The Cadillac Celestiq Sollei concept, which debuted earlier this week and will make a public appearance at next month’s Monterey Car Week, is just one of many incredibly attractive concept cars from the American luxury brand. Based on the $340,000 Celestiq sedan, the Sollei’s four-seat convertible layout is one that’s been missing from the Caddy lineup for nearly 40 years, and the company might end that streak by building a production version.
But while hope springs eternal, it’s hard to ignore that Cadillac has left some pretty stunning concepts on the shelf instead of bringing them to showrooms. The reasons are myriad – high development costs, low consumer interest, changing priorities, et al – but it’s still hard to forgive the unfulfilled promise of a Jaguar-rivaling two-seat roadster or a mid-engined supercar seemingly plucked from the future. And then again, there’s at least one Cadillac concept I’m glad didn’t make it to customer hands, not because it was a bad idea necessarily but because it would’ve almost certainly been a financial and philosophical failure. Read to the end for that one.
1953 Cadillac LeMans
General Motors was one of the first automakers to lean into the whole concept idea, displaying one-off show cars like the Buick Y-Job as early as 1938. Fifteen years later, Cadillac got in on the fun, partaking in post-war optimism with the 1953 LeMans, which as its name suggests is a sporty two-seater inspired by the famed race in France. At 51 inches high and 196 inches long, it sat 7.1 inches lower and more than 2 feet shorter than the contemporary Eldorado convertible.
The fiberglass bodywork, wraparound windshield, and two-seat bodystyle call to mind another GM debut that year, the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette. But while the first iteration of the sports car got a middling inline-six engine, the Caddy concept had a mighty 5.4-liter V8 borrowed from the production line, which made 210 horsepower. If produced, it would have given Cadillac a slightly smaller – though still rather large – offering that would’ve gone on to rival the BMW 507, Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster, and Jaguar XK-Series.
Four versions of the LeMans were produced, but one mysteriously disappeared in November 1953 and the other was destroyed in a fire in 1985. One of the survivors was restyled by GM designers in 1957 with Cadillac’s contemporary quad headlights and crisp tailfins, while the other retains its original, 1953-era design.
1988 Cadillac Voyage
Although products like the downsized Seville and newly front-drive Deville had modernized Cadillac’s image somewhat, most buyers in the 1980s thought that GM’s luxury brand was for retirees and OPEC shareholders, while yuppies and industry titans bought BMWs and Jaguars. The 1988 Cadillac Voyage concept might have changed that, thanks to its high-tech interior and imposing size. Measuring nearly 18 feet long, the Voyage was larger than a Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL and only a few inches shorter than the company’s massive Fleetwood Brougham, but features like GPS navigation and massaging seats ensured it was far more modern than either.
Also on the roster was a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system, which would’ve beaten the European competition to the punch by about a decade. The slippery, aerodynamic design nonetheless incorporated some Cadillac styling signatures, such as an egg-crate grille, disc-like wheel designs, and crisp bumperettes. A coupe concept called the Solitaire soon followed, and it even featured a prototype 450-hp V12. Alas, neither made it to production, but if they had, Cadillac might’ve never fallen out of vogue with the young, hip buyers it’s been trying to capture for the past two decades.
2002 Cadillac Cien
The wreath and crest has had its hand on many different kinds of automobile – luxury sedans, obviously, but also SUVs, coupes, two-seat roadsters, and even a pickup truck. But Cadillac has never built a mid-engined sports car, though some reports say it came close with the 2002 Cien concept. Built to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary (cien means “hundred” in Spanish), the edgy supercar made liberal use of Cadillac’s “Art & Science” design language that first debuted on the 2001 Escalade and spread to the CTS, STS, and XLR within a few years.
But underneath the sharp, bladelike form was a direct-injected 7.5-liter V12 making 750 horsepower. The Cien’s engine all-aluminum, dual overhead-cam engine was a concept in and of itself. According to Motor Trend, it was no longer than GM’s existing 8.1-liter V8, nor was it wider or taller than the 4.6-liter Northstar engines already found in the Seville and Deville, as well as destined for the XLR. It wouldn’t have been Cadillac’s first V12 – that honor belongs to a 1930 limousine – but it would have brought Lamborghini levels of performance to the brand. What a world that would have been.
2003 Cadillac Sixteen
Hot on the heels of its slinky supercar sibling, the Cadillac Sixteen came along a year after the Cien to remind the world that the company was still a luxury automaker first and foremost. As its name suggests, the Sixteen came with a 13.6-liter V16 engine under a massive split hood that opened in the center (just like it would’ve in the 1930s). The Sixteen reportedly made more than 1,000 hp, and if it’d been produced, it would have given Cadillac a genuine Rolls-Royce competimotor ttor for the first time since before World War II.
The Sixteen ultimately didn’t find a place in the automaker’s plans, but Cadillac is about to launch into the ultra-luxury market with the Celestiq sedan, a gorgeous EV with a base price of about $340,000.
2011 Cadillac Ciel
Debuting at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the Cadillac Ciel concept was another outrageously luxurious throwback. Taking inspiration from the 1930s, the Ciel’s cabin is simply designed, with a lovely Italian olive wood dashboard and simple analog gauges. The four-door convertible’s color was inspired by a glass of California red wine held up to the sunlight, and it had seatbelts that could double as cashmere throw blankets.
Those lyrical concessions to the past aside, the Ciel was actually pretty modern. A twin-turbocharged V6 and hybrid system resided under its midcentury skin, reportedly with around 425 hp and low-speed EV capability. The Ciel was never seriously considered for production, and to be honest, it probably would’ve been a commercial failure. Still, the four-door luxury convertible would have cast a massive halo over the entire brand. Hopefully Cadillac will learn from its regrets and put the Celestiq convertible into production.
2013 Cadillac Elmiraj
In their 1960s heyday, pillarless hardtops could be found on everything from the lowly Chevrolet Corvair to the mighty Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado. But by 2013, the only automaker still committed to the airy body style was Mercedes, with its E-Class and CL-Class coupes.
The Elmiraj concept would’ve brought a big helping of American style to fight those staid Benzes. Under its proud hood was a twin-turbocharged 4.5-liter V8 making upwards of 500 hp – presaging Cadillac’s short-lived but glorious Blackwing V8 found in the CT6-V – and the Elmiraj was as bold and brash as the Ciel was glamorous and chic. Elements of the interior and exterior design ended up in that aforementioned CT6, but it was only available as a four-door. The two-door hardtop remained a concept-only dream.
2010 Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept
Look, there’s nothing inherently wrong with a luxury manufacturer gunning for small, efficient transportation. The Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept was certainly that, with a turbocharged three-cylinder engine, dual-clutch transmission, and electric motors giving it a theoretical 65 miles per gallon. It’s even a pretty neat-looking thing, with Cadillac-typical sharp edges and bold scissor doors giving both front and rear passengers access to the cabin.
But no one dreams of driving the smallest, most efficient vehicle made by a luxury automaker. A production version of the Urban Luxury Concept would have been an automotive dinghy – more convenient to run around town in than a land yacht, but certainly not something you dream about owning someday. Face it, when it’s time to pick friends up before hitting the town, you want them to be impressed by comfort and style, not green credentials.
Luckily, the Cadillac Celestiq promises all of the above, so luxury shoppers won’t have to choose. And the rest of us can dream.
