The Cadillac Cimarron was an entry-level luxury car sold for the 1982 to 1988 model years over a single generation, with a mild facelift in 1985. It was the first post-war compact car offered by Cadillac and one of the most controversial examples of badge engineering in the American industry.
Cadillac Cimarron at a glance
| Maker | Cadillac, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 1982-1988 |
| Class | compact entry-level luxury car |
| Platform | GM J platform, front-wheel drive |
| Wheelbase | 101.2 in (2,570 mm) |
| Assembly | South Gate (1981-1982), Janesville (1982-1988) |
| Price, 1982 | $12,181 |
| Bodies | four-door sedan only |
| Related | Chevrolet Cavalier, Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Firenza, Pontiac J2000 |
| Name | marketed as “Cimarron by Cadillac” in 1982 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Cimarron.
History of the Cadillac Cimarron
As General Motors prepared for the 1980s, Cadillac planners wanted a sedan smaller than the Seville. Research showed that many Seville buyers were not conquest customers from European brands but American-brand buyers looking for a smaller sedan, and dealers were asking for a compact car to fight European imports. In early 1980 GM began work on a Cadillac version of the J-car, in one of the shortest development programs the company had ever run.
Ten months to build a Cadillac
The Cimarron joined the J-car project only eleven months before the cars reached showrooms, and Cadillac had very little involvement in the programme. Apart from modest interior changes, the exterior work was limited to the grille, adjacent composite panels and taillights. GM president Pete Estes 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 at twice the price.
A name, and a reputation
At the May 1981 introduction the name was explained in the brochures as standing for fortitude, adventure and pioneering; it had been chosen from a list that included J2000, Carmel, Cascade, Caville and Envoy. For 1982 the car was marketed as “Cimarron by Cadillac”, and the Cadillac name appeared nowhere on it; salespeople were told to call it simply the Cimarron. From 1983 the naming changed to Cadillac Cimarron, and the Cadillac script appeared only on the grille. The car was not replaced directly in North America and is remembered for low sales, poor performance and ill-conceived badge engineering.
Design and features
- Standard equipment over the Cavalier: air conditioning, extra sound insulation, deep-pile carpeting, alloy wheels, twin power mirrors, leather-wrapped wheel and full instrumentation with a tachometer – the only Cadillac with one at the time.
- Front-wheel drive: the J platform with MacPherson struts and a torsion-beam rear axle.
- Leather interior: leather upholstery and door panels were offered only in the Cimarron among the J-cars.
- Later updates: simulated wood trim arrived with appearance updates after the first cars.
Cadillac Cimarron versions
- 1982 “Cimarron by Cadillac”: the original car without Cadillac badging.
- 1983-1984: renamed Cadillac Cimarron, with the script on the grille.
- 1985 facelift: mild exterior and interior update.
- 1986-1988: the final years, before the model was dropped without a replacement.
The Cimarron was Cadillac’s smallest car until the European-market BLS; a relative in spirit is the compact Catera. More Cadillacs are in the Cadillac collection.
Video: Cimarron VS Cavalier Car Comparison
Video by Cereal Marshmallows on YouTube.
Sources
- Cadillac Cimarron, English Wikipedia: development, design, equipment, naming
