2005 Cadillac BLS Concept

Despite the all-American stereotypes, Cadillac is no stranger to Europe. Over the past few decades it has produced a

Despite the all-American stereotypes, Cadillac is no stranger to Europe. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

variety of European-inspired machines. Entry-level Cimarron aside, which was little more than an early '80s Cavalier with leather, the Allanté, a Pininfarina-designed and produced convertible, and the Catera, a rebadged Opel Omega, helped luxury buyers change their perceptions about the brand. Nevertheless, these efforts, while valiant, were slow sellers, and never made the impact that the brand hoped for.

Though Cadillac has had many run-ins with the European market, the most recent attempt was in the mid-'90s. The marque, backed by one model, the Seville STS, was launched in an attempt to siphon sales away from the Audi A8, BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but while successful in the U.S. its V8-powered, front-wheel

With high confidence, GM now feels that the time is ready to aggressively take on the European market with Cadillac. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

drive layout made the car dynamically inferior to the big guns. Cadillac was literally laughed out of Europe by the media, leaving the brand to lick its wounds.

After a series of shocking concept cars such as the Evoq, Imaj and Cien, Caddy launched the Art & Science design theme, yielding one of its best products to date, the rear-wheel drive CTS. With its modular engine, Euro-centric chassis honed for sharpness and precision at the Nurburgring, plus the unique look of the sharply-creased body, the CTS redefined the Cadillac brand. The pricing also didn't hurt - 5-Series size for 3-Series money.