The Cadillac Celestiq thrusted Cadillac into the world of hyper-luxury vehicles when it made its appearance two years ago. The Celstiq gave the brand an opportunity to enter a bespoke realm of luxury where the imagination of customers plays a massive role in how each Celestiq is handcrafted and built on the grounds of the GM Tech Center. That included building the Cadillac House at Vanderbilt on the grounds of the GM Tech Center. The House at Vanderbilt is the home of the Celestiq, and Cadillac used the opulent facility to preview the next chapter, the Sollei concept.
Sollei embraces the sun and the spirit of bird-watching
At first glance, it’s easy to assume that the Sollei (a combination of the words solar and leisure) is nothing more than a Cadillac Celestiq with its roof cut off. But look past that ill-advised assumption and you’ll discover that the Sollei is a unique creation and it could possibly hint at the next step of the Celestiq’s time in production.
The Sollei’s Celestiq roots are apparent when you look at the front end which shares plenty of family resemblance with the Celestiq four-door and continues to place a strong emphasis on lighting and simplistic design. The cabin is also mostly shared with its platform mate but it’s here where the Sollei’s distinct DNA begins to shine through. The large 5.68 foot long doors invite occupants into the cream-colored cabin with designers using handcrafted and veneered wood for all the paneling in this concept. The panels also use several different shades of color and Cadillac said it’s supposed to resemble rays of sunshine emanating from the sun. The Celestiq’s 55-inch screen is carried over and it runs from one end of the dashboard to the other with a smaller screen in the center console allowing owners to control essential functions.
The Nappa leather interior has a special pink pigment that creates a color-changing effect when exposed to sunlight. The closest we got to seeing it in action was trying to get our camera filter to catch it properly with the pink hue occasionally making the cabin look white. A sunburst perforation pattern is used on the seats while the Sollei is the first Cadillac to use a new bio-based material called Fine Mycelium which is used in the door pockets and the charging mats. Bird watching was also a tool of inspiration with the rear featuring a holder for a custom bird call instrument and a leatherbound journal that includes water-colored illustrations of birds and a leather tool roll for pens and pencils which allows passengers to quickly document birds that they might see while out and about in the Sollei.
Dropping the top on heritage
The most noticeable change though is at the rear with the Sollei getting a new trunk and taillights with the lenses benefitting from a mid-mounted bodyline that connects it to the front of the car. The Sollei is a droptop, but while Cadillac chose to keep the soft top down when it was being shown to the press, sketches show a top that is similar to what we have seen on other bespoke convertibles including several recent ones from Rolls Royce and Bentley.
The exterior is slathered with a Cadillac heritage color called Manilla Cream. This color was used on Cadillac models from 1957 to 1958 and while it’s also the same hue as the office envelope of the same name, Cadillac designers made it pop with the addition of Aurora metallic flakes which mimic the interior in creating a color-changing effect when exposed to sunlight. Large 23-inch aluminum wheels are positioned at all four corners and the Sollei pitches traditional door handles for small electronically operated buttons that are integrated into the metallic halo accent that wraps around the cabin.
Will it enter production?
Cadillac repeatedly stated that the Sollei is a pure concept vehicle with the brand refusing to confirm whether it has any plans of bringing the Sollei to production. We suspect that the Sollei will eventually come into production in some form with the brand potentially having two avenues to do this. The first is to bring some of the Sollei’s novel materials to the choice roster for Celestiq buyers especially those who might like the wood elements in the concept.
The more expensive alternative is to bring the convertible itself into production. A core pillar of the Celestiq program is that it promotes customer involvement across the entire vehicle assembly process with some of the color and trim walls at Vanderbilt serving as a visual example of this. If enough demand is there from some Celestiq clients and even new buyers, this might force Cadillac to pivot and produce it. If that plays out, look for the brand to perhaps bring a production version out towards the end of the current run.
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.