There was a time when Cadillac really was "The Standard of the World" for luxury cars. But that was decades ago, and the rise of premium European brands has greatly diminished Cadillac's status over the years. The American brand's damage was self-inflicted due to not building the right kind of luxury cars. While things today are looking better than they have in years, Cadillac is still working to regain that global premium status.

With a new marketing chief who previously worked for BMW now in place, Cadillac has a 10 year plan to restore its former glory. Although the brand is doing well in the US and China, global sales fell two percent last year, but are up 30 percent so far this year. The key to maintaining this growth on a long-term scale is to improve sales in smaller markets, and of course Europe. The problem with the latter is that buyers there see Cadillac as a niche brand. Another problem is that it doesn't offer any diesel-engined models. Fortunately, Cadillac recognizes these issues and is currently working to fix them. Being the luxury standard of the world is not an easy thing to accomplish.