While a true Cadillac convertible hasn’t been part of the luxury marque’s lineup for nigh on four decades, it would seem that the idea hasn’t been written off completely. Enter the Cadillac Sollei concept, a full-size luxury convertible with an electric heart, which was just unveiled at the Cadillac House at Vanderbilt.
Cadillac Society’s own Alex Luft saw the concept in person, so hit the play button on the video below for his impressions (and all the details).
The Sollei moniker is derived from “Sol,” meaning sun, and “lei,” the first three letters of the word “leisure.” The concept vehicle was built to embody Caddy’s inspiration for an “open-air, leisurely lifestyle,” emphasized by its bright, sunny exterior hue and sunburst-inspired interior. The Sollei is painted in Manila Cream, a color that was initially introduced on Cadillac vehicles in 1957 and 1958, but has been retired ever since.
On the outside, the Cadillac Sollei features a long, low-slung profile reminiscent of the Caddy “land boats” from decades past. Its stretched A-line accentuates its length, while a mid-body styling line connects the taillights to the headlights for a unique style line.
Inside, the Cadillac Sollei sports the luxury marque’s signature 55-inch coast-to-coast display screen, which started on the Celestiq – the “donor car” for the Sollei. The rest of the concept’s interior boasts Caddy’s “art of travel” design philosophy, which focuses on making travel a pleasure for both the driver and passengers.
This includes a built-in beverage chiller with a power glass door and crystal glasses. Illuminated décor is interspersed throughout to create an airy atmosphere paired with unstained wood veneers. Interestingly, the luxury convertible caters to birdwatchers, who will appreciate a brushed metal and leather-wrapped case full of 3D printed birdcalls and a leather bound journal with hand-painted bird illustrations, allowing those interested to catalog their avian adventures.
A tint called Aurora can be found on the primary metal finishes with a chameleon effect that mirrors the sun’s solar winds interacting with Earth’s atmosphere. The convertible top itself is finished in a color called Daybreak. Sunburst motifs can be found throughout the upholstery, inviting the sun inside the cockpit even when the top is up. The floormat material, meanwhile, is called Bask. Meanwhile, the charging mats on the console, door map pockets, and custom accessories are composed of a bio-based material from MycoWorks called Fine Mycelium, which is a bio material grown from mycelium – the renewable root structure of mushrooms.
“Sollei reimagines the discovery of travel, envisioning a personalized driving experience that connects one with the natural world around them,” says Cadillac design director, Erin Crossley. “The concept celebrates Cadillac’s pedigree of elegant convertibles in a modern form by cultivating high luxury through design expressions and experiences.”
While Cadillac is calling this a concept and has not (yet?) announced plans to put the Cadillac Sollei concept into production, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that it bears a striking resemblance to the Cadillac Celestiq, answering the question of what the ultra-luxury sedan would look like as a convertible. Ironically, Cadillac Society rendered a Celestiq convertible last year in a yellow exterior hue quite similar to the one used on the Sollei.
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