Cadillac Cimarron

GM's luxury brand has tried its hand at a "smaller" Cadillac for decades, with varying degrees of success. The original Seville of 1976 was a hit and a half. Its overly baroque, 1980 replacement was less so. The first Catera, launched in 1997, was little more than a tarted-up Opel and a tepid entry at best.

The CTS that followed in 2003 wasn't perfect, but it was at least worthy of the Cadillac name -- and a big seller, too. However, the biggest turkey among them was the Cimarron. One of the five "J-Cars" GM brought to market in 1982 through 1983, the Cimarron was the poster child for everything that was wrong with badge engineering and, in fact, GM, at the time.

This compact Caddy wannabe proved you can't take a Chevrolet Cavalier, add leather and a fancy grille, double the price -- and fool people for long. The new-for-2008 CTS, a stunner by any measure, should once and for all exorcise this blemish from the visage of the Wreath and Crest.

Coverage: September 1977

Back 30 years ago, our issue was filled with names and faces that are no longer around. Ford's Fairmont shared a lot of its underpinnings with the 1979 and later Fox-bodied Mustang, although dynamically it was good for the day and price point. Alfa Romeo? Gone, but hoping to return. The Pontiac Phoenix? Return not likely. Toyota luxury edition? It's called a Lexus nowadays. And we all know what happened with the DeLorean.