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58-538: The Cadillac Cimarron is an entry-level luxury car manufactured and marketed by the Cadillac division of General Motors for model years 1982–1988 over a single generation, with a mild facelift in 1985. The first post-war compact car offered by the brand, the four-door was developed to compete with similarly-sized premium sedans marketed by European automakers in North America. The flagship offering of

116-513: A company car . They may have performance features and are often viewed as status symbols. A high percentage of the "executive cars" market share consists of corporate-owned cars, or vehicles provided by a firm for the business and sometimes private use by employees. The "compact executive car" description is not often used in the United States, but it describes certain models imported from Europe. The Cadillac ATS has been described as

174-524: A 2-ton GMC truck was driven from New York to San Francisco in five days and 30 minutes. During the First World War , the company provided the Model 16 3/4-ton truck, and modified its production to provide 1-ton troop carriers and aviation support vehicles, and by 1918, more than 90 percent of GMC truck production was for military use. GMTC provided a total of 8512 trucks to the U.S. government during

232-408: A choice of a cassette player, $ 153 with a separate choice offering a CB radio for $ 560. Additional convenience and appearance options available were twin lighted vanity mirrors for $ 92, power trunk release for $ 29, door edge guards for $ 22, license plate frame for $ 12, trunk lid luggage rack for $ 98, carpeted floor mats front for $ 38 and rear for $ 22, trunk mat for $ 18 and whitewall tires for $ 55. With

290-798: A compact executive car. The ATS was succeeded by the Cadillac CT4 . Before the ATS, a heavily badge engineered version of the Saab 9-3 was sold in Europe as the Cadillac BLS (2005–2009). The BLS was both developed and manufactured by Saab in Trollhättan , Sweden . The model was never sold in the Northern American market. Cadillac's previous attempt at a compact executive car for

348-587: A complete history of the company. In 2007, GMC introduced the Acadia , a crossover SUV , which was the division's second unibody vehicle (after the Vandura) whose predecessor, the GMT-360 based Envoy , was discontinued with the closure of GM's Moraine, Ohio plant on December 23, 2008. In 2009, GMC ended production of medium-duty commercial trucks after over 100 years. They became exclusive to Chevrolet with

406-408: A d'Oro instrument panel plaque and gold-finish steering wheel spokes. For 1984, the option was offered only with a black exterior and a tan leather interior; all trim on the bumpers was black, along with smoke-grey foglamp covers. For 1985, the d'Oro option added white and red exterior colors (alongside black); grooved lower-body trim was color-keyed to match the body. For 1985, the exterior underwent

464-581: A minor revision for the first time. Alongside a new grille which distanced the appearance from the Cavalier, a "power dome" hood was introduced; silver-color grooved lower-body trim was introduced. Dependent on trim, grille badging retained the Cadillac script or returned the Cadillac crest. For 1986, the rear fascia underwent a separate revision, including wraparound tail lamps. A premium Delco-Bose "Symphony Sound" with integrated equalizer and cassette player

522-614: A smaller car below the Seville that could compete with the compact offerings of European brands. In early 1980, General Motors commenced development of a Cadillac version of the GM J-car platform , leading to one of the shortest development programs ever undertaken by the company. Ultimately, the Cimarron's development window was confined to 10 months, and aside from modest interior changes, exterior modifications were confined to reworking

580-715: A wide variety of both petrol and diesel engine options. Most of the petrol engines were turbocharged and supported the use of ethanol fuel , which were both relatively uncommon features for a mass production car in the 00's . The 9-3 also had high emphasis on car safety , which was a high priority in the design of all Saab cars. Also the previous Saab 99 and Saab 900 could be considered as compact executive cars at some markets, while especially in Northern Europe these models were more commonly seen as ordinary small family cars. An early compact executive car produced in Japan

638-449: Is a compact executive car larger than the Cimarron, sharing no common body panels with other GM sedans. Cimarron had some firsts for Cadillac: first four-cylinder engine since 1910s, first manual transmission since 1950s, first-ever "export" taillights with separate amber turn signal indicators (for the US market), first compact-sized car, and so forth. GM ended sales of the Cimarron following

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696-570: Is positioned as a premium offering to the mainstream Chevrolet brand, and includes the luxury trim Denali . In North America , GMC vehicles are almost always sold alongside Buick (another premium brand) vehicles at multi-brand dealerships . Roots to the GMC brand can be traced to 1900, when the "Grabowsky Motor Company" was established by brothers Max (1874-1946) and Morris Grabowsky, in Detroit, and renamed Rapid Motor Vehicle Company in 1902 when

754-635: Is the 1972 Lancia Beta (Type 828) . The Beta morphed into the Lancia Trevi , which was produced from 1980 to 1984. Following an absence from the segment for five years, Lancia returned in 1989 when the Lancia Dedra replaced the smaller Lancia Prisma . The Dedra was replaced by the Lancia Lybra , which was produced from 1998 to 2005. An early compact executive car produced in Germany was

812-675: Is the category of the smallest premium cars. It is part of the C-segment in the European car classification. Examples include the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and CLA-Class , Audi A3 , Volvo S40 , BMW 1 Series , and 2 Series . Premium compacts compete with well-equipped mid-size cars , and highly optioned premium compact cars can have pricing and features that overlaps with compact executive cars. GMC (automobile) While many of their vehicles are mechanically similar, GMC

870-789: The Cadillac Seville on a dedicated GM "K" platform which was a stretched version of the GM "X" platform used for the Chevrolet Nova . At its May 21, 1981 introduction, the copy text of original sales brochures associated the Cimarron nameplate with "fortitude, adventure and pioneering". The nameplate was chosen from a list that included J2000 (used on predecessor of Pontiac Sunbird ); Carmel; Cascade; Caville (blend of "Cadillac" and " De Ville "); Envoy (used decades later on an unrelated SUV by sister division GMC ); and Series 62 (predecessor of Cadillac Calais ). For 1982 production,

928-840: The Chevrolet Tahoe / GMC Denali . In 1998 the platform was introduced as the Cadillac Escalade . In 1971, GMC marketed their version of the Chevrolet El Camino , which was based on the Chevrolet Chevelle . Called Sprint , it was virtually identical to the El Camino, and a sport version, the SP, was equivalent to the El Camino SS. It was renamed Caballero in 1978, and remained produced alongside

986-551: The GM J platform , the Cimarron had joined the project just 11 months prior to the J-Cars' arrival in showrooms, and had very little involvement in the developing the program. Marketed with counterparts from Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick, the Cimarron was to become one of the most controversial examples of badge engineering in the American automotive industry, sharing much of its entire design, including its exterior, with

1044-528: The " GMC Hummer EV ". According to GM, the Edition 1 production electric pickup truck will feature 1,000 horsepower, hit 60 mph in 3 seconds and is scheduled to launch in late 2021. The new Hummer EV was revealed on October 20, 2020. In 2022, the GMC brand was introduced in South Korea as a subsidiary of GM Korea . Beginning in 1920, GMC and Chevrolet trucks became largely similar, built as variants of

1102-474: The 1914 Cadillac Model 1914 and the first engine below 2.0 L displacement since 1908). For 1983, the engine was enlarged to a Chevrolet built 2.0 L and given throttle body fuel injection, though engine tuning would drop peak output to 86 hp (64 kW). For 1985, a Chevrolet built 2.8 L V6, which was shared only with the Chevrolet Cavalier coupe and Oldsmobile Firenza hatchback,

1160-615: The 1966 BMW 02 Series , followed by the BMW 3 Series in 1975. In 1965 Audi introduced their first compact executive model Audi 72 . The 1983 Mercedes-Benz W201 range (also known as the "Mercedes-Benz 190") was the first compact executive car from Mercedes-Benz. In 1993, the W201 was replaced by the Mercedes-Benz C-Class range. DS Automobiles offers a compact executive with its DS 4 hatchback. From earlier models also

1218-532: The 1980s, Cadillac product planners considered introducing a sedan smaller than the Seville . While the Seville model had sold well following its 1975 introduction, in its research, Cadillac discovered a growing proportion of buyers of the Seville were not conquest customers of European brands, but American-brand customers seeking a smaller sedan. To further diversify and modernize their product range to compete with European luxury sedans, Cadillac dealers were demanding

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1276-491: The 1988 Eldorado/Seville and 1989 Sedan de Ville/Fleetwood. While the larger Brougham was ultimately redesigned for 1993 (becoming the Fleetwood Brougham), GM saw no upside towards continuation of the Cimarron, as it also sought to limit the price overlap between Cadillac, Buick, and Oldsmobile. The Cimarron's market failure is one in a series of events throughout the 1980s and 1990s which caused Cadillac's share of

1334-632: The 1988 model year. Oldsmobile's J-car variant, the Firenza, was also discontinued that year, followed by the J-car Buick Skyhawk in 1989. By 1990, the sub-compact, J-car economy model range in North America was pared down solely to Chevrolet and Pontiac. The turbocharged engine was not available in the Buick sedan and the V6 engine was not available in the Firenza sedan while the V6 became optional in

1392-607: The Canadian models used Chevrolet engines. GMC dealerships were partnered with Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick dealerships. Between 1962 and 1972, most GMC vehicles were equipped with quad-headlights, while their Chevrolet clones were equipped with dual-headlights. The platform has been the most profitable for General Motors, as it was shared with the Chevrolet Blazer / GMC Jimmy , the Chevrolet Suburban and

1450-534: The Chevrolet Cavalier and GM's other brand variants. Through its entire production, the Cimarron was manufactured at South Gate Assembly (1981–1982) and Janesville Assembly (1982–1988); both facilities produced the model alongside the Chevrolet Cavalier and its J-platform badge-engineered variants. In North America, the Cimarron was not replaced directly. The Cimarron is noted as a nadir of GM's product planning — for its low sales, poor performance and ill-conceived badge engineering. As General Motors prepared for

1508-487: The Cimarron starting 1985. Compact executive car#United States A compact executive car , also known as a compact luxury car , is a premium car larger than a premium compact and smaller than an executive car . Compact executive car is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in the European car classification. An executive car generally needs to be comfortable and well-equipped while also being cheap to run as

1566-483: The El Camino until its demise in 1987. In 1973, with GM's introduction of the new "rounded line" series trucks, GMC and Chevrolet trucks became even more similar, ending production of GMC's quad-headlight models, and setting the standard for the Chevrolet/GMC line of trucks for over thirty years. As of 2020 , GMC's vehicles were marketed as more premium, luxury vehicles positioned above similar vehicles from

1624-508: The Rapid and Reliance names were dropped in favor of "GMC". All General Motors truck production was consolidated at the former Rapid Motor Plant 1 in Pontiac, Michigan. GMC maintained three manufacturing locations in Pontiac, Michigan, Oakland, California , and St. Louis, Missouri . In 1916, a GMC truck crossed the country from Seattle to New York City in thirty days, and in 1926,

1682-714: The US market to decline from 3.8% in 1979 to 2.2% in 1997; it is routinely cited as the nadir of GM's product planning: Since the withdrawal of the Cimarron after the 1988 model year, Cadillac has not produced a direct successor to the model line. Subsequent Cadillac sedans derived from other GM vehicles, including the Cadillac Catera ( Opel Omega ) and the Cadillac BLS ( Saab 9-3 ) were not compact executive cars, in terms of size. The smallest current Cadillac sedan (the Cadillac CT4 and its Cadillac ATS predecessor)

1740-455: The US market was the Cimarron manufactured in between 1981–1988. The Cimarron is largely considered to be a market failure and also at least partially responsible for the market struggles that Cadillac faced during and after its production. The 1971 Triumph Dolomite is an early compact executive car. Jaguar's first compact executive car (although larger than the 1960s' Jaguar Mark 2 )

1798-642: The administration building at 660 South Boulevard E in Pontiac, MI. In 1943, GM purchased the remaining interest in YT&;CMC and renamed it GMC Truck and Coach Division. In 1981, GMC Truck & Coach Division became part of GM Worldwide Truck & Bus Group. Bus production ended in May 1987 and the division name was changed from GMC Truck & Coach to GMC Truck Division. The Canadian plant (in London, Ontario ) produced buses from 1962 until July 1987. GM withdrew from

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1856-403: The brothers moved operations to Pontiac, Michigan . In 1909, William C. Durant gained control of Rapid Motor Vehicle Company and made it a subsidiary of his General Motors Company . In 1911, General Motors formed the "General Motors Truck Company" and folded Rapid and Reliance Motor Car Company (another early commercial vehicle manufacturer that Durant had acquired in 1908) into it. In 1912,

1914-606: The bus and coach market because of increased competition in the late 1970s and 1980s. Rights to the RTS model were sold to Transportation Manufacturing Corporation , while Motor Coach Industries of Canada purchased the Classic design. In 1998, GMC's official branding on vehicles was shortened from "GMC Truck" to simply "GMC". In 1996, GM merged GMC Truck Division with the Pontiac Motor Division in order to "give

1972-399: The combined division a brand image projecting physical power and outdoor activity". This coincided with many GMC dealerships merging with Pontiac dealerships, allowing a single dealer to offer both trucks and entry-to-mid-level cars, using a similar approach already in use by Chevrolet . In 2002, GMC celebrated its 100th anniversary and released a book entitled GMC: The First 100 Years ,

2030-696: The compact car segment. In line with its predecessor, the J-car was to be the Chevrolet Cavalier (replacing the Monza), the Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Firenza (a premium trim of the previous Starfire), and Pontiac J2000 (replacing the Sunbird, eventually taking on the Sunbird name); the J-car was also to be sold by Opel/Vauxhall, Holden, and Isuzu worldwide. While the creation of the Cadillac Cimarron

2088-489: The earlier model substantially, as it is a small crossover SUV . The Volvo S60 as well as its estate version Volvo V60 are considered to be compact executive cars. Saab Automobile , which went defunct in 2011, had the 9-3 -model which was a compact executive car. Based on heavily modified GM engines and platforms, the 9-3 was available as a convertible , hatchback (first generation), sedan (second generation) and station wagon (second generation). The 9-3 had

2146-410: The exception of its upholstery and model-specific special suspension tuning, J-platform sedans from other GM divisions could be optioned nearly identically to a Cimarron, though doing so would raise prices close to the Cimarron's base price. For 1982, the Cimarron was equipped with a Chevrolet built 1.8 L four-cylinder engine, producing 88 hp (66 kW) (the first four-cylinder Cadillac since

2204-432: The front-wheel drive GM J platform with a 101.2 in (2,570 mm) wheelbase. Employing unibody construction, the suspension, which was calibrated with GM's "F41" suspension, used front MacPherson struts which were mounted to a subframe, lower control arms, coil springs and a stabilizer bar, while a torsion-beam rear axle, along with rear stabilizer bars was shared with the Buick Skyhawk and Oldsmobile Firenza and

2262-539: The grille, adjacent composite (plastic) panels and tail lights. Originally scheduled for mid-1980s release, the launch of the Cimarron was pushed to early 1981 in order to match the 1982 model-year release of its J-car counterparts for the Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac divisions. In development since 1976 to replace the H-body, the J-car marked two major changes: shifting to front-wheel drive and expanding into

2320-434: The heaviest trucks used GMC's own "Standard Big Brute" engine. From 1939 to 1974 GMC had its own line of six-cylinder engines , first the inline sixes known as "Jimmy's" from 1939 to 1959, and then their own V6 from 1960 until 1974, of which a V8 and a V12 version also existed. Additionally, from 1955 through 1959, the less than 2-ton, domestic GMC gasoline trucks were equipped with Pontiac V8s , and Oldsmobile V8s —whereas

2378-602: The larger DS 5 (sold until 2018) could be considered a compact executive car. The DS brand used to be a sub-marque of Citroën , and thus earlier model years (before 2015 for the DS 4 and DS 5, but the change depends on the model) carry the Citroën logo. The smallest model offered by DS has been the DS 3 (sold until 2019), which could be considered to be a subcompact or even supermini executive car. The current DS 3 Crossback differs from

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2436-771: The launch of the 4500HD/5500HD Silverado in 2018. Also in 2009, GMC introduced the Terrain , a mid-size crossover SUV based on the GM Theta platform shared with the Chevrolet Equinox . It replaced the Pontiac Torrent after the brand's demise. In 2020, General Motors announced the return of the Hummer nameplate, this time as a sub-brand of GMC instead of a stand-alone division. The Hummer lineup includes two models, an electric pickup truck and SUV, to be sold as

2494-420: The model in production. While Cimarron sales had been lower than predicted, many of them were to conquest buyers new to Cadillac and younger in age than the typical Cadillac buyer of the time. In a 9-to-1 vote, General Motors management instead decided to discontinue the model for multiple reasons including Cimarron's disappointing sales and the company wanting to prioritize its resources towards major updates of

2552-403: The model was marketed as "Cimarron by Cadillac", although initially the Cadillac name did not appear anywhere on the car. Cadillac salespeople were even admonished not to refer to the car as the "Cadillac Cimarron", but merely as "the Cimarron". For 1983, the naming was revised to Cadillac Cimarron; for the rest of its production, the Cadillac script appeared only on the grille. The Cimarron used

2610-462: The more mainstream Chevrolet division. Chevrolet vehicles are priced lower than a comparable GMC, but GMC vehicles have features not found in a comparable Chevrolet. In North America , Chevrolet offers a full lineup of cars , crossover vehicles , sport utility vehicles , and pickup trucks . GMC, however, does not offer any car models, so typically they are sold along Buick (or sometimes Cadillac ) vehicles at multi-brand dealerships , allowing

2668-488: The same platform , sharing much the same body sheetwork, except for nameplates and grilles – though their differences, especially engines, have varied over the years. GMC advertising marketed its trucks to commercial buyers and businesses, whereas Chevrolet's advertising was directed towards private owners. Beginning in 1928, GMCs used Pontiac's 186 cu in six-cylinder engines in their lighter trucks. Medium-duty trucks relied on Oldsmobile straight-6 engines , while

2726-406: The trunk, aluminum alloy wheels on steel-belted radial tires, twin power adjustable side view mirrors, leather-wrapped steering wheel, full instrumentation including tachometer, and was the only Cadillac to do so at the time, courtesy lights, intermittent wipers, rear window defogger, and AM/FM stereo. Its interior featured simulated aluminum trim, notably initially foregoing simulated wood trim, which

2784-677: The war years and earned a Distinguished Service Award . During the Second World War , GMC Truck produced 600,000 trucks for use by the United States Armed Forces . In 1923, GMC trucks were exported to Japan to help recovery and reconstruction as a result of the Great Kantō earthquake , and the company continued to provide vehicles as the transportation infrastructure was rebuilt. Before the earthquake struck, most of Japan's transportation of commerce and people

2842-461: Was added as an option, producing 130 hp (97 kW); the V6 became the standard engine for 1988, but was not available in the Cavalier or Firenza sedans. Both engines were paired with a 4-speed or 5-speed manual depending on model year, with a 3-speed automatic as an option, shared with other division vehicles. For 1983, the grille was updated; the center-mounted crest emblem was replaced with an offset Cadillac script. The hard plastic storage bin

2900-464: Was borrowed from the GM "X" platform and GM "A" platform . To distinguish the Cimarron from the Chevrolet Cavalier and its Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac counterparts, Cadillac standardized many of the available features offered on J-platform cars at the time. The listed retail price for 1982 was $ 12,181 (equivalent to $ 38,500 in 2023) and the standard equipment were air conditioning, additional sound insulation, Trianon deep-pile carpeting including

2958-767: Was by wooden carts and government owned railroads, which were severely damaged when the train tracks were twisted beyond use. Autonomous trucks were much more effective at traveling to heavily damaged areas. In 1925, GM purchased a controlling interest in Yellow Coach , a bus and taxicab manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois which was founded by John D. Hertz . The company was renamed Yellow Truck & Coach Manufacturing Company (YT&CMC), an affiliated subsidiary of General Motors . All manufacturing operations of General Motors Truck Company were placed under YT&CMC. In 1928 Plant 2 opened and all headquarters staff moved to

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3016-494: Was intended to give the division a compact sedan that matched multiple European premium brands, the selection of the J-car platform within 14 months of its launch was met with heavy resistance. Pete Estes , GM president at the time, warned Cadillac general manager Edward Kennard: "Ed, you don't have time to turn the J-car into a Cadillac." The original design offered little more than a well equipped Chevrolet Cavalier, but cost twice as much. In 1976, Cadillac had previous success with

3074-493: Was introduced as an option. This was the final year for the Cimarron in Canada. For 1987, the front fascia underwent a second revision, receiving composite-lens headlamp units (the first American J-body to do so) and redesigned alloy wheels. For its last year in the United States, the Cimarron received several engineering updates. As the Cimarron was still selling 15,000 to 20,000 units annually, Cadillac initially sought to keep

3132-409: Was later added in later years with appearance updates. Leather was offered for the upholstery and door panels only in the Cimarron and was not available optionally on other division vehicles, and the nameplate "Cimarron" was embroidered on the seatback surface. Digital instrument gauges were later offered in 1986, along with Touch Climate Control air conditioning, and a leather and suede upholstery option

3190-519: Was later offered. The dashboard assembly was shared with the Cavalier and the Sunbird, while the Firenza and Skyhawk had an entirely different design that was shared. Twilight Sentinel and fog lights were added as standard equipment in 1983. Available options for 1982 included automatic transmission for $ 370, cruise control for $ 155, tilt steering wheel for $ 88, power windows for $ 216, power door locks for $ 12, power driver and passenger seats for $ 366 for both, Vista Vent with rear tilt sunroof for $ 261, and

3248-471: Was removed from the rear passenger seat. For 1984 and 1985, Cimarron was offered with a special option package called d'Oro. Essentially a gold trim package (d'Oro translates to "golden" in Italian and Spanish) with a unique hood badge, the option added gold accents to the aluminum alloy wheels, grille, and bumper rub strips, along with accent stripes on the belt line and hood centerline. The interior featured

3306-612: Was the 1988 Mazda Persona / Eunos 300 . The first Japanese compact executive car to be successful in overseas markets is the 1998 Lexus IS / Toyota Altezza . Other Japanese compact executive cars include the Infiniti Q50 (by Nissan), Acura TLX (by Honda) and Mazda Xedos 6 . Compact executive cars produced in South Korea include the Genesis G70 . Subcompact executive cars , also called premium compacts ,

3364-654: Was the 2001 Jaguar X-Type . Sales, however, were disappointing. The X-type was replaced by the Jaguar XE in 2014, competing in the same sector. Alfa Romeo's models 75 and 155 are considered compact executive cars in the United Kingdom. The 1996 Alfa Romeo 156 has been classified as such. This was followed by the Alfa Romeo 159 and then the Giulia (Type 952) . An early compact executive car from Lancia

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