Sollei Concept Revives the Dream of a Big Cadillac Convertible
Long, low, and flamboyant, the full-sized Cadillac convertible was once a common sight in the driveways of famous musicians, politicians, and silver-screen stars. But fears of draconian Federal roll-over rules led Cadillac to stop making big drop-tops in 1976, the final year of the Fleetwood Eldorado convertible. Sure, there would be other open top Caddies in subsequent years, like the Allante or the Corvette-based XLR, but they didn’t have the panache or scale of, say, a 1959 Series 62.
![Cadillac Sollei Concept side](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/IMG_0554.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=427&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept rear three quarter](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/IMG_0439.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=427&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
But last Friday, the marque revealed an open-top, 2+2 concept car that could signal the return of the big Cadillac convertible. Dubbed the Sollei (we’re told it’s a blend of “Sol” for sun and “lei” for leisure, though the name is one letter arrangement off from soleil, the French word for sun), the concept looks as much to the future as it does the past for inspiration.
“At Cadillac, we’re very inspired by our heritage, especially in terms of [the] bold and significant designs of our past,” explained Design Director Erin Crossley. Indeed, the Sollei is finished in Manila Cream, a color originally used on Cadillacs in 1957 and 1958, and has silhouettes of heritage models engraved into the cupholder trim.
![Cadillac Sollei Concept center console](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/Cadillac_SOLLEI_GMCB4598.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=361&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
But the most old-school aspect of the Sollei’s design, not to mention most striking, is its enormity. The doors, for example, are a massive 68 inches long, and it rides on 23-inch wheels. It shares the same Ultium EV architecture as the Celestiq halo car, and may even ride on the same chassis if the Celestiq sill plates are any indication. There are more clues that the Sollei borrows heavily from the Celestiq, particularly its lit front facia and body surfacing. Really, the only differences are the restyled rear and missing roof and doors.
![Cadillac Sollei Concept door sill](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/IMG_0552.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=427&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept front end](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/IMG_0585.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=427&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
Decididly less old school is the Sollei’s interior. A massive 55-inch touch screen spans the entire dashboard, and 11-inch front and 8-inch rear screens act as secondary controls. The seats read as a modern interpretation of Eames chairs. Sunburst patterned wood veneer on the seat backs is a nice touch keeping with the “Sol” theme. A set of custom, acrylic North American bird calls and the rear drinks cooler—of course the glasses are bespoke to the Sollei—play to the “Lei” theme.
![Cadillac Sollei Concept drinks](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/Cadillac_SOLLEI_AP1_1132.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=366&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept high angle overhead interior](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/Cadillac_SOLLEI_AP1_1202.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=624&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept seat detail](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/Cadillac_SOLLEI_AP1_0325.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=362&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept detail](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/IMG_0517.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=427&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
The Sollei also strays from tradition in its use of more sustainable materials. Chrome and plastic are out, brushed aluminum and an mushroom-based material called Fine Mycelium are in. According to Crossley, “It’s more [of] a desire to use genuine material. Usually chrome is plated plastic. We’ve made a very specific focus on not using any plastic on the vehicle. So everything that looks like metal is metal. It gives us an opportunity to have a little more breadth and expressiveness, if you will, relative to color—the tints that we can do with genuine metal versus what you have available from a chrome perspective.”
Cadillac’s PR rep didn’t say if the Sollei will make it to production, but given that the Celestiq it’s based on is hand-built and low-production, making the drop-top Sollei should be well within the capacity of the craftspeople at the GM Global Technical Center. Let’s hope there’s plenty of interest when Cadillac shows the Sollei at Pebble Beach later this summer. Maybe we’ll finally get a big Caddy convertible again.
![Cadillac Sollei Concept side wide](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/IMG_0508.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=427&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept seatbacks](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/IMG_0492.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=427&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept door detail](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/IMG_0481.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=427&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept rear end closeup](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/IMG_0468.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=427&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept rear](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/Cadillac_SOLLEI_AP1_0025.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=360&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept rear three quarter](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/Cadillac_SOLLEI_AP1_0047.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=358&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept rear three quarter](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/Cadillac_SOLLEI_AP1_0240.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=372&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept side](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/Cadillac_SOLLEI_AP1_1360.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=304&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept rear](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/Cadillac_SOLLEI_GMCA4616.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=359&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept interior](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/Cadillac_SOLLEI_AP1_1442.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=360&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept interior high angle](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/Cadillac_SOLLEI_AP1_1187.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=360&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept side profile](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/Cadillac_SOLLEI_AP1_0717.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=295&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
![Cadillac Sollei Concept interior seat](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2024/07/Cadillac_SOLLEI_AP1_1114.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=360&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
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That’s a face only a mother could love. But, it IS big.
GM should not let its truck designers style their cars. Someone needs to show them a 1960 Convertible or a 1967 Eldorado to remind them what the corporate DNA is.
I love it!! Its sleek, athletic stance, I love the rounded down and back under of the trunk line. It has an old Chris Craft boat feel. If they can give it the magnaride suspension so it can carve corners smoothly and not roll. I’m all in!!
I like this. I won’t like the price…
Lots of odd moments on it, which is cool. Seldom do all the odd concept car bits make production, often to the detriment of the design. The insect-mandible face could be something else entirely and work, but I don’t hate it.
I think it would look better in Cadzilla purple, any of those “mist” colours from the 60s or black.
This should have been the first bespoke car.
It is about time Cadillac needs to have models to chose from. They have lacked for years!
They need to work on the design language of their “face”. It looks more like the results of a collision than a coherent design. The other elements of the exterior are mostly very tasteful and elegant.
Agreed. The tail is quite nice, though.
‘Had me a ’67 CdV drop-top. There’s nothing like those “original” Cadillac convertibles.
Yep! Agree! The face on most of the GM cars & trucks is just too UNSTYLED & in your face obnoxious!
Where in God’s Green Earth do the folks at Cadillac get their newest model names? Have any of them ever learned the basic rules of English spelling and grammar? “Celestiq”, or “Sollei”? Really?!?! Bring back some of the wonderful names of vintage Caddies: “DeVille”, “Biarritz”, “Eldorado”, etc..