Sollei Concept Revives the Dream of Big Cadillac Convertibles

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.

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.

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.

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