As the Geneva Auto Show slowly slips into memories, certain images continue to hold court in my consciousness.
1. The Audi A5 must be considered as the intro of the show.
2. The growing respect for Opel as a successful, design-led organization. And that means good lookin' U.S.-bound Saturn Auras and Vues in the near future.
3. The Chinese are coming. Chines automaker Brilliance displayed their best three cars right in the center of the show for all to see, and the consensus was that they are where the Koreans were 10 years ago. But it won't take them as long as 10 years to catch up.
4. The work that Cadillac still has to gain prominence (or even serious consideration) among European buyers. Between Opel, Cadillac, Hummer, Saab, and Chevrolet, GM occupied a large patch of Geneva display space. But the size of the crowds, at least during the press days, did not justify the area.
I made a point of checking out the crowd every time I strolled past the Cadillac stand and was always concerned by what I saw. Most looked to be bored executive wives passing time or rookie journalists that felt the need to make sure they covered each and every vehicle at the show. There was no sense of urgency or passion. In the U.S., over the last 5 years, Caddy has displayed all sorts of passion and the result is a line-up, evidenced by the CTS, STS, and Escalade, that continues to evolve and smooth out old rough spots.
In Europe, the brand is seen as a curiosity and not held in high esteem. But that was also the domain of Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai and Kia in Europe not so very long ago and I hope GM continues to give Cadillac a fair chance to catch on.
