1954 Cadillac Coupe Deville on 2040-cars

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GM lays off 450 at Lansing Grand River Assembly

General Motors will lay off 450 employees at its Lansing Grand River factory, The Detroit News reports, which is 100 more than the company said it'd be letting go last month. Lansing Grand River Assembly currently builds the Cadillac ATS and CTS, both of which have suffered sluggish sales, with the smaller sedan down 20 percent through last month and the larger model down 2.3 percent, The Detroit News reports. "We are adjusting plant production capacity to better align with market demand. Beginning in January 2015, the plant will operate on a single shift," a GM statement read, before explaining that not all the laid off Grand River employees will be jobless. Of the employees that have been laid off to make room for the single work shift, around 200 will transfer to the Lansing Delta Township factory, home of the Lambda-platform crossovers, GM's statement confirmed. The News expects this one-shift arrangement to continue until at least late next year, when the Alpha-platform Chevy Camaro transitions from General Motors' Oshawa, Ontario factory to Lansing. Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen said at last month's LA Auto Show, "It may not necessarily be permanent, a time may come when we've gained momentum and we can reinstate it. But for now, the adjustment to production capacity is in alignment with our plans for 2015."

Junkyard Gem: 1969 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

The Cadillac Division was riding high in 1969, with sales numbers far surpassing those of Lincoln and Imperial. A few more years remained before fuel prices would go crazy, and prosperous Americans knew that a sleek DeVille or Eldorado gave them bragging rights at the country club. Here's a thoroughly used-up '69 Coupe DeVille, finally at the end of its journey and residing in a self-service wrecking yard in Denver, Colo. This inspection certificate shows that the car lived in Louisiana a decade ago. Since this is the sort of pervasive rust that occurs in places much wetter than arid High Plains Colorado, we can assume that this DeVille spent many years in the land of gumbo and alligators. The decklid sports Fleetwood badging and a Rickenbaugh Cadillac emblem, but Cadillac didn't make two-door Fleetwoods in 1969. Perhaps a Colorado-sold Fleetwood donated its decklid to replace a rust-ravaged lid on this car. Actually, there's a good chance it was purchased at this very yard. The once-opulent interior has suffered greatly over the decades, with the reek of mildewed carpeting and irradiated leather giving it That Hooptie Car Smell. Try to picture what this scene looked like in happier days, a half-century ago. The 1969 Cadillac V8 engine displaced a mighty 472 cubic inches (that's 7.8 liters to those of you living under the cruel knout of the metric system) and delivered a gross 375 horsepower and 525 lb-ft of torque. Scaling in at 4,595 pounds (about a half-ton less than a new Escalade), the DeVille needed that power to keep up with those cheap-but-V8-equipped Chevy Chevelles. For 1970, Cadillac would stroke this engine to a staggering 500 cubic inches for Eldorado buyers. This engine family lasted through 1984, after which it was replaced by the much-loathed High Technology V8. The build quality and snob appeal of the 1969 Cadillacs kept them on the road for decades after most of their peers got crushed, but this one was just too far gone to be worth restoring. Featured Gallery Junked 1969 Cadillac Coupe DeVille View 21 Photos Auto News Cadillac Automotive History Classics

Expensive Cadillac ELR at least comes with free Level 2 home charger

"But wait, there's more!" Anyone who's watched late-night television is familiar with the telltale phrase of a spokesman looking to reel in a potential customer who may otherwise be disinterested in what's being advertised. Now, General Motors, faced with selling the first Cadillac extended-range plug-in vehicle to a public that may find it rather expensive, is throwing in a bonus. In this case, GM will give away a 240-volt home fast charger to "early" buyers of the Cadillac ELR, including professional installation. How early? Well, we're not finding that information in the press release below, so it may be a moving target. Earlier this month, GM said it would offer the ELR for a 39-month lease for $699 a month for qualified lessees. The deal requires $5,999 down and GM originally said it would only be good until the end of the month (though we assume that could change). It's also an "ultra-low-mileage" lease that allows for only 10,000 miles of driving each year, before per-mile surcharges of 25 cents kick in. Last fall, GM set the base price for the ELR at $75,000, before government incentives get factored in. Like its Chevy Volt sibling, the ELR can go about 340 miles using both the electricity in the battery and the gas-powered on-board generator. Check out our ELR First Drive here. Cadillac Enhances ELR Buying Experience Early adopters to receive complimentary home charger and installation DETROIT – Cadillac is offering a complimentary 240-volt home charging station and installation to early buyers of the all-new 2014 ELR electrified luxury coupe. "The ELR's blend of leading technology with provocative design and fun-to-drive performance is set to bring new buyers to Cadillac and to electrification itself," said Uwe Ellinghaus, chief marketing officer, Global Cadillac. "Professional installation of the fastest home-charging unit is a natural way to mark the introduction of ELR to the luxury market." Cadillac is offering the ELR on an ultra-low-mileage, 39-month lease for qualified lessees at $699 per month with $5,999 due at signing after all offers. The Cadillac ELR offers a convergence of luxury, electrification and sporty driving in a premium coupe with dynamic design and an award-winning range-extended electric powertrain capable of 340 miles of total range.