Merry Christmas: $975,000 gets you a 1-of-1 Cadillac Celestiq from Neiman Marcus

Us automotive journalist types just love a titillating story about a vehicle most of us could not afford, and this Cadillac Celestiq checks all the boxes. That’s because the $340,000 Celestiq is lofty, but not terribly ridiculous in a world where $100,000 pickup trucks are commonplace. In that lofty price territory, however, even a flagship needs to set its own high watermark, however ambitious that may look.

The tale of peak Celestiq starts all the way back in 1952, when famous journalist Edward R. Murrow asked the leaders luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus if they had anything exciting on tap for would be customers that Christmas shopping season. The question was akin to striking while the iron was hot, and the famous retailer created the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book for well heeled shoppers in need of yuletide joy. And then something wondrous happened in 1959.

No, we’re not referring to the wondrous finned Cadillac of yore. Neiman Marcus created the Fantasy Gift section of their famous Christmas Book in 1959. For 2023, this section includes experiences with Disney Animation ($510,000), Team USA at the 2024 Olympics ($210,000), and a “Yachting Treasure Hunt” in Indonesia ($485,000). But they all pale in comparison to the Cadillac “Carmen” Celestiq that retails for a mind-numbing $975,000.

That’s a lot of coin for a Caddy, but this is a completely bespoke creation that includes all of the Celestiq’s customization features, but done by Neiman Marcus’ Carmen department. Or maybe that refers to Carmen Marc Valvo, whose name is associated with a large number of items in the famous retailer’s portfolio. Perhaps a Neiman-savvy commentator can clarify the correlation, but now we all know why Cadillac vice president John Roth was so certain this car could break the million dollar mark. The Carmen Celestiq likely uses materials and options unheard of at the base configuration’s asking price, and it comes with “exclusive access for you and a guest to meet with Cadillac designers and have a behind-the-scenes view of where Cadillac design develops the future Cadillac vehicle line up.”

The 1-of-1 Carmen Celestiq vehicle experience also includes a tour of Cadillac House, the midcentury masterpiece at GM’s Global Technical Center campus in Warren, Michigan. Other private tours are on tap as well, along with a boutique hotel experience, multi-course dinners, a $25,000 donation to the Detroit Opera House, and free shipping. (Sounds like you’ll still have to pay taxes, license and registration once the new year rolls around.)

But this journalist would be remiss, perhaps even insulting to Mr. Murrow himself, if he didn’t mention that Neiman Marcus opened the opportunity to buy the Carmen Celestiq back on October 25th. Considering the problems of the 2640 billionaires on the planet—and who doesn’t consider their concerns—it’s a safe bet the 1-of-1 Carmen Celestiq sold that very same day.

Neiman’s fortunes after their 2020 bankruptcy are hit or miss, but consider the fact that their last car, a 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera had a positively approachable $700,007 asking price with a whopping seven units in stock. It’s only logical that a post-bankruptcy luxury automobile was needed to put that Aston to shame, and offering a $975,000 Caddy in one of the most exclusive catalogs in the world certainly fits the bill. It’s indeed a “fantasy” gift come true for the holidays. Well, if that’s what you really want.

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