CARMEL, CALIF. -- Jim Taylor plans aggressively to push Cadillac sales in Europe and China when he officially takes the reins of General Motors luxury brand on Sept. 1.

"I'll be spending 25 to 50 per cent of my time on international growth," said the 47-year-old former vehicle line executive of Cadillac prestige cars. As chief engineer, the Canadian-born Taylor was responsible for the sigma platform shared by the Cadillac CTS executive sports sedan, SRX sport-utility and upcoming 2005 STS luxury sedan.

Taylor's promotion was part of a package of moves announced by GM during the Classic Car Weekend on the Monterey Peninsula. Automakers have for several years used the setting to make announcements, display concept cars and showcase future products.

Taylor succeeds Mark LaNeve, who moves up to become vice-president of North American marketing and advertising. Taylor will report to LaNeve, as will the seven other divisional marketing general managers at GM -- three of whom are Canadians.

GM announced another Canadian, Susan Docherty, will take over at GM's Hummer division. GM's Chevrolet division, its largest in terms of sales, is run by yet another Canadian, Brent Dewar.

"With three of seven divisions run by Canadians, our market share for Canada better improve," LaNeve said.

Taylor said he expects to maintain the current direction of Cadillac in North America, where sales through July were up 15 per cent and the brand is tracking towards 2004 sales of about 230,000 units, which could allow Cadillac to pass Mercedes-Benz as the No. 3-selling luxury brand.

With the all-new 2005 STS due to arrive in showrooms just weeks from now, Cadillac will re-enter a segment where it has not competed since production of the old STS stopped some eight months ago.

Even bigger growth opportunities for Cadillac lie in China, where 10 new dealers will open their doors by the end of the year, and in Europe, where Cadillac has inked a distribution agreement with Kroymans Corporation, Taylor said.

"Up until now we've had no distribution in Europe, no products," he said. "But with our agreement with Kroymans, that thing is going to rock."

Taylor, who grew up in Peterborough, Ont., and graduated from Hamilton's McMaster University, also said Cadillac is looking at where the current product portfolio might expand.

Cadillac has shown a super-luxury concept car called the Sixteen, but it seems unlikely the division will spend precious millions on building a 1,000-horsepower flagship priced at several hundred thousand dollars.

Cadillac is rumoured still to be considering a production version of the Cien super sports car concept shown in 2002, but no official decision has yet been taken.

"We will continue to be bold, doing what people don't expect us to do," Taylor said.

Other industry news from Pebble Beach:

The Ford Shelby GR-1 concept could join the GT and Mustang as the third Ford muscle car in less than two years. The GR-1 fastback coupe is the result of a collaboration between Carroll Shelby and Ford.

Designed by George Saridakis, the GR-1 is stunning. The engine is a 605-horsepower V-10, though Ford officials hint that 700 hp is possible. They caution though that there are no official plans to build the Shelby GR-1.