Difference Between Buick and Cadillac?
Hi, I'd like to add my dollars worth. IF you dont want to read it all thats cool. But Im in a mood to explain it as best as one can, so here goes.
For decades, and even now to an extent... Buick and Cadillac to the untrained or unknowing eye, were different as night and day. The reality tho, was that they both, model for model were pretty much the SAME car. What made them different were the different things the did to a basic body, (body-shell) of a car. Also called a platform (today). At times GM had three, two or even ONE basic bodyshells/platforms that was used up and down the Corporate Ladder (Chevy, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac).
For a AWESOME informative read on the WHOLE story, one must check out "Concept of a Corporation, By Peter Drucker). IT explains how Alfred Sloan, an early president of GM WAS the man who developed the formula that ran the whole industry for almost 60 years. The "price class" structure. And how Buick and Caddy found their places within that structure.
Anyway, this manufactuing genius, of using a common body shell for various models, up to including ALL the major models I believe by 1959, and all the different lines of cars was pretty much perfection. When the process began, in the late 1920's; I think there may have been three basic body-shells/ bodies/platforms. All of them were given SPECIFIC design cues by their The G.M. Art & Colour department which became The GM design center later on. What this did was it allowe each make a LOOK that had a common identity, but a curbstone identity to the average man and woman. For expample one could Tell a Buick form a Cadillac. And, from there the rest of the company helped father it, or mother the concept, and it evolved to what it is today.
Lets just say that Chrysler Corp., Ford Motor Company and the Independents (Like Studebaker-Packard) thru the next 50 years emulated or tried to emulate this formula in one form or another.
So, to that end, in the 1940's and 1950's and really even as late as the 1960's the major differences were always in various powertain options like engines and horsepower, interior differences (a different , but strikingly SIMILAR dashboard for eample), option availability. Beyoned the body differences, trims and etc. That was it.
To you vac heads, look at all the MANY variations fo the basic Singer Twin Fan that had occured between 1964, and the ned of them in the 1990's. It's the same process, just MUCH more complex.....
Cadillac for a decade (the 50's), had pretty much the same cross hatched grille in a specific look, with the tailfins out back. Tho bodies changed, but the look did NOT. Even after the taifins went bye bye they just reimagined them. Even in 1990 you could still buy a Caddy that looked almost like the first one of that body shell did in 1977. It was design cues, used in STRICT continuity that made them all different. Again, each one had it's look.
Moreover, at Buick, they had their styling cues ONLY to be used BY them. One only must think of the portholes , and the long toothy grilles etc, that have come and gone several times. That was a Buick only look. With again, those different grilles and taillights, interiors and options available thru the models. Made Buick seperate.
Heres another ideal: Early on, lets use 1953 as the difinitive year. Buick Had the Dynaflow (DynaFLUSHH), and Caddillac had the Hydramatic Drive (or, the HydraJerk). Buick had a Straight Eight engine, Caddy had a V-8. Buick's straight eight engine was LONGER than a Cadillac V-8 so Buick had longer front fenders, and shorter rear fenders. Buick had those different styling cues that LOOKED G.M., but was all Buick. Then you had the smooth, whooshaway Dynaflow, that did not have the same performance of the Hydramatic Drive. The oldsters of the day loved it, and lots of younger folks did too. I think the Dynaflow is pretty neat too honestly. And it sold better than you would ever dream. Add in that slow revving Buick Fireball straight-8...and you can see why Buick was a great car for SOME, but a horrible car for others.
So, what were the ones who were well moneyed, and the ones who also wanted to go 90 NOW , who did not like the Buick to do???
Go buy a Cadillac!! And, the V-8 in the Cadillac's being SHORTER, translated into shorter FRONT fenders, but we put those sexy tailfins (of the Cadillac)on the LONGER rear fenders, and Voila'. It changed the look of the same basic body dramatically. Add in the other various Caddy desing touches, "trims" not used by anynone but them, and the more powerful V-8 engine, and the much faster shifting, and acting Hydra-Matic, and you could see why some who COULD, would fork over a couple a hundred more for the same car, as what the Bucik dealer down the street was peddling.
This all began to degrade heavily tho by the 1970's. G.M. got real good at slowly taking away the various differences and making all the cars have a V-8, but maybe the same one, and all of them having a common transmission such as the Turbo Hydramatic, and now your left with just design cues, and maybe a few different engine options, but even that was changing.
At some point, only someone who was a blind as ever, could sence that the 1990 Caprice was the same as the Cadillac Fleetwood with different (longer) front and rear fenders, and those (special) Caddy design touches. Beneath both was simply (old school G.M. engineering), and not the unique propositions that once was the Cadillac buying experience. Or Buick for that matter.
THe same thing happened to Lincoln and Imperial too. Excpet Chrysler just axed Imperial etc. etc. Lincoln pretty much stayed with it's own body, but by the 1980's a Town Car, looked like a Grand Marquis (Mercury), looked like a Crown Victoria (Ford)!!! And worse is that they all used the same basic platform, and engines and trannys. MADDENING!!!
THe automakers began to let everyone (all the price classes) have everything, and made the middel and upper price ranges of cars,less and LESS special to own. That more than anything almost ruined G.M. , but moreover ruined the price classes that we once had.
Today to me, Buick and Cadillac shoot for that (high 30-Something ON up) who have cash to flash, and dont WANT to have to buy an import or a "global car". THey want the "ideal" of buying american. Cadillac finally got their poop in a group after about a full decade of losing their "Standard of the World" designation. I have a very good inkling, for their current sales figures and from the special they have put back in their cars. That this is changing back to the way it was. BUt I digress. Hope no one fell asleep.
BUT, that is what USED to be the difference between Buick and Cadillac.