Recession? Americans still love gas guzzlers

The biggest and costliest Cadillac SUV isn't exactly the kind of vehicle that you'd think would be in short supply. But General Motors officials say, to their surprise, that they need more Escalade Platinums.

GM sold 1,237 Escalades overall, including the super-premium edition, in January, Autodata reports. That makes the 'Slade the third most popular luxury SUV, a shrinking category as crossovers become more popular. The Platinums are even more exclusive:

The fancy version of the hulking SUV starts at $81,625 and are packed with every amenity that GM can get on board. Everything about the vehicle should be wrong for the time — the weak economy, focus on global warming and general disregard for bling. Like, when is the last time you heard anyone even talk about bling?

Yet GM's U.S. marketing chief Susan Docherty said there are places around the country where the supply of SUVs is down to a 30-day supply, far from the level that GM needs to be sure customers are getting the vehicle they want. We talked earlier today about how small crossovers are in demand, but big SUVs.

GM North American boss Mark Reuss told reporters here at the National Automobile Dealers Association meeting in Orlando that he's not sure who is buying Cadillac Escalades. Certainly not likely rap stars anymore. USA Today