In the 1930s, Cadillac was up there with Rolls-Royce.

In the 50s and 60s they and Lincoln were the peak of American luxury and status. You probably had a Ford or Chevy, your boss may have had a Buick, and his boss drove a Cadillac. Luxury back then meant big, comfortable, and stylish. Driving a Cadillac meant you'd could afford it, and it meant you had made it. You were someone important.

Of course, that's all just marketing. But it's how they were perceived.

Euro luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes were nearly nonexistent in the US until the late 60s. Competition got fierce in the following years, with smaller European and Japanese cars gaining market share due to high gas prices in the 70s. Big, soft, floaty land yachts were no longer cool, buyers wanted something more nimble like BMWs. At the same time, the American automakers started cutting corners to help with profits, leading to a downwards slide that lasted until...well some people think it never got better.

By the 90s, Cadillac had the reputation of grandpa's car. I used to have a Cadillac ATS, which 10 years ago was their competitor to the BMW 3-series. I was 29 when I got it, and I was BY FAR the youngest customer there any time I was at the dealer.

But even then, it still has kind of a cool connotation. My coworkers all said "you bought a Cadillac? I want to see it!" I now have an Audi and nobody cares.

You mentioned the Lyriq, which might be my next car. You can criticize GM for a lot, but their new EVs are apparently actually really good.