Cadillac commits a sin of omission.
Catholics name them “sins of omission,” they’re offenses not of motion, however of inaction. Failing to behave when it was potential to help one other being can be a sin of omission, so would telling solely among the reality. And, as an act of selling expediency, Common Motors’ Cadillac division can actually be accused of getting dedicated sins of omission when it got here to launching the Cimarron subcompact sedan again in 1982. The advert beneath is a low level for the luxurious marque.
1982 Cadillac Cimarron
A little bit of historical past: The Cimarron was one among 5 Common Motors “J-Automobiles,” a group of contemporary front-wheel-drive small automobiles designed to be gas environment friendly, house environment friendly, and for GM, cheap to construct. The lineup included the Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac J2000 (later Sunbird), Oldsmobile Firenza, and Buick Skyhawk. Physique types included coupes, sedans, hatchbacks, wagons, and for Chevy and Pontiac, convertibles, too.
Additionally included among the many J-Automobiles was the Cadillac Cimarron. Named for a department off of the Santa Fe Trial, the Cimarron, provided solely as a sedan, was meant to provide Cadillac sellers an entry-point product priced beneath the model’s contemporaneous lineup. It’s straightforward to see the attraction, no less than from a gross sales and advertising and marketing perspective.
Right here’s the rub: The Cimarron wasn’t an particularly good automobile by absolute requirements, and it was a horrible Cadillac. Although the automobile was provided with extra exterior trim and brightwork, and although it might be had with leather-based seating, the Cimarron was not—in any approach—a greater can than the lowly Chevrolet Cavalier.
Additional, although some niceties akin to air situation got here commonplace on the Cimarron, its base value was a troubling $12,000, totally $5,000 greater than the Cavalier, and solely $3,000 lower than a full-size, V8-powered Caddy Sedan Deville.
The advert seen right here—a veritable blue print for the fee of a sin of omission—lists a number of options of the Cimarron, and compares their availability to related objects as discovered on some fairly good European small automobiles. The checklist pains me tremendously. A couple of ideas, shared line-by-line:
Favourite Automotive Advertisements: 1957 Morris Minor
Gas Economy: No matter.
Entrance-Wheel Drive: Whereas a comparatively new function for American automobiles within the early Eighties, front-wheel drive was by no means thought-about a efficiency or luxurious promoting level. In actual fact, front-drive turned widespread totally on low-cost automobiles.
4-Pace Handbook: Nice, most cool Euro rides got here with 5-speeds. Not likely scoring fanatic factors right here. Cimarron can be the primary stick-shift Cadillac in a very long time, nevertheless.
Rack and Pinion Steering: Fairly widespread stuff, even in 1982. Higher than low-feel techniques discovered on different Cadillacs, although.
Passenger Compartment Quantity: So, the Cimarron is small? Famous.
Alloy Wheels: Optionally available on the Cavalier, not an enormous deal.
AM/FM Stereo: I ought to hope so. No cassette?
Leather-based-Wrapped Steering Wheel: No matter. Okay-Mart bought leather-based steering wheel wrappers for about $3.00 on the time.
Leather-based Seats: Good. Maybe the one legit function on this checklist. That stated, the Cimarron cabin was in any other case lined with low-cost plastic and low-grade vinyl. The interiors of the opposite automobiles on this checklist have been a lot, a lot, nicer.
Sins of Omission:
Not talked about within the advert, however actually ought to have been:
Horsepower: Whereas the Cimarron’s wheezy 1.8-liter engine produced simply 85 horsepower, each different automobile on the checklist was good for no less than 100.
Gas Injection: Whereas the little Caddy made do with an old-school carburetor, the Audi, BMW, and Volvo boasted trendy gas injection.
Rear Brakes: The Cimarron was shod with old-tech rear drum brakes, whereas the Saab and Volvo featured disc brakes throughout.
…
We’re stopping wanting calling the Cimarron unholy, however the selective sharing of knowledge, as seen on this advert is, no less than by Catholic requirements, sinful. Cadillac’s J-Automotive was little greater than a gussied-up Chevrolet Cavalier, and was despatched to showrooms with not one of the tools or tuning that made the comparability automobiles listed within the advert fanatic favorites. I like this advert, however just for its brazenness. The operating of this promoting piece was really a sin of omission.
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1982 Cadillac Cimarron Gallery
(Click on beneath for enlarged pictures)
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