1966 Cadillac Deville Base Hardtop 4-door 7.0l on 2040-cars

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Man trapped in Cadillac XLR for 14 hours after battery dies

A 75-year old Cleveland man ended up trapped in his 2006 Cadillac XLR for 14 hours last month, according to a story reported by the Detroit Free Press. The owner of the car, Peter Pyros, hopped into his roadster to back out onto his driveway, but he quickly learned that the battery was dead. He was "trapped" because the doors use an electric button to activate the door latch to open the door. Since the battery was dead, the buttons did nothing. Now, GM planned for an eventuality like this by placing a manual door release handle on the ground next to the seat. It's marked with a red diagram of the driver-side door opening. There's also a section about it in the owner's manual. The only problem here, was that Pyros says he didn't know the release was there, and he didn't have his owner's manual in the car. Because of this, Pyros may not have made it out alive if not for a neighbor coming to his rescue. "I came to the conclusion that I was going to die ... I was at peace with it. I asked God to help me twice, then I said, 'OK, God if this is the way I'm supposed to die, I will die,'" Pyros said to reporters. There's every chance he could have died in the car, too. Temperatures in Cleveland hit 77 degrees the day he was in the car, and he said it was unbearably hot and difficult to breathe after only 30 minutes sealed inside. Pyros reportedly tried yelling, pounding on and even trying to break the car's windows without success. At one point, Pyros wrote a note to his nephew explaining what happened if he ended up dying. What eventually saved him was a curious neighbor who came to investigate after he noticed his garage door was still open late at night. His neighbor called the police after he found him in the car, and emergency personnel actually ended up charging his car's battery up enough to get the electric door release to work. Of course, after everything settled down, there are now lawyers involved. They're going after GM, with an argument accusing the automaker of not making the emergency latch more obvious both in the car and in the owner's manual. GM doesn't appear to be having any of it. Here's its statement on the matter: "Because this varies by make and model, drivers should review the door lock section of their owner's manual, and follow up with their dealer or customer assistance center if they have any questions," GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson wrote to the Free Press. This type of door release isn't particularly uncommon for GM vehicles.

Cadillac CT6 uses aluminum to save 200 pounds

In Cadillac's recently launched ad campaign, the luxury brand's tagline is "Dare Greatly," and the two words suggest a brand willing to take big swings, even if they don't always connect. From what the company is promising, the forthcoming CT6 seems like an embodiment of that new motto. With an eventual range of turbocharged engines, reportedly including a turbo V8, a possible plug-in hybrid and streaming rearview mirror, the sedan is certainly pitched as tech showcase. Of course, extensive use of aluminum is practically mandatory to play in the luxury field these days, and Caddy is proving its latest creation can do that too. Despite the weighty appearance of the sedan's squared-off exterior, 64 percent of the CT6 is aluminum, including the entire exterior. Caddy claims that using so much of the lightweight metal sheds 198 pounds off the scales compared to using conventional steel. There still is some steel in the CT6; although it's predominately the high-strength variety. The engineers use the heavier metal for portions around the cabin and B-pillar for added safety. Cadillac also claims using steel "close-out panels" on lower portions of the sedan make the cabin quieter without needing as much sound deadening. The buildup to the CT6's public unveiling has been a long time coming after Cadillac pinned the flagship (for now) sedan's debut at the New York Auto Show nearly a year ago. When the sheet finally comes off on March 31, we get the first good idea about just how great Caddy's latest act of daring really is. Cadillac CT6 Elevates the Science of Mass Efficiency 2015-03-13 Technology DETROIT – Cadillac will use an advanced mixed-material approach for the lightweight body structure of the upcoming CT6 range-topping sedan. The structure is aluminum intensive, but the new Cadillac also includes 13 different materials customized for each area of the car to simultaneously advance driving dynamics, fuel economy and cabin quietness. The CT6 will debut March 31 at the New York International Auto Show and go into production late this year at General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. "This is the rocket science of automobile construction and manufacturing today," said Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen.

Seventies super-salesman challenges new car-sales record

Some of the fondest memories from my youth were the Sunday afternoons spent walking between rows of new and used cars. This preceded the advent of widely available internet, so the cars didn't sell themselves online: A tentative buyer had to come see the cars in the metal, with old-school salesmen taking well-earned smoke breaks after putting someone behind the wheel of a new Saab 900. All-inclusive subscription services were unheard of. If you open a Guinness records book and look up car salesmen, you'll find Joe Girard. The definitely old-school Detroit salesman regularly sold over 1,000 new cars per year, with a particular high point of 1,425 cars in 1973 guaranteeing him a mention in the Guinness book. To reach that kind of sales figure, you had to be a pretty special salesman, and Girard was. He didn't take breaks unless absolutely necessary, and even his lunch hours were dedicated to selling more cars instead of shooting the breeze with other sales persons. By 1977 he was worn through, having sold over 13,000 cars in his career, and his physique couldn't take it anymore. He's been a motivational speaker since. Now, 44 years later, a Dearborn, Mich., Cadillac and Chevrolet salesman named Ali Reda has reportedly broken Girard's record. The books at Les Stanford Chevrolet Cadillac say Reda sold 1,530 new cars and 52 used cars in 2017, averaging 130 vehicles per month. But after Girard, 89, heard of the sales record, he called his attorney, not letting his record be broken without a fight — or at least an audit. The Dearborn dealer isn't too concerned about Girard's doubts, at least according to Gary Stanford, whose father founded the dealership. "It's very official, trust me," said Stanford to the Detroit Free Press. "Ali is the hardest worker I've ever seen. And if someone doesn't believe the data, well, they're more than welcome to consult with GM. It's all there in black and white." What Girard doesn't get is that Reda was honoring him with the accomplishment. "I read his book, 'How to Sell Anything to Anybody,' and it said it would teach you how to become the best," said Reda, who at age 44 was a newborn when Girard hit his peak. "He's an absolute legend in the industry. Your whole career, you're chasing his name.