It is part of a $4 billion overhaul of GM’s Cadillac division. Sales of the luxury cars dropped from a peak of 350,813 in 1978 to 189,154 in 2000 and only 172,083 in 2001. During that 23-year stretch, foreign brands such as BMW, Jaguar, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz slowly chipped away at Cadillac’s lofty perch.
To stem that sales erosion, restore Cadillac to prominence and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the brand, GM is launching a new lineup of vehicles. Legendary names, such as Eldorado and Fleetwood, are being shelved in favor of more European acronyms, such as CTS. The first letter identifies the series of the vehicle, while the second and third letters describe the body style. For instance, CTS stands for "C-series touring sedan."