WYDI? Cadillac Sollei

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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.

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.

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.

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