The Cadillac is one of GM's most prized divisions and also one of the oldest car companies in America. For over 100 years, this famous name was synonymous with the world's best and most expensive cars, rightfully earning the slogan "The Standard of the World."
However, as all great names, Cadillac had its share of problems and tough moments. And also, its share of bad calls and sales flops. Even though we tend to forget those troubled cars and only concentrate on great Cadillac models, those troubled vehicles are also a part of the company's colorful history. So, here are the ten biggest Cadillac flops up to date.
10 Cadillac ELR
The ELR was a good idea with terrible execution, which is why Cadillac managed to sell less than 3000 units in all three years the model was on the market. Firstly, it was an electric luxury coupe, which is an extremely limited market niche. Secondly, it was based on plain Chevrolet Volt, which meant it wasn't particularly fast or powerful. And thirdly, it had a base price of $75,000, which was $35,000 more than the Volt.
9 Cadillac Cimarron
By the mid-'80s, it was clear that Cadillac needed to reinvent itself in order to stay relevant. The company needed a new model, but it also wanted to attract younger customers. So, they thought of downsizing and presenting the smaller, cheaper, and more affordable Cadillac. The only problem was that they took GM's compact J-platform, slow four and six-cylinder engines, and dull styling.
8 Cadillac XLR
The XLR was based on the C6 Corvette architecture, but it wasn't as fast as the 'Vette, and it had a notoriously bad Northstar V8 engine. Yes, that is right. Somebody in Cadillac decided that they should make a luxury Corvette competitor with a folding hard-top and without the legendary small-block V8. As you would expect, the result was disappointing, and XLR was a flop.
7 Cadillac BLS
As if the failure of the Cimarron from the '80s wasn't enough, Cadillac repeated the same mistake in 2005 when it introduced the BLS. This was the only Cadillac that wasn't made and sold in the USA and was designed for foreign markets. It was built in Sweden using the Saab platform and had a 1.9-liter Fiat diesel engine as the standard powerplant. Yes, it was as terrible as it sounds.
6 Cadillac Catera
The rise of German and Japanese brands in the '90s affected Cadillac's position on the market, but there was no product in America to fight them in the mid-size segment. But, there was one car in Germany that Cadillac could borrow. The Opel Omega was the perfect rear-wheel-drive model which was renamed the Cadillac Catera in America. The idea was sound, but buyers weren't impressed.
5 Cadillac SRX
The first generation SRX was built from 2003 to 2009, and even though it was a spacious SUV, it is considered a flop since it didn't fulfill Cadillac's sales expectations. Also, it looked like an inflated DTS sedan and had severe build quality problems. It was the model from Cadillac's transition period, which we all should forget.
4 Cadillac DeVille
The last, eighth-generation of the DeVille was all the things Cadillac wanted to change about itself. It was an outdated sedan with a squeaky plastic interior, cushy ride, and no driving dynamics. It was intended for senior citizens and was often seen parked in front of nursing homes. It was powered by the notorious Northstar V8, and everybody was glad when it was discontinued in 2005.
3 Cadillac Allante
We like the Allante, but that doesn't change the fact that it was an expensive flop. Introduced in 1987 as Mercedes SL fighter, it was a good-looking luxury roadster designed by Pininfarina. The problem was that it was also made in Italy and transported there by specially-prepared Boing 747 cargo jet. This made it very expensive, and Cadillac struggled to sell them.
2 Cadillac Eldorado 1991
The Eldorado was always one of the greatest nameplates in Cadillac's vault. From the legendary '50s and '60s models that indeed were best cars in the world, Cadillac got to disappointing 1991 model, which was downsized, ugly and underpowered. It had 200 hp - not an insignificant number for the early '90s, but its performance was poor. That is why Cadillac sold only 16,000 examples.
1 Cadillac Escalade EXT
Although the Escalade is one of the most successful Cadillac models in the last few decades, the EXT version is definitely a flop. Produced from 2007 to 2013, this half truck/half luxury SUV was based on the Chevrolet Avalanche. However, it wasn't convenient as a truck, and not many buyers were willing to go for that body style, so in 2013, the Escalade EXT was quietly discontinued.