The history of Cadillac's sport renaissance

[kevm14]

http://www.curbsideclassic.com/automoti ... n-part-ii/

I say it started demonstrably with the 1975-1/2 Seville.

[kevm14]

A more in-depth article on the STS.

http://www.curbsideclassic.com/future-c ... illac-sts/

There is actually a lot of interesting stuff here.

Just one snippet:

Sadly, the STS V6 would quickly follow. 2011 would be the last year for Cadillac’s erstwhile mid/full-sized luxury sedan, as well as the DTS luxobarge. GM’s bankruptcy had thrown everything into disarray, and certain projects like the Chevrolet Volt were given much higher priority. The planned new Cadillac V8 engine was axed; a proposed rear-wheel-drive STS/DTS successor was also terminated in development, as well as a rumoured proliferation of models riding on the Zeta platform (allegedly a Buick flagship and potentially a couple of Chevrolets and Cadillacs).

Prioritizing certain vehicle projects made sense for struggling General Motors. After all, the STS was not a resounding sales success. STS sales exceeded 30,000 units just once, in its debut year. Those figures would drop each year, with sales more than halving between 2008 and 2009. Just 3,338 units would find buyers in its final year. Meanwhile, the DTS consistently sold twice as many units annually. Before you criticize GM for alienating core Cadillac consumers and chasing pipe dreams of European conquest sales, though, consider how well the second-generation CTS sold and how its size/price positioning most definitely ate into STS sales.