According to the automotive magazines from the period, a very large percentage of used Cadillacs were traded in for a new one after one or two years. Many customers were so loyal to the brand that they pre-ordered the cars without even test-driving them, some even before GM unveiled the upcoming year's model at all! Dealers had a lot more incentive to build customer relationships because each one could mean a career's worth of steady sales!
Plus, they were the very best at the time. Mystical styling and allure. Yes, I was there and remember these gems. Going to the dealership to look at the new models was so exciting!
I mean, to be fair, Every Cadillac of the 20th century is a pleasure to drive and worth the acquisition. I've got more than 10 now, and they get driven regularly.
It was a lot of work trying to sell a car in 1956. Today, you have to know what you want before hand because new car salesmen today are NOT informed about the vehicles they sell.
@@smoothoperator7023 Quality varies. Some are better than others. Back then a new Cadillac salesman was a respectable professional career. It was a different world back then.
Building long-term relationships is a wonderful way to do business. This method always has and will always be effective. Most salesman don’t understand selling the value vs. price.
My parents bought a 1956 Cadillac Sedan deVille (in Mountain Laurel, of course) in 1969 for $1190. We drove it to Minnesota and back to California that summer, pulling an Apache trailer. They sold it in 1977 for $150 as it had blown freeze plugs. Imagine how easy that would be to fix today!
My first was a 1966. I still drive at 83. I don't have the opportunity anymore to order the way I want. They all today come with packages. And it's only a Cadillac in name. My opinion only. Thank you
@@williamobrien2759 I agree. I bought a brand new XTS in 2017...if you covered up the Cadillac emblem on the steering wheel and told me I was driving a Chevy or a Kia, I'd believe you.
@@storyteller1749 Once they've sold you the car they want to disappear forever and refer you to someone else -"our service dept / our body shop / our warranty dept" etc etc). Mention trade ins and they'll run a mile...
@@Lex-Rex Those were different days, of course, and that wouldn't be healthy now. But they could, and should, be more helpful in a decent and friendly way, within reason.
I'd settle for them just knowing about the cars. I swear I always know more than the actual salesperson after I do a little research. That's so annoying to me. But I guess that's why online car sales and delivery is becoming so popular....actual car salespeople are losing their jobs because they don't offer any value.
I just bought a new car (not a Cadillac) and I found our experience was kinda similar. Was very impressed. We didn't get a phone call afterwards but they're are some similarities. I wish I could have picked options like fabrics and colours like they could!
He went on to sell him a few more Sedan DeVilles in 60, 63, 67 and 70, El Dorados in 68, 72 and 76 and Sevilles in 74 and 78. He sold him a year old Vega for his son in 73 that was trade in and a Nova to replace the Vega after it rusted out and the engine died in 76. Mr. Carter was was a little pissed about the Vega, but then again it wasn't a Cadillac, so he cut Don some slack over it. Then in the early 80s Mr. Carter's business was expanding dramatically, he bought another Eldorado for himself in 81, this time with HT4100 and a Cimarron for Mrs. Carter in 83. He also bought 6 81 Cutlasses with the Oldsmobile Diesel 350 for his sales staff. For whatever reason Don never heard much from Mr. Carter too long after that. A few years later he heard through the grapevine that Mr. Carter's business had just acquired a regional competitor and was looking to purchase 80 small service trucks so Don figured he was going to show him the GMC S15. Don also figured that it would be time to trade in the Cutlasses and he would probably want to see the new Cadillacs as well. These sales would pretty much give him the promotion to general manager. However, yesterday at lunch he had he overheard this guy in the restaurant from the Honda dealership saying that he had an appointment with Mr. Carter to talk about buying 12 Accords for the sales staff. Don chuckled to himself as he knew that this young guy must just be dreaming or bragging as Don had Mr. Carter's account for almost 30 years and there was no way it was going to some upstart selling rice burners. Don then figured that he would take the imitative and go over and see Mr. Carter, but as he drove into the parking lot he saw a woman that looked a lot like Mrs. Carter leaving in a Mercedes 450SEL, "can't be he thought, must have been someone else." Then he got a sinking feeling over his stomach when he saw a 450SL in Mr. Carter's reserved parking space, but went in anyway and asked the receptionist if he could see him. The receptionist said he was in a meeting, but should be out shortly, as he sat in the waiting room, the door opened and Mr. Carter walked out with Joe Smith a guy who used to work for Don, but left for the Toyota dealership a few years ago. Anyway, Joe and Mr. Carter shook hands and Joe thanked him for the order of 100 Toyota pickups. Mr. Carter also told Joe that the tee time at the country for next Saturday was 10:00 and that his daughter was dying to meet him after their game. Mr. Carter then looked over at Don and said, "who are you and why are you here?"
These days they butter you up to buy a car then once you're out the door with it, it's nothing to do with them, speak to the service reception if there's a problem. No personal relationship. At my local Mercedes-Benz dealer the sales team come and go every month it seems, so speaking to the same person isn't a reality
Welcome to the new disposable world. People nowadays are called “consumers”. We buy stuff, consume it, and are back out looking to buy again. We have been conditioned to consume.
But, MB has always treated me well, even when they KNOW i cannot afford one. It was middle of winter, and I just wanted to see the C and E class. Holtz rep was very nice and showed me around. And, Bobby Rahal has a large indoor parking garage and in dead of winter, I go to look at the new Mercedes. They have all been very professional and I have even recommended them, yet, I don't have a MB. And John Sisson, he once had an Oktoberfest, that was just super. My aunt who has driven Mercedes since 1970, invited me. Sorry there is high turnover in the sales staff.
I own a '54 Cadillac Eldorado & the answer to the question, "how many plastic parts are in a 1956 Cadillac?" is .000001%. '50's Cadillac's were built to last which is why they're still around & sound today. Why do you think they were the, "Standard Of The World"?
They were the standard of the world because Cadillacs were the first cars to use machined, not hand tooled, parts that were interchangeable from car to car.
The format of black & white picture slides to audio recording is quite endearing. The tone that you hear between pictures is used by machines to automatically progress to the next slide. If a machine such as that is not available, then it cues the operator to do the same. A presentation such as this is 79% more effective at selling me on a new car than the methods of 2022, although the jury is still out on whether or not its actually due to no 2022 model year cars being appealing to buy. But what we do know is I have 0 2022 models and 1 1956 Coupe DeVille
Exactly, I was watching a similar video and someone commented "why are they showing freezer frames and not the real video" I tried telling him that this is how they worked back then lol
The only dealers who act like this these days are VW and, especially, Audi (owned by VW). I drive an A8, and i have known my rep at the local Audi dealer for ten years. I’m a customer for life, especially when they go electric.
"Who would call me at this hour, Dear?" " Honey, it's the IRS; a Federal magistrate will issue a warrant for your arrest unless you send $5000 in gift cards". Hahahaha
Just hang one of those evaporative coolers on the passenger side window. Those things were butt ugly, and put “wet air” into a car that would soon smell musty moldy. For a short few years, evaporative “coolers” were the rage in the dry SW.
Smoking was a big part of life. Even hospitals had ashtrays throughout the building, including patient rooms. Many people back then not only didn't have AC, but didn't want it. Complaints of the noise, bad AC air quality (ironic when many smoked), and added expense.
Sometimes it took two feet on the brake peddle to git er stopped. Power assisted brakes back then were not much assistance. Either they were touchy as hell, or not much use at all. Yeah, but I loved my big tank cars when it came time to go on a date. Backseats were enormous. 😁
General Motors sales technique was pretty much the same thing when I got in the business in 1977. We were expected to dress and conduct ourselves as professionals. We got brand new company cars that we could only put 6000 miles on before we traded them in for something with 0 miles on the odometer. We were encouraged to take new cars to a customer's home.. I sold Pontiac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac and GMC.
The attitude in the sales room is far different today than it was in the fifties. You better have done your homework before looking to buy a new car now. I purchased a new car last year and the sales guy sure didn’t know much about the car’s electronic features. I guess that’s why the factory provides the car buyer with a set of books that rival NYC phone directories.
As owner of a 1956 Cadillac Sedan DeVille in similar colors (original) the level of workmanship and quality is superior to any of their cars from the 1970s 80s, 90s and of recent, new cars all no more than a jazzed up Yukon and blend in like every other car on the road infotainment plastic unrepairable to the owner. These cars are tanks, easy to work on/ maintain even if they do need servicing more frequently, less safety they are of a different more elegant era. By far the most comfortable car have ever been in. Great promo film strip!
I have a 1980 Cadillac Coupe Deville with Ultra Soft Velour Fabric Seats. Now they force you to take leather. It is hot in the summer and you freeze your behind in the winter. Yes I know they have heat and cooling, but with Velour you didn't need it and it was more comfortable anyways.
Air conditioners back then were a real drag on engine power. Also they were not very efficient. I had a ‘56 Buick Roadmaster with factory installed air conditioning ... when it was on the mileage was horrible. Next car was a ‘66 Caddy Fleetwood. The engine was much larger, but the air conditioning still lugged it down. Today, my Subaru Forester gets good mileage with or without the a/c turned on.
Back then cars were built tough with options and style, today they're cookie cutter, disposable aluminum cans with so much technology no one can work on them except high-priced mechanics for dealers
I'm surprised this wealthy couple appears to have only one car. Why not buy Mrs. Carter the Caddy, and he can either keep his Lincoln, or get another new one. Everyone's happy that way.
That house is as big as a B-52. They use that same set with other GM sales presentations. They were custom orders from the factory back then. Colors and seat coverings. I liked that Lincon 1955 maybe. Break job after 1 year. Cash cows
i tend to know my price range and what i want in a vehicle, if i find a vehicle that meets my criteria, and is in good condition, i go forward with a test drive, if i test drive a vehicle, it means i intend to make a offer if the test drive is good. i tell sales people the best way to get me to walk away is to try to sell me something.
Au contraire, those pointy "Dagmar" bumper guards were a strong disincentive for anyone to back into them while parallel parking, lest they end up with a pair of dents in their trunk. (Cadillac shrank the bumper guards and put black rubber tips on them for 1957!)
So the salesman just left the Cadillac with the man and his wife for at least one night, totally unsupervised. While it was unlikely they'd take off with it, what if they'd wrecked it?
Cars insured. Besides back then Cadillac was THE car in the prestige field. naturally the those who bought them were well respected and wealthy members of society so I highly doubt they throw it all away for a Cadillac to steal/crash.
When salesmen stalked people to badger them into buying things they didn't really want or need.. "Finest car in the world?"; more like "largest car in the world!" (Or in the universe.) My Dad had several--they were preposterous and so was I as a kid. The salesman later had an affair with Mrs. Carter--in the backseat of her Sedan de Ville.
Mr and Mrs Carter died later in a horrible crash due to lack of divided highways and no airbags or seatbelts. Also Mr Carter liked to have a few drinks before going out to dinner.
Nowadays, car sales people are probably scared to follow up later with their customers. Or run from them when they've brought the car back for warranty work for the 10th time in 2 years. Lol.
All I can say is he is a cars salesman who is moonlighting as a stalker do to a strange infatuation he has with the carters, I’ve bought new BMWs and my cars salesmen didn’t harass me this much, let alone give me the keys to a random 70,000 car till he ran my Crdt and confirmed I had the financial backing to afford such a vehicle
god find some schmuck in the newspaper and stalk him till he buys a car, the freaking lincoln was just in for a break job! Some sales dude cold calls me at dinner, yea Ill talk to him, to tell him to kiss my ass and I will never be a patron of their business. Pro-tip to salesmen, if I want something I will call you... PS: id have the lincoln, caddy's are tacky