The actual last DTS built becomes part of Nicola Bulgari’s eclectic collection of American cars.
Nicola Bulgari, right, an avid car collector and vice chairman of the Bulgari luxury goods firm, prefers not to dwell on the sheer number of automobiles in his car collection.
“Is it important?” Bulgari asked. Is it the number or the quality that matters? It’s the quality!
Bulgari buys each car for a reason, not just to expand his collection. So when he heard Cadillac was ending production of the DTS, Bulgari knew he wanted the last one, top.
“The DTS is a significant automobile, primarily because of the Northstar V-8 engine under its hood,” Bulgari said. Introduced for the 2006 model year, the last DTS, made this week at General Motor’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant, is now headed for Bulgari’s collection.
“I like the DTS because it’s a great sedan,” said Nicola Bulgari. It’s the last of an era. I thought it would be wonderful to own the last Northstar in the last DTS. It’s one of the best engines ever designed -- reliable and a performer.
For decades, the DTS and its predecessor, the DeVille, have anchored Cadillac’s spot in the large luxury car market. Last year, the DTS outsold all other large luxury cars in the United States, topping the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Lexus LS430 and Lincoln Town Car. A version of the DTS also served as the U.S. president’s limousine until 2009. A new Cadillac presidential vehicle has replaced the DTS.
The last DTS will join Bulgari’s prestigious collection of vintage American cars, housed at facilities in Rome, IT and Allentown, PA, below. The grandson of a silversmith who opened a jewelry shop in Rome in 1884, Nicola Bulgari has helped the company grow into a global network of 293 stores selling high-end jewelry, watches, leather goods, perfumes and fashion accessories.
Bulgari developed his passion for automobiles, primarily American automobiles, as a child growing up in post-World War II Italy. He remembers seeing U.S. soldiers and dignitaries driving all makes and models of American automobiles through the streets of Rome. His collection includes every GM model made in 1941, the year he was born.
“It’s something that goes back a long time,” Bulgari said. It started when I was five or six years old. It cultivated an incredible passion that has grown and gotten more sophisticated as I’ve come to better understand the history.
When he was 25, Bulgari bought his first Cadillac – a 1938 Cadillac V-16 Town Car. With its smooth, powerful engine, the Cadillac V-16 is considered by most experts as one of the finest automobiles of all time. Bulgari has sold his V-16 but said he would add another to his collection if he found the right one.
“It was quite an experience to drive that car because the quality was second to none. The suspension design, the power, the engine… Everything was built with extraordinary quality,” said Bulgari.
The Bulgari collection includes a number of Cadillacs and LaSalles, above, a Cadillac companion brand from 1927 to 1940. His collection of classic Cadillacs includes:
1932 Cadillac 355B V-12 Fleetwood Limousine
1934 Cadillac Model 355B Series 20 Sedan
1934 LaSalle Coupe
1940 LaSalle Convertible Coupe
1940 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Sedan
1941 Cadillac Series 61 Sedanette
1947 Cadillac Model 7533 Limousine
1949 Cadillac Model 7533 Limousine
1949 Cadillac Convertible Coupe
1954 Cadillac Series 54-62 Fleetwood Sedan
1970 Cadillac Coupe DeVille
The 1947 and 1949 limousines were used by the Vatican for the Pope’s motorcades. In addition to the classics, Bulgari is a fan of contemporary Cadillacs. He owns a 2007 Cadillac BLS Sedan and 2009 Cadillac BLS Wagon, both part of a short-lived nameplate for the European market.
Nicola Bulgari also owns a 2009 XLR-V Coupe equipped with a special BVLGARI branded speedometer, above, a 2010 CTS Wagon and 2009 CTS-V Sedan.
“Of the three, the Sedan, Coupe and Wagon, the Wagon stands out in front of all the competition,” said Bulgari. It’s beautiful and makes the competition look ludicrous!
“The CTS-V Sedan is among the best cars in the world for providing both function and performance. I want to see some Ferrari or Lamborghini on the road when I’m driving my “V” and I will give him a lesson. They’ll never expect it!
Although timing has not been determined, Cadillac plans to add a car larger than the CTS to its portfolio. Cadillac showed an XTS Platinum Concept car at the 2010 North American International Auto Show, providing an indication of the brand’s direction.
“I’ve seen the XTS Concept,” Bulgari said. I know it will be a superior vehicle. The DTS was a great sedan for its time, but it’s a different world, a new period. It’s time for something different.
Nicola Bulgari is looking forward to driving his DTS. Not a big fan of Trailer Queens, he likes to drive his cars, not just put them away as museum pieces.
For more information about 2011 Cadillac vehicles, please visit,http://www.cadillac.com/vehicles
To learn more about the BULGARI brand, please visit, http://us.bulgari.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgari