Cadillac sales were good in September 2010 although not huge.  Arrival of the smaller-than-a-CTS Cadillac ATS all the way out in 2012 as a 2013 model (?) seems very far away and Cadillac needs sustained performance by the CTS and SRX to keep traffic in Dealerships.

Cadillac CTS sales were strong but slipped below 4K for the month.  With the arrival of the CTS Coupe to showrooms I wanted to see sales higher.

Cadillac SRX sales continued to be strong.  Certainly it is clear that the Cadillac SRX is a long-term hit and is continuing to lead sales.

Not to miss the big picture here — this was a healthy month for Cadillac sales, and things appear to be going well.  The subtlety in the GM announcement below is that they are pointing out that last year they made some non-retail sales to rental companies in Sept, so this year’s sales are actually comparatively much better in the retail market.

Summary from GM:

Cadillac: Total sales of 12,620 for September were 11 percent higher than last September, with retail sales increasing 21 percent. SRX retail sales were up 96 percent, compared to a year ago, and CTS retail sales increased 18 percent. With total sales up 44 percent for the year, the brand remains the fastest growing luxury auto brand in the industry

*S/D Curr: 25	September									(Calendar Year-to-Date)
												January – September
*S/D Prev: 25	2010	2009	% Chg Volume	%Chg per S/D		2010	2009	%Chg Volume
Vehicle Total	173,155	156,673	10.5	10.5		1,638,544	1,546,951	5.9
Chevrolet Total **	121,479	102,538	18.5	18.5		1,175,790	992,548	18.5
GMC Total **	25,995	18,359	41.6	41.6		232,096	181,835	27.6
Brand Total	172,969	141,691	22.1	22.1		1,626,899	1,319,796	23.3
HUMMER Total	163	426	-61.7	-61.7		3,507	8,193	-57.2
Pontiac Total	8	11,079	***.*	***.*		962	151,818	-99.4
Saab Total	0	484	***.*	***.*		608	6,928	-91.2
Saturn Total	15	2,993	-99.5	-99.5		6,568	60,216	-89.1
Other Brand Total	186	14,982	-98.8	-98.8		11,645	227,155	-94.9
GM Vehicle Total	173,155	156,673	10.5	10.5		1,638,544	1,546,951	5.9

We live in Plano, Texas just north of Dallas.  The area here was originally a prairie, so there are trees (only) where they are cultivated, and lots of sunshine and hot weather in the summer.  When it does rain, it seems to come as a great surprise to the area itself and to the city.  Our streets seem designed to overflow and flood with water as a temporary measure until the drains catch up.  To be fair, since we get perhaps less frequent rain than other places, when it does rain there seems to be some urge to ‘catch up’.

As I pulled out of a parking lot yesterday for a quick lunch on the way to a meeting in McKinney, I had to pull through pooled water and running water in the parking lot.  Luckily no problem with the CTS itself, but as I exited the parking lot I could hear something dragging beneath the car.  Not a good sound anytime, but especially not when it is raining cats and dogs.

I pulled into nearby Kwik Kar to check, and sure enough one side of the exhaust system was handing on the ground at the end that enters the resonator.   Kwik Kar also does mechanical work, so they quickly pulled the car in and attempted to reattach.  Unfortunately, one of the hangers had broken and they did not have the required replacement.   We put the exahust pipe/muffler in the trunk (using the ski pass-through to the rear seat) and off I went to the muffler shop.

Pronto Muffler in Plano also pulled the car right in, grabbed the assembly out of the trunk, put the car up on a lift, and fixed it quickly and permanently.  They were easy to deal with, and charged me what I considered too little for the job.  Best of all, I was back on the road almost in time to drive to my meeting, arriving a bit late and very wet.

All in all, to go from a dragging sound while pulling through standing water in a deluge of rain to fixed and (almost) on time for my meeting was very good and reflects the great service I received at Kwik Kar and at Pronto.  Thanks guys!