Have you woken up one day, and wondered what a Cadillac would smell like? Or whether the CT4 moniker could also make a good name for a brand of upscale cologne? If that fits you, then stay tuned, because General Motors is very close to securing several new patents that could expand the Cadillac name into relatively uncharted territory.
While the idea of luxury car makers expanding there operations to non-car related sectors of the luxury market is nothing new (we are looking at you Rolls Royce) seeing Cadillac try and do the same thing is certainly an unusual step for the brand. First discovered by the folks at Cadillac Society, the patents cover a wide array of unusual products including perfume, cologne, candles, room fragrances, as well as non-medicinal soaps. GM appears to be very close to having it approved, with the patent being originally filed on January 2nd. This was followed up by the United States Patent and Trademark Office publishing the filing on May 5th. Currently the process is in the final stages, with the USPTO only needing to give GM the formal approval before it is allowed to begin the process of selling Cadillac badged fragrance products.
A search that we did ourselves prior to writing this article does not show that GM is applying for similar patents for its other brands, so Buick buyers looking for a similar line of goods will be out of luck here. In a way that is a shame, since Buick is also undergoing a drastic shift in the way it does business, and being allowed to expand outward into unconventional products could help it build prestige and prominence.
These patents come at a time when Cadillac itself is undergoing a product revolution. While the CT4 and CT5 are holding the fort for Cadillac’s car based operations, the brand is also heavily investing in boosting its utility vehicle lineup, as well as entering the EV vehicle market with the Lyriq CUV as well as the Celstiq sedan. It will be a very interesting time for Cadillac over the next few years, but look for Cadillac to perhaps kick off sales of these unusual products either as tie-ins for select models, or as stand alone offerings to appease wealthy clientele looking for next big thing in luxury goods.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.