6. Cadillac Cimarron
Today, almost all American luxury brands have downsized their lineup, offering more affordable and compact versions of their big sedans. But, back in the early ’80s, this move was something still unheard of and hard to understand. In those days, Cadillac had somewhat of an identity crisis, so they sought a way to reinvent themselves to fight their foreign competitors.
After long meetings involving their product development managers, they decided to introduce a small Cadillac with a lower price to attract more customers. The problem was that Cadillac didn’t have a small platform, so they turned to Chevrolet. They borrowed the modest Cavalier chassis along with the small, slow four-cylinder engine. Although Cadillac dressed the Cavalier with unique trim, new colors, and a new name, the Cimarron wasn’t enough.
The sales were poor and Cadillac was under fire from their brand loyalists for ruining their image. All over the industry, the Cimarron was a laughing stock and remained until this day one of the worst examples of downsizing ever. For that reason, most people believe this model should remain forgotten. Even though it was visionary and influential.