Cadillac Cimarron - Reception

Reception

The Cimarron, introduced on May 21, 1981, was initially advertised as "Cimarron, by Cadillac" (similar to how Cadillac's Seville and Eldorado models were marketed in previous years) and sales personnel were instructed by GM to not refer to the car as a Cadillac and to inform customers that it was, technically, not a Cadillac. This strategy failed, and it became the Cadillac Cimarron for 1983.

The new compact Cadillac had the unconventional, for Cadillac, straight-4 engine (the first 4-cylinder Cadillac since 1914) and a four-speed manual transmission (Cadillac's first manual since 1953), with a three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic optional. The Cimarron had a high level of standard equipment for the time including items like air conditioning, leather interior, alloy wheels, power mirrors, rear window defogger, and AM/FM stereo radio.Cadillac also advertised many sporty features as standard, such as a tachometer, specially tuned suspension, and stabilizer bars. This pushed the base price to US$12,131 (equal to $31,011 today), nearly double its J-body siblings. The price difference, however, wasn't nearly as great when compared against other J-body models with these added (if available) options.

The Cimarron was coolly received by Cadillac buyers. First-year sales were only 25,968, about a third what Cadillac anticipated. The Cimarron's compact dimensions did not appeal to traditional Cadillac buyers, while its humble origins and barely competitive performance did little to appeal to the buyers of European imports. The standard four-cylinder engine was also roundly criticized for its lack of both power and refinement. A V6 engine became optional on 1985 models and was made standard in 1987. Its arrival was welcomed, but the V6's availability on less expensive J-platform vehicles still left questions about the Cimarron's value.

The last one rolled off the assembly line on June 3, 1988.

Even though the Cimarron had grown comparatively more refined by the end of its production run with more Cadillac-like styling to further distinguish it from other J-cars, buyers stayed away, and the car was discontinued after 1988 with a production run that year of only 6,454 units. The Cimarron's failure was part of a series of events throughout the 1980s and 1990s which eroded the brand's share of the US market from 3.8% in 1979 to 2.2% in 1997.