rise of BMW, Mercedes etc

[e12Euro]

There was a time when brands like Cadillac, Lincoln and Imperial were considered the ultimate in prestige/upscale image, then that shifted to cars made by German manufacturers. When would you say that change occured and can it be tied to certain models? I would say e23 7 series onwards.

1975 Caddy Seville (206 inches long, 4,300 lbs) $12,479 180 hp, 0-60 mph 11.5 Vs 1975 BMW 530i (190 inches long, 3,300 lbs) $9,187 176 hp, 0-60 mph 8.7 seconds.

Seville

&

e12 530i

 

[JPHuston]

Personally speaking,

American Prestige Automobiles have since the early 1970's been seen in Europe as Too Big (for typical European streets), Too Soft (suspension) and Too Thirsty (MPG matters when you import OIL).

Also, International sporting reputation helps sell automobiles and US manufacturers have been noticeably absent on the World Motor sport stage. BMW for example races it sedan in almost every National Race series around the Globe, Paris Dakkar, F1, ALMS, Le Mans

And The import duty on German Prestige Autos has helped elevate those Marques above more affordable US brands. Any average Joe can aspire to a Caddy but few can attain a new 'S Klass'... resulting in an instant superiority complex syndrome.

I would argue that the US Marques took their eye off the ball design wise for most of the 1970-80's. They are a lot better now with Chrysler and Ford showing real talant lately.

Finally I'd say that JD Power surveys and the like have not helped.

John

 

[epj3]

I dont think it "Just happened," I think what happened is the germans are all about improving their cars. That's why a cadillac and a porsche 911 GT2 aren't far off in terms of luxuriousness - and the 911 is not a luxury car.

It was the american companies fault for lack of development and a HUGE lack of research, both in automotive engineering and in market research. As was mentioned, why would someone buy a huge slow wobbly car when, for not too much more, you could have a more comfortable, better built and much better driving european model? It's just now-a-days that the european cars are more luxurious than most of our homes!

And chrysler is nothing - they are owned by mercedes, and their new cars are based entirely off OLD mercedes models. No innovation there (but not to say they aren't good cars.)

 

[bmw046series]

I would argue that the US Marques took their eye off the ball design wise for most of the 1970-80's. They are a lot better now with Chrysler and Ford showing real talant lately.

Well you have to look a bit further than the 1970s in the hey days of the 50s and 60s when Detroit was humming to the rhythm of the Motown Sound, the factories were on base and the Temptations moved up the charts along with the Big Three’s Profits. GM, Chrysler and Ford all produced cars that blew the doors of one another’s designs year after year.

That is why when you hear someone say, "That's a 62 Chevy" they know everything about the model; the 62 model was a whole lot different from the 61 Chevy and the 63 Chevy. They owned design; I think that era still owns design. All that momentum killed them.

Then the oil crisis in the early to mid-70s leading all the way up to the 80s forced a slow four decade long death of Detroit, I feel they are coming back to the momentum after three decades of a slump practically because they are concentrating heavy on the most important key in the automotive industry, DESIGN, in the late 60s MB and BMW started selling in the US and then Toyota and the rest of the Japo-Copy-Cat-Gang moved in and hurt them with talent, market share, then the Unions killed their Profits.

Like I said I think GM and Ford are realizing how important it is to make design the “key strategy”, which is why BMW has done so well in recent.

MB new designs (circa 2000), and quality control have killed them in sales but they are starting to realize the strategy.

That is why I have said for the longest time the Japanese may be selling today, but they won’t tomorrow, because they don’t concentrate enough on design, and designing beautiful cars.

Cars like the new Z06, Ford GT, Saturn Sky are all proving they can still make a car by designing it well.