Prior to the global financial crisis late last decade, General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] was ready to launch Cadillac in Australia. However, the crisis, and GM’s ensuing bankruptcy, put those plans on hold.

Now it looks like GM could be ready again to launch Cadillac in Australia, a market where upmarket, rear-wheel-drive sedans like those offered by Cadillac sell in reasonable numbers.

Carsguide has photos of Cadillac CT6 sedans sitting at an airport in the Australian city of Melbourne. The official line of GM’s Australian subsidiary Holden is that the cars are there for a “global work share program” where Aussie engineers test GM products from other markets.

2013 Holden Caprice

2013 Holden Caprice

But with Holden set to lose luxury-oriented versions of its Commodore as well as the more upmarket, long-wheelbase Caprice when its plant closes at the end of 2017, there will be a large gap in its portfolio that could be filled by Cadillac’s offerings. The CT6 is roughly the same length as the Holden Caprice so would make an ideal replacements.

But don’t expect any Cadillacs to be rebadged as Holdens. Given GM’s ambitions to turn Cadillac into a global luxury brand, it’s more likely we finally see Cadillac introduced in Australia. Other markets outside of North America that Cadillac operates in include China, the Middle East and some European countries.

It could be a few years until Cadillac is officially launched in Australia, though. GM will need to develop right-hand-drive Cadillacs and get all the factory tooling in place first. Then there’s the issue of signing up dealers. Fortunately for GM, brand awareness shouldn’t be much of an issue as Cadillac is well known in most parts of the globe.