Cadillac Ready To Invade UK

The Yanks are coming! Cadillac bosses have told Auto Express they want Britain to become one of the biggest markets in Europe for sales of the prestige US brand.

Auto Express Car Reviews

05th April 2004

Speaking at the launch of the XLR - the company's ΂£67,500 luxury roadster - they said there's a raft of new models on the way. And while there's no UK distribution network in place, all that's about to change.

"We expect to make an announcement in the next month or two," said Gerard Jansen, CEO of Cadillac Europe. "We are in discussions, and those will determine exactly how many Cadillac Experience Centres we open in the UK. We want 125 outlets in Europe, and London, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham are all possibilities."

Caddy's plan to find British buyers has a big flaw - a lack of right-hand-drive cars. But David Leone, the XLR's chief engineer, said that would change, too. "The CTS (executive saloon) will be RHD, and right hooker designs for the SRX (cross-over vehicle) and STS (luxury saloon) have been designed, although they have not been approved yet."

David Leone had bad news for British fans of the Corvette, another model destined for Europe later this year. "The car won't be built in right-hand drive for the foreseeable future as it doesn't make business sense in relation to the numbers we would sell," he confirmed. That means there will certainly be no version of the C6 Corvette - unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in January - and probably the C7, as well.
See page 36 of the current issue: Cadillac XLR first drive