The Cadillac Lounge

Same GM family. Two very different addresses.

Put a Coupe DeVille next to an Electra Limited and the family resemblance is impossible to miss. The upright formality. The acres of hood. The squared-off headlights. The broad grilles. The chrome. Both came from GM, and both were built for buyers who believed a luxury car should have presence.

But there was still a pecking order.

Buick occupied GM’s premium territory, offering substantial luxury and prestige without quite crossing into Cadillac territory. The Electra Limited was Buick at its most lavish.

Cadillac sat at the top of the GM hierarchy. The Coupe DeVille wasn’t simply transportation with more equipment. Cadillac was marketed as the destination. The name, crest, dealer experience and social cachet were all part of what you were buying.

And that brings up something more interesting than specifications:

When you were growing up, what did these two names mean in your neighborhood?

Was a Buick the successful family car while a Cadillac meant someone had really made it? Did your parents or grandparents own one? Or were Buick and Cadillac closer together in your mind than GM’s hierarchy suggested?

And looking at these two today, which front end brings back more memories?

#Cadillac #Buick #GeneralMotors #ClassicCars #AmericanLuxury