Crazy for Caddies

Cadillacs and their owners are wonderful stereotypes of bedrock America.

The cars carry presidents to inaugurations, Miss Americas to public appearances and movie stars to Oscar nights. Elvis Presley loved ‘em tender, and Eartha Kitt begged Santa Baby to bring her one. Al Capone had his bullet-proofed.

Today’s owners are usually members of AARP who voted for Barry Goldwater and say that good music died with Glenn Miller.

No surprise that Charlton Heston (part-time Moses and full-time vice president of the National Rifle Assn.) and Bob Dole (presidential-candidate-turned-actor for credit card commercials) own Cadillacs.

Surprise is, the hip are rediscovering Cadillacs. And not the compact Catera that zigs, because that’s a rebadged Opel representing the European cars they are trying to escape.

No, a recent Cadillac division census indicates movers, shakers and entertainers want the lengthy, the big, the bold and the brassy.

Bruce Willis and Wayne Gretzky drive Caddies. So do Mike D of the Beastie Boys and Shawn Kemp of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Shock jock Don Imus and rambunctious Rosie O’Donnell have Cadillacs. So do Tommy Lee Jones, Olympian Dan Jansen, Dallas Cowboy Deion Sanders and Washington Bullet Gheorghe Muresan.

Cadillac spokesman Chuck Harrington guesses our retro affair has to do with a similar revival of desire for martinis, cigars, red meat and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

“People are maybe tired of being told what they can drink, what they must eat and maybe what they should be driving,” he theorizes. “This also seems to represent a return to Americana.”

And like Texas steaks, says Harrington, there are few things more American than a big ol’ Caddie.