When Cadillac revealed its new flagship model, the all-electric Celestiq, some wondering if the name was made up or if it had real meaning. With a starting price of $340,000, the name means you’ll be paying big money to get one.
Or at least so the brand hopes.
Cadillac’s Global CMO Melissa Grady Dias offered up the $340,000 starting point in a LinkedIn post. She also noted there is strong demand for the vehicle, which will be hand-built at the General Motors Tech Center in Warren, Michigan, just north of Detroit.
Getting started
It should be noted the $340K is just the starting point, as Grady Dias described that as a “blank canvas.”
“Clients who begin this bespoke journey can personalize their Celestiq and make it a true reflection of their personality — the possibilities are endless. The bespoke spirit of Celestiq will be determined by the client’s level of curation,” she wrote on her LinkedIn post.
“At Cadillac, we are confident that Celestiq will exceed our clients’ expectations and demonstrate Cadillac’s world-class craftsmanship which can be seen throughout our line-up. I can’t wait for clients to start this amazing journey and relish the opportunity to personalize their creations!”
The Celestiq is designed to be a bespoke automobile so the final price on any of the vehicles will be determined by the add-ons selected by the owner. Buyers will work with a “Cadillac concierge” to help them with their design consultation.
Like a Vanderbilt
To ensue buyers felt like they were getting a personalized experience, the brand created the Cadillac House at Vanderbilt — a new, state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the individualized, bespoke client experience on the GM Tech Center campus, revealing it in late March.
Cadillac named the Vanderbilt after pioneering designer Suzanne Vanderbilt, who, in her day, was one of only a few women working in automotive design industry-wide. She joined GM Design in 1955, working in the Cadillac studio.
Early on she developed two unique vehicles: a 1958 Eldorado Seville Coupe called Baroness and the Cadillac Saxony convertible. She performed collaborative work with the Advanced Interior and Research Studios, designing safer vehicle interiors and securing two patents. Over the years, she provided essential mentorship to the next generation of women designers, before retiring in 1977, GM noted.
Moving to production
After the final decisions are made at Cadillac House at Vanderbilt, production will begin almost across the street. Celestiqs will be produced at the Artisan Center, a nearby facility on GM’s 67-year-old, 710-acre campus.
“Within the Artisan Center’s walls,” GM notes, “a hand-selected team of highly talented artisan makers, united in their vision for perfection, will hand-craft every client’s Celestiq from the ground up. It’s a return to the type of bespoke craftsmanship that forged Cadillac’s legacy as the Standard of the World more than a century ago.”
The first Celestiqs are expected to be delivered to owners in “late-spring 2024.”