Cadillac Sollei Concept harks back to glamorous ‘50s land yacht cabriolets

In the quest to compete at the very top of the luxury car market, lots of high-end manufacturers have started to pay more and more attention to the extraordinary world of bespoke commissions and one-off models. Cadillac is one of those brands, and it’s now come up with the not-quite-a-concept Sollei Concept, which it says represents the very pinnacle of its new bespoke program. 

The Cadillac Sollei has been designed with a clear reference to Cadillac’s ostentatious and glamorous four-seat convertibles of the 1950s and ‘60s. It references these classic land yachts through its imposing scale and proportions, and by putting ultimate luxury at the very centre of its focus. 

In order to create the concept car, Cadillac has borrowed many elements from the $400,000 Celestiq, the brand’s all-electric flagship that’s already gathered a lengthy waiting list. As a result, the two will probably share the same Ultium platform, powered by two electric motors and a 111kWh battery between them. 

From there, though, the Sollei has been given a brand new body, with two massive doors and an opulent open cabin. The nose is very similar to the Cellestiq’s, but from the A-pillar back, the more traditional open-top silhouette takes over from the fastback roofline, giving the Sollei a much more classical appearance. 

The rear end is completely new for Cadillac, and features a thin light bar stretching across the boot lid, sitting above the illuminated risers that frame the rear bumper below. Curious production-relevant design elements, such as the illuminated side repeaters and reflectors on the lower bumper also suggest this could yet be built and sold in extremely limited numbers – if there’s demand. 

The cabin takes almost all of its references from the Celestiq, including its pillar-to-pillar 55-inch display screen and wide central tunnel. The overall design, despite being minimalist in terms of physical controls, has a very opulent art-deco theme, and comes with intricate wooden veneer work across the doors, seats and centre console, as well as solid milled aluminium and even a mushroom-based bio-fabric. 

While Cadillac has not said the Sollei will go into production, its ambitions to become a brand that once again operates at the very top level of luxury motoring, like a Rolls-Royce or Bentley, suggest that this is not out of the question. Just don’t expect to see one in the supermarket car park. 

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