Looking Good & Driving a Cadillac

Cadillac today announced a multi-season partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in support of the first-ever New York Fashion Week: Men’s. The partnership adds to Cadillac’s continued commitment to the growth and unification of the menswear market by supporting both emerging and established designers. Cadillac will also continue as the presenting sponsor of New York Men’s Day (NYMD) for the second consecutive season.

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“The rise of menswear in the world of style provides a great opportunity to celebrate those who are true risk takers and innovators,” said Melody Lee, director of Brand Strategy & Planning, Cadillac. “As the presenting sponsor of New York Men’s Day and a supporting partner of New York Fashion Week: Men’s, Cadillac will play a significant role in unifying the world of men’s fashion and further enabling those who dare greatly.”

Cadillac began to develop its roots within the men’s fashion space as a partner for the first NYMD in 2013, providing a platform for menswear designers to showcase during the traditionally women’s wear-oriented New York Fashion Week. Since then, the brand’s involvement has evolved into a deeply valued partnership that provides a unique platform for emerging designers pushing the boundaries of style and design.

New York Fashion Week: Men’s will take place at Skylight Clarkson SQ, where Spring 2016 collections from 28 designers, including Thom Browne, Public School and John Varvatos, will debut from July 14 to 16, as well as 15 additional designers presenting off site. NYMD will be held on July 13 at Industria Superstudio with morning and afternoon sessions showcasing the collections of 12 designers, including David Hart, Cadet and Chapter.

“We are very pleased to partner with Cadillac on the inaugural New York Fashion Week: Men’s,” said Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA. “The partnership is a natural fit given Cadillac’s commitment to design.”

David Leone Appointed Executive Chief Engineer

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Not perfectly clear to me what the change here is — David Leone was previously head of Cadillac Engineering.  I think the ‘new’ part may be that Cadillac Engineering is being expanded to a larger team?

NEW YORK – Cadillac today announced the appointment of David Leone as Executive Chief Engineer, Cadillac Product Programs effective August 3. He will report to Vice President Global Product Programs Doug Parks and Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen.

“Dave’s appointment to this critical role reinforces our commitment to transforming the brand through a singular focus on engineering and product development,” said de Nysschen.  “I have no doubt that Dave’s leadership and experience in quantifying Cadillac’s DNA through the lens of our engineering efforts will be a strong contributor to our success.”

In this new role, Leone, 57, is responsible for Cadillac’s brand focus through engineering and product development. Leone will be the single point of contact for Cadillac products within the organization’s Global Product Development programs and will lead a team of chief engineers to ensure Cadillac brand consistency in premium product execution.

Leone joined General Motors in 1979, and has held several leadership positions within engineering. In 2012, he was named Executive Chief Engineer, Global Performance Luxury Cars and Cadillac Brand Lead Executive Chief Engineer. Prior to this appointment, Leone served as Global Vehicle Line Executive and Global Vehicle Chief Engineer.

July 2015: Cadillac SRX Sales Dominate

Cadillac SRX sales were almost half the total Cadillac sales as the SRX cruises toward replacement with the upcoming XT5 (and two other SUVs).  Due to sudden low oil and plentiful cheap gas in the US, Cadillac’s sedan strategy has left it with the wrong products on the showroom at a time customers are shopping for SUVs and Crossovers.

  July (Calendar Year-to-Date)
January – July
  2015 2014 %Change Volume   2015 2014 %Change Volume  
ATS 1,588 2,582 -38.5   14,095 17,492 -19.4  
CTS 1,515 2,039 -25.7   11,204 18,047 -37.9  
ELR 66 188 -64.9   659 578 14.0  
Escalade 1,669 2,467 -32.3   11,579 9,138 26.7  
Escalade ESV 1,261 1,427 -11.6   7,662 5,162 48.4  
Escalade EXT 0 0 ***.*   2 49 -95.9  
SRX 6,753 4,599 46.8   36,960 33,463 10.5  
XTS 1,302 1,939 -32.9   12,892 13,429 -4.0  
Cadillac Total* 14,154 15,241 -7.1   95,053 97,358 -2.4  

Escalade sales were surprisingly down, but the growth in sales for the full size luxury SUV may have left Cadillac with too few models on Dealer lots ready to sell.

With oil (and gas) prices perhaps headed lower, it will be a long summer if Cadillac doesn’t get more trucks and crossovers on the dealer floors.

Press Release:

Cadillac

  • CTS sedan deliveries were up 18 percent; the SRX crossover was up 47 percent for its best July ever.