Wednesday, February 9, 2005

Car Culture

Detroit dominates the limo and rental market but there's a cost -- cool

By Mike Hudson

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LOS ANGELES -- Cars have roles. Some are regal. Some are sexy. Some are professional.

When they operate within those roles, things make sense: An F-150 on a dirt road. A Chrysler 300C in front of Snoop Dogg's house. Break out of that role, they look silly: A Ferrari parked at a construction site. A Pontiac Aztek parked anywhere.

In Los Angeles, Big Three models have fallen out of most roles.

They aren't sexy.

They aren't regal.

But they are professional -- which isn't all good.

After living 20 years in Michigan, black Lincoln and Cadillac sedans had been thoroughly pounded into my brain as the only cars that make sense as limousines.

What feels better than hailing a Metro Car instead of a cab at Metro Airport?

"Take me to Taylor, driver, post haste."

Much to my surprise, though, Cadillacs and, even more so, Lincoln Town Cars, still hold firm control of Southern California's huge limo market.

All over L.A., stars and wannabe-stars are toted about town in Town Cars with tinted windows and vanity plates claiming titles such as "Diva 32" or "Music 1."

Along with the Lincolns, there are Caddys and stretch Hummers among the thousands of limos populating the highways. A Mercedes stretch limo rolled past once, and several native Angelinos said it didn't look right to them.

But as soon as that special evening is over, all these folks being chauffeured in a GM or a Ford return to the mindset that they would never drive anything but an import. That's why you just don't see many Lincoln or Caddy sedans that aren't limos. And if you do, you wonder if it's a used limo.

Then there's the Chevy Caprice Classic and Ford Crown Victoria. How many times have you slowed down when one of these appears in the rear view?

As GM and Ford, the two remaining fully American automakers, struggle to hold on to current customers and snare new ones, they are clinging to the limo and police car market, not to mention rental cars, and dominating fleet sales around the nation.

Last year, both companies reported higher fleet demand, somewhat masking falling retail sales at the hands of foreign rivals.

It's nice to see that Detroit can still rule a market. But that supremacy comes at a cost: Consumers increasingly think of American cars as limos and rentals, and the people who drive them as just part of the scenery.

That's not a role many in Hollywood -- or anywhere else -- want to play.

Mike Hudson is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and an editor for automotive Web site Edmunds.com. He can be reached at mail@mikehudson.org.