The even-even Cd isotopes have long been cited as one of the prime exam- ples of vibrational behaviour, identified soon after the Bohr model was developed in the early 1950's. By the late 1970's, the presence of intruder states and shape coexistence were identified, but the underlying vibrational nature remained intact. More recently, the robustness of the multiphonon states was questioned, prompting detailed spectroscopic investigations at a number of facilities, including the use of the (n, n 0 ) reaction and �- decay studies with modern -ray spectrometers. Combining results from these studies, a re-examination of the structure of the mid-shell Cd isotopes suggests that they may represent deformed -soft rotors rather than spherical vibrators.