Saw this in Auto' News:
Automotive News / November 22, 2004
DETROIT -- No more VIP parties hosted by Cadillac and Bulgari for lifestyle journalists and business executives?
Apparently not. Cadillac is winding down its joint design efforts with prestigious Italian jeweler Bulgari.
"Our relationship with Bulgari is not moving forward," says Cadillac Marketing Director Jay Spenchian.
Bulgari designed the XLR's instrumentation. Escalade models display a Bulgari-designed clock on the instrument panel.
But future Cadillac models will not have Bulgari badges and lettering, Spenchian says. The Escalade and XLR will retain Bulgari emblems until redesigned.
Cadillac officials would not give a reason for the change. Attempts to obtain a comment from Bulgari were unsuccessful.
The relationship between the two companies began in 1999, when then-GM head of design Wayne Cherry and Bulgari co-owner Nicola Bulgari sat down to discuss Cadillac's new styling identity. The effort also aimed to help Bulgari, a contemporary luxury brand, become better known in the United States.
The talks resulted in a flurry of joint activities, including Bulgari elements in concept and production vehicles.
Bulgari was involved in the design of Cadillac's Imaj concept car's interior and the reconfigurable display panel in the Vizon concept car. The Cien concept and 1,000-hp Sixteen concept cars have Bulgari clocks on the instrument panel.
The two companies were hoping for society buzz. A number of exclusive parties and events were held to promote the brands, such as the Bulgari Summer Extravaganza in Saratoga, N.Y.
