The Cadillac Returns, but in China

For some time, whenever anyone wanted to refer to luxury on wheels, they mentioned the magic word “Cadillac.” This automobile was the epitome of the elegant, lavish and almost exhibitionist car. There were other brands, of course – Rolls Royce was synonymous with money and power, Mercedes Benz with efficiency and comfort, some Italian brands with exoticism, prosperity and character.

But nothing like the Cadillac. Because, unlike the Rolls Royce, you did not have to be an Arab sheik to acquire one: It was enough to gain a reputation as a Texas multi-millionaire by issuing a check to General Motors.

The Cadillac represented the high point of what the powerful U.S. automotive industry was capable of. It was the first car, in 1912, to abandon the hand crank in favor of a motor with an electric starter. Soon, it would embody the language of riches and cutting edge technology. Lincoln and Ford tried to compete with it, but did not succeed. The American imagination was full of Cadillacs. There were songs that mentioned it, artists that drove Cadillacs as a demonstration of their superiority — and Hollywood even made a movie about a Cadillac of pure gold, a clear redundancy. John F. Kennedy was assassinated in a Cadillac.

Throughout almost all of the 20th century, GM vibrated with its Cadillac as a banner of luxury. But what was going to happen eventually came to pass: Japanese and European automobiles gained a good share of the international market and — even the U.S. market — they imposed reduced sizes and less gluttonous motors and Cadillac sales fell. Other brands, like Mercedes, Lexus, BMW and Volvo slipped into its territory. In 1990, GM sold 250,000 units; by 2011 that figure had dropped to just 152,000.

After some years of decline, the brand now hopes to revive itself. Soon, it will begin to manufacture the hulking and gleaming XTS model. Its target will not be moneyed Americans – like Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who has two at home – but, rather, the Chinese market. The new upper class of the Far East bought 8,000 units in 2010 and 30,000 in 2011. GM hopes to sell more Cadillacs in China than in the U.S. Who would have believed it? The grandchildren of Mao Zedong are giving new life to one of the most eminent symbols of capitalism’s golden age.