The CT6 was comparable to the CTS, which went out of production last year. So if the CTS had a better incentive program, dealers would sell that car more easily, said Howard Drake, owner of Casa de Cadillac in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Drake's store sold about two CT6s per month out of about 40 total new vehicles sold.
News that GM was at least contemplating an end to CT6 production since late 2018 injected a sense of uncertainty into some customers' purchase, he said.
"There's a million things that go into a calculus like that, but it really hurt the momentum of the car," Drake said.
But for others, it was incentive to buy one of the last U.S. models.
Butler of Suburban Collection said, "There is [demand] because the vehicle is going away and it's really a vehicle that certain customers like." His stores had more than a dozen CT6s last week and were still awaiting deliveries of some 2020 models. Last year, Suburban's larger Cadillac stores sold about 10 CT6s per month. About a third of them had Super Cruise.
As CT6 inventory disappears, Butler will direct its buyers to the CT5. Although smaller than the CT6, it's dealers' "best hope" to keep those customers with the brand, he said.
Even dealers who sold few CT6s will miss the car because it often sells at a higher margin than other nameplates.
"Would my franchise be better off if I had a Blackwing, Super Cruise CT6?" Drake said. "Yeah, I think my franchise would be better for that."