corvette have officially returned to the UK market after a break of three years.

Initially sales started in 1998 through 11 Vauxhall dealers selling Cadillac Seville, Chevrolet Blazer and Corvette models. The prices were too high, the driving qualities were not up to European requirements and even huge discounts did not lift sales much above 3,000 units in nearly five years.

Independent specialist importers of American vehicles have continued to bring Cadillacs, Corvettes and other monsters to the UK.

This time, although Cadillac and Corvette are still part of the giant GM Corporation, this latest European venture will not directly be in the hands of America’s automotive ‘big brother’ even though Cadillac at least has been re-born in the USA. Over the last four years it has become America’s fastest growing luxury brand ahead of BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Lexus.

Now Cadillac and Corvette Europe Limited, part of the Dutch run Kroymans Group, are running things in 28 European countries and they have uniquely appointed one of the world’s largest dealer groups, Stratstone-Pendragon, to distribute and sell both model ranges in the UK.

Supporting the dealer group, Cadillac and Corvette Europe Limited do have a small UK liaison operation based in Bracknell, Berkshire headed by Malcolm Wade, Managing Director UK. The message from them is that in the UK their biggest problem is to convince customers this time the brands are here to stay and that the products are now engineered equipped and priced to meet European requirements.

In addition to the Cadillac and Corvette brands the same operation will also officially introduce the Hummer 4x4 brand to the UK in January 2007 with South African built H3 models available in right hand drive form and with diesel engines.

Imports and sales of Cadillac and Corvette started in the UK in May of this year through a very small number of dealerships. Currently eight UK dealerships are confirmed, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Park Lane in London, Croydon, Reading and Cardiff. Leicester is soon to be added. In total Malcolm Wade sees the optimum number of UK dealers being around the 20 mark which should be achieved in the next two to three years when the product line-up will have been extended and all-important diesel powered models added to the range. With the new models in the line-up Wade anticipates sales of up to 7,000 units a years by 2008 with 80 per cent of sales being accounted for by the Cadillac BLS, yet to be introduced to the range. This model will be a BMW 3-Series sized saloon with 1.9-litre diesel and 2.0/2.8-litre petrol engine options. It will be built in Sweden specifically for the European market and the BLS will share the GM platform and much of the running gear used by GM’s Saab and Vectra models. The GM positioning of the Cadillac brand is above Saab, which in turn is above Vectra, which is above Chevrolet.

Malcolm Wade said, "Since May in the UK we have registered 150 Cadillac and Corvette vehicles of which twenty Cadillacs and 12 Corvettes have been bought by customers, mainly private buyers."

"The remainder of these vehicles are currently being used by us and the dealers as demonstration vehicles for the public and the media. We are now actively exposing the brands to customers and since June 1.5 million UK people have seen our Cadillac and Corvette models at 18 promotional events. We look on this as being a long-term venture, it might take 10 years to get Cadillac on the map in Europe, it has taken Lexus 14 years and they have only just got round to introducing diesel models to their range."

"Car buyers are the most promiscuous customers these days, they swap and change their allegiance to brands at will so once we have the new BLS range on offer next May and diesel engines available for other models we are confident of achieving conquest sales. Our cars offer affordable luxury and are a credible alternative to other luxury marques," said Wade.

The attack on the UK market for the Cadillac brand will centre around three core right hand drive model ranges although other left hand drive variants will be offered in very limited numbers.

The Swedish built BLS will be introduced in right hand drive form with petrol and diesel engines in May 2006 at prices yet to be announced. They are expected to start at around £20,000, slightly more than the comparable Saabs but less than the CTS.

Currently the Cadillac CTS, a luxury high specification sports saloon, engineered for European markets and available in right hand drive, is pioneering their sales drive. With the option of 2.8 and 3.6-litre V6 petrol engines with five speed automatic transmissions, prices range from £24,850 to £29,850. Diesel engine options are expected in the future.

The SRX is a large recreational 4x4 that combines the driving dynamics of a luxury station wagon with the off-road abilities and interior space of a sports utility vehicle say Cadillac. A three-row, seven-seat option is available. Currently the vehicle is available in left hand drive form only with 3.6-litre, V6, and 4.6-litre, V8 petrol engine options and priced between £29,850 and £39,850. Right hand drive versions are expected to be available in 12 months time but diesel versions will not be forthcoming for two years.

Also in the Cadillac range, with some available in very limited numbers for the UK, are the left hand drive, 400hp, CTS-V saloon, the STS luxury touring saloon and the XLR two-seat roadster.

The Corvette C6 line-up consists of two left hand drive only variants both powered by a 6.0-litre small bock V8, 400hp petrol engine. The 186mph, C6 coupe is priced at £45,850 and the convertible at £51,850. Around 80 of these models are expected to be available to UK customers in a full year of sales.