Opel files trademarks for Cascada, Calibra... in the US
Mon, 06 Jan 2014
General Motors has toyed with a variety of ways to sell Opel products outside of continental Europe, sending them to the UK as Vauxhall products, to Australia with Holden badges, and even back to North America as Saturn models. But these days, Opel has been cozying up to Buick. That's how models like the Insignia (rebadged as Regal) and Mokka (sold here as Encore) make their way to American showrooms, but it doesn't look like GM is about to stop there.
Recent filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office unearthed by Motor Trend reveal that GM has applied to register the nameplates Cascada and Calibra here in America. Intriguingly, it has filed the trademarks through the Opel division itself, and not through Buick or one of its other North American brands, but it's more likely that the General is trying to cover its tracks rather than contemplating relaunching the Opel brand in the US.
The Cascada name is currently in service on a four-seat cabriolet which Opel sells in Europe and Vauxhall does in Britain, and which Buick has long been rumored to possibly sell in North America. But the Calibra name hasn't been used in over a decade. It previously referred to a coupe based on the Opel Vectra, and was also sold by Holden in Australia and Chevrolet in South America. Just what (if anything) GM plans to do in America with a nameplate that isn't even in use overseas remains to be seen, but the prospect of a Buick coupe (whether based on the Cascada or otherwise) doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility. Of course, GM could simply be protecting its intellectual property with no intention of actually selling any two-door Buicks in North America, but we'll just have to wait and see which way the wind blows.
By Noah Joseph
See also: Opel execs wonder how recent GM moves will alter their business, Opel brings in Valentino Rossi, Bryan Adams to jazz up the Adam, GM winding down Chevrolet brand in Europe.