Becoming an icon is no easy feat. To become an icon you must possess two main attributes, continuity and longevity. Longevity is easy, after all many things can go on for a long time without a single hand clap. Chronic pain can last decades yet I never heard of a single person missing its presence. Indeed the most important ingredient on the road to becoming an icon is the continuity of that special quality that initially caused people to stop and take notice in the first place. Like running on a tread mill, it is not all that hard to run at full pace for a short time but it is truly an achievement to continue that pace through to the end. Only those, things or people, which manage to keep that pace, can rise to the level of an icon. Today we celebrate two icons that have managed to change the very vernacular they inhabit. Our first icon is none other than the Simpson's, who have stayed true to themselves for two decades without losing stride.
You know Homer in particular is an Icon when the simple mention of his name conjures up his jaundiced image in that persons mind whether they are ninety or nine.
The Simpson's success is that they speak to that voice inside all of us, saying what we wish we could say, and doing what we wish we could do. Much like a fine cigar, it takes a discerning pallet to appreciate it, some discredit the Simpson's as mere slapstick cartoon characters, just as some consider the smell of fine tobacco as a "foul" smell. It is only those of a certain sophistication who can view beyond the pratfalls and basic comedy to appreciate the underlying messages of family harmony, amidst disharmony, loyalty and love at the core of every misguided stunt, true wisdom baked into each episode. One icon deserves another, so it comes as little surprise that Homer drives, perhaps, one of the most iconoclastic cars on the road today, the Cadillac Deville, or in "neo caddy" ease, DTS.
Now no one has ever come out and said that the Simpson's drive a caddy, the Simpson's were first inked before such blatant branding was the norm on network TV. Yet even without it being spelled out, little is left to the imagination. I'll let you make up your own mind. The following picture illustrates the Simpson's ubiquitous "pink sedan".
Even Lisa's left brain bios would conclude after looking, that all the evidence points to the "pink sedans" Cadillac origins. OK the front end is a bit generic but those vertical taillamps give it away. Cadillac is one of the few vehicles left on the road that has stayed true to "stylistic continuity" that is so crucial to the icon definition. The Cadillac style is distinguishable by even the most "automotive illiterate" among us. The styling cues date back deep into Cadillac’s past. Even the 1940's and early 1950's models began to show the first signs of Cadillac's ubiquitous styling with taillamps segregated on separate bezels separated by a lowered trunk lid. This design element took flight as the lavish fins of the late fifties took off, provided fertile ground for Cadillac to completely shed its cocoon. Whether you love those "be-finned" classics or not, those "butter knife" appendages led the way to today's Cadillac style. As the air began to drain from the "fifties fins" over the early 1960’s, today’s Cadillac’s prominent rear design began to fall into place.
By the late 60's the design had frozen into place like hardened lava. These design elements have survived to this day. To understand a Cadillac you must understand this basic design DNA.
The above pictures illustrate basic Caddy design. The first shows an early 1980's Deville and the second shows Bush's Presidential DTS. I used the presidential livery because it illustrates so vividly the basic angles and proportions that have become the Cadillac recipe. You could take any post 1965 Cadillac Deville and illustrate that the same basic grid can be drawn over each subsequent model maintaining the same angles and structure. Now that's stylistic continuity.
A hat must be tipped to the current design team who has maintained these proportions while allowing the DTS to gently evolve into a mature, fully modern, design that maintains its DNA coding while casting a modern chiseled demeanor. It is this mix of modernity and heritage that is present in any true iconoclastic vehicle. Cadillac has held true to it's design "language" while other noted competitors have succumb to "slang" whittling away once historic designs to entirely new facades ,that although handsome in their own right, have little continuity embedded in their bloodstream. Two such vehicles that illustrate this change is the Lexus LS, who's design has taken a startling change away from nearly two decades of design evolution to a "visually smaller" design that incorporates more of Toyota's corporate design look than Lexus' in execution. More Camry than LS in execution. The second is the S class Mercedes which has similarly changed design direction from its past evolution, a design trend that lasted over three decades. The current Mercedes S class, in similar fashion to the Lexus, has taken on a "visually smaller" design with many smaller cues that are reminiscent to any number of lesser badged offerings. BMW drastically changed its design DNA but still managed to maintain its "street prominence" that exudes importance. Cadillac and Jaguar truly are among the last to keep true to their design blood lines. This is a true coup for Cadillac which costs significantly less than a Jaguar yet provides a large dominant design that exude a certain air of prestige and excess that is missing among the new school of "minimalist" luxury design. What better car then for the Simpson's to drive. Indeed the Cadillac exhibits the immediate recognition and prominence that seem at such odds with the Simpson's simple values, yet that's just the subtle inconsistency's that have made the Simpson's so intriguing. The sad fact be told, the Simpson's would have been short lived if the writing team had let down their guard or had rested on their laurels admits their success. We are truly a world of "what have you done for me lately mentality". It has been the Simpson's ability to maintain their edgy provocative humor and their story lines fresh and timely that has insured their continued success. Similarly as stylistically true to its roots the Caddy may be no amount of style can save a vehicle that is mechanically challenged. The Mercedes or the Lexus may have swerved away from their design heritage but it is their incredible mechanical dominance that will most likely be the deciding factor when that pen hits the bottom line at buy time. Cadillac has had a history of relying on big power backed up by taffy suspension that has historically kept Cadillac from receiving honor as a preeminent vehicle. No amount of grunt can make up for Rose Bowl Parade handling. Just as a Rose Bowl float wilts with time so did the image of Cadillac as buyers emigrated to foreign shores. Cadillac has taken notice. The new DTS is a testament to this. The DTS will never win an autobahn race nor will it be chosen for James Bond to tear around a mountain road course, but the new DTS is world class package that disembarks from the mega yachts of yore that could barely steer out of their own way. Cadillac has finally begun to create a holistic vehicle that transcends their one ace in the hole of design continuity that has been for so many the reason they enter that Cadillac dealer in the first place. For those buyers that once upon a time long ago made a promise that one day they would drive a Cadillac that car still exists just as it did when they first made that promise. Cadillac has evolved in stages beginning with the now legendary Northstar V8 that first made its appearance in the 1990's. Next the overall build quality improved first with exterior components and then interior. I remember viewing two Caddy Seville’s side by side in the mid nineties. Only one year separated them yet the quality of the moldings, not single molding lined up on the older model, and the uniformity of the gaps between panels was alarmingly different. Today DTS illustrates the third improvement, handling ability. The DTS is for the first time a viable vehicle in regard to handling. It has a reassuring grip that is reminiscent of Japanese or older German offerings. Before you get to exited it still is a decade behind a Mercedes and even more behind BMW in overall driving dynamics, yet neither are as smooth over broken weather beaten roads or offer the mega mansion interior room as the DTS. Also it is important to keep in mind that the majority of buyers are never going to drive at the limits, so why should the qualities that matter on a day to day basis such as comfort be sacrificed for the minority that do?
In daily driving the Caddy excels in a way that it has never before. The new DTS's class leading rigidity helps to keep the DTS planted firmly without the usual squeaks and rattles. Indeed the DTS is as solid as a vault. For the first time the DTS presents the driver with a sense of security, in a diversity of driving situations, that puts to ease the drivers mind. The future of the DTS will only close the gap between it and its competitors in exponential form. The DTS will soon change again returning to its heritage even more closely by offering rear drive. This change alone should help to correct this models front biased weight distribution which should alleviate its nose heavy steering that leads to plowing in tough fast curves. Cadillac has survived on design inertia for so long. The current DTS clearly shows that it's design continuity has been maintained and adhered to, if even more closely than it's past offering, The DTS has however now begun to show new quality in the area of driving stability and enjoyment that hopefully will become a new tradition with each new DTS model joining it's legendary design DNA to forge a holistic continuity of design and engineering that will assuredly maintain it's place in History as an Icon. The Cadillac could take a lesson or two from the Simpson's. Stay true to yourself, as Cadillac has done with its design philosophy, but stay ever aware of the need to continuity raising the bar to new levels of excellence. Cadillac for the first time shows that they are rising the bar and are ready to continue their journey not living off of the inertia of yesteryear's dreams but today’s realities. And in a word that would be..................
You know Homer in particular is an Icon when the simple mention of his name conjures up his jaundiced image in that persons mind whether they are ninety or nine.
The Simpson's success is that they speak to that voice inside all of us, saying what we wish we could say, and doing what we wish we could do. Much like a fine cigar, it takes a discerning pallet to appreciate it, some discredit the Simpson's as mere slapstick cartoon characters, just as some consider the smell of fine tobacco as a "foul" smell. It is only those of a certain sophistication who can view beyond the pratfalls and basic comedy to appreciate the underlying messages of family harmony, amidst disharmony, loyalty and love at the core of every misguided stunt, true wisdom baked into each episode. One icon deserves another, so it comes as little surprise that Homer drives, perhaps, one of the most iconoclastic cars on the road today, the Cadillac Deville, or in "neo caddy" ease, DTS. 
Now no one has ever come out and said that the Simpson's drive a caddy, the Simpson's were first inked before such blatant branding was the norm on network TV. Yet even without it being spelled out, little is left to the imagination. I'll let you make up your own mind. The following picture illustrates the Simpson's ubiquitous "pink sedan". 
Even Lisa's left brain bios would conclude after looking, that all the evidence points to the "pink sedans" Cadillac origins. OK the front end is a bit generic but those vertical taillamps give it away. Cadillac is one of the few vehicles left on the road that has stayed true to "stylistic continuity" that is so crucial to the icon definition. The Cadillac style is distinguishable by even the most "automotive illiterate" among us. The styling cues date back deep into Cadillac’s past. Even the 1940's and early 1950's models began to show the first signs of Cadillac's ubiquitous styling with taillamps segregated on separate bezels separated by a lowered trunk lid. This design element took flight as the lavish fins of the late fifties took off, provided fertile ground for Cadillac to completely shed its cocoon. Whether you love those "be-finned" classics or not, those "butter knife" appendages led the way to today's Cadillac style. As the air began to drain from the "fifties fins" over the early 1960’s, today’s Cadillac’s prominent rear design began to fall into place.
By the late 60's the design had frozen into place like hardened lava. These design elements have survived to this day. To understand a Cadillac you must understand this basic design DNA. 
The above pictures illustrate basic Caddy design. The first shows an early 1980's Deville and the second shows Bush's Presidential DTS. I used the presidential livery because it illustrates so vividly the basic angles and proportions that have become the Cadillac recipe. You could take any post 1965 Cadillac Deville and illustrate that the same basic grid can be drawn over each subsequent model maintaining the same angles and structure. Now that's stylistic continuity.
A hat must be tipped to the current design team who has maintained these proportions while allowing the DTS to gently evolve into a mature, fully modern, design that maintains its DNA coding while casting a modern chiseled demeanor. It is this mix of modernity and heritage that is present in any true iconoclastic vehicle. Cadillac has held true to it's design "language" while other noted competitors have succumb to "slang" whittling away once historic designs to entirely new facades ,that although handsome in their own right, have little continuity embedded in their bloodstream. Two such vehicles that illustrate this change is the Lexus LS, who's design has taken a startling change away from nearly two decades of design evolution to a "visually smaller" design that incorporates more of Toyota's corporate design look than Lexus' in execution. More Camry than LS in execution. The second is the S class Mercedes which has similarly changed design direction from its past evolution, a design trend that lasted over three decades. The current Mercedes S class, in similar fashion to the Lexus, has taken on a "visually smaller" design with many smaller cues that are reminiscent to any number of lesser badged offerings. BMW drastically changed its design DNA but still managed to maintain its "street prominence" that exudes importance. Cadillac and Jaguar truly are among the last to keep true to their design blood lines. This is a true coup for Cadillac which costs significantly less than a Jaguar yet provides a large dominant design that exude a certain air of prestige and excess that is missing among the new school of "minimalist" luxury design. What better car then for the Simpson's to drive. Indeed the Cadillac exhibits the immediate recognition and prominence that seem at such odds with the Simpson's simple values, yet that's just the subtle inconsistency's that have made the Simpson's so intriguing. The sad fact be told, the Simpson's would have been short lived if the writing team had let down their guard or had rested on their laurels admits their success. We are truly a world of "what have you done for me lately mentality". It has been the Simpson's ability to maintain their edgy provocative humor and their story lines fresh and timely that has insured their continued success. Similarly as stylistically true to its roots the Caddy may be no amount of style can save a vehicle that is mechanically challenged. The Mercedes or the Lexus may have swerved away from their design heritage but it is their incredible mechanical dominance that will most likely be the deciding factor when that pen hits the bottom line at buy time. Cadillac has had a history of relying on big power backed up by taffy suspension that has historically kept Cadillac from receiving honor as a preeminent vehicle. No amount of grunt can make up for Rose Bowl Parade handling. Just as a Rose Bowl float wilts with time so did the image of Cadillac as buyers emigrated to foreign shores. Cadillac has taken notice. The new DTS is a testament to this. The DTS will never win an autobahn race nor will it be chosen for James Bond to tear around a mountain road course, but the new DTS is world class package that disembarks from the mega yachts of yore that could barely steer out of their own way. Cadillac has finally begun to create a holistic vehicle that transcends their one ace in the hole of design continuity that has been for so many the reason they enter that Cadillac dealer in the first place. For those buyers that once upon a time long ago made a promise that one day they would drive a Cadillac that car still exists just as it did when they first made that promise. Cadillac has evolved in stages beginning with the now legendary Northstar V8 that first made its appearance in the 1990's. Next the overall build quality improved first with exterior components and then interior. I remember viewing two Caddy Seville’s side by side in the mid nineties. Only one year separated them yet the quality of the moldings, not single molding lined up on the older model, and the uniformity of the gaps between panels was alarmingly different. Today DTS illustrates the third improvement, handling ability. The DTS is for the first time a viable vehicle in regard to handling. It has a reassuring grip that is reminiscent of Japanese or older German offerings. Before you get to exited it still is a decade behind a Mercedes and even more behind BMW in overall driving dynamics, yet neither are as smooth over broken weather beaten roads or offer the mega mansion interior room as the DTS. Also it is important to keep in mind that the majority of buyers are never going to drive at the limits, so why should the qualities that matter on a day to day basis such as comfort be sacrificed for the minority that do? 
In daily driving the Caddy excels in a way that it has never before. The new DTS's class leading rigidity helps to keep the DTS planted firmly without the usual squeaks and rattles. Indeed the DTS is as solid as a vault. For the first time the DTS presents the driver with a sense of security, in a diversity of driving situations, that puts to ease the drivers mind. The future of the DTS will only close the gap between it and its competitors in exponential form. The DTS will soon change again returning to its heritage even more closely by offering rear drive. This change alone should help to correct this models front biased weight distribution which should alleviate its nose heavy steering that leads to plowing in tough fast curves. Cadillac has survived on design inertia for so long. The current DTS clearly shows that it's design continuity has been maintained and adhered to, if even more closely than it's past offering, The DTS has however now begun to show new quality in the area of driving stability and enjoyment that hopefully will become a new tradition with each new DTS model joining it's legendary design DNA to forge a holistic continuity of design and engineering that will assuredly maintain it's place in History as an Icon. The Cadillac could take a lesson or two from the Simpson's. Stay true to yourself, as Cadillac has done with its design philosophy, but stay ever aware of the need to continuity raising the bar to new levels of excellence. Cadillac for the first time shows that they are rising the bar and are ready to continue their journey not living off of the inertia of yesteryear's dreams but today’s realities. And in a word that would be..................
