Suzanne Vanderbilt leaves her mark on Cadillac’s Celestiq

WARREN — Named after the pioneering designer Suzanne Vanderbilt, who blazed new trails at General Motors Co. and throughout the automotive industry, Cadillac House at Vanderbilt is currently under construction on GM’s Global Technical Center campus in Warren.

Vanderbilt’s unique, maverick, ahead-of-her-time spirit is embodied in the facility that dons her name, which will combine a one-of-a-kind, concierge client experience for Cadillac’s first all-electric luxury sedan, the Celestiq.

Among only a few women in the automotive design industry, Vanderbilt joined GM Design in 1955 and worked in the Cadillac studio. She made her mark early designing the 1958 Eldorado Seville coupe, called Baroness, and the 1958 Cadillac Saxony convertible.

Implementing safety with style and functionality, she secured two patents while at GM: inflatable back support for the seat, providing additional support in the lumbar area for occupants; and a safety switch for the automobile instrument panel, which reduced injuries from protruding objects in the dashboard.  Both patents were assigned to GM. She also secured a safety helmet patent, which was assigned to American Safety Equipment.

Vanderbilt, a New York native, earned a Bachelor of Arts in industrial design from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and a Master of Fine Arts from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills.

According to GM, Vanderbilt provided mentorship to other women designers before she retired in 1977.

The Global Technical Center campus was deemed a National Historic Landmark in 2014 because of its midcentury design.  According to GM, this campus set the standard for American corporate campuses and was the first major commission for modern architect Eero Saarinen.

Cadillac House at Vanderbilt sits in a single-story building, with a glass curtain wall displaying expansive views of the campus and lake. The building showcases Saarinen’s modern style with travertine and terrazzo slabs, wood panels and stainless steel details. The 36-by-10-foot sculptural screen of glimmering gold, designed by Harry Bertoia, a Detroit-based artist and designer, is one of the building’s most notable features. The facility will be the site of the exclusive concierge design services for the Celestiq.

“No two Celestiq are alike,” said Joseph Singer, GM’s senior manager for Cadillac Communications.

In prepared remarks, GM’s Bryan Nesbit, executive director of Global Cadillac Design, said, “Every Celestiq is personally commissioned and working on-site with our Cadillac designers provides clients an elevated experience. It’s a unique opportunity to collaborate with our design team, enabling clients to directly translate their vision of their Celestiq into a one-of-one piece of moving sculpture.”

Cadillac House at Vanderbilt will welcome its first clients in late summer 2023. The concierge experience can be had by Celestiq clients in person, as well as virtually from around the globe. The company said a keen attention to detail is implemented from the beginning of the process to the end.

“From start to finish, the process is meticulously curated,” said Melissa Grady Dias, GM’s global chief marketing officer for Cadillac, in a statement. “And regardless of where clients choose to collaborate with the Cadillac team, we will offer an extraordinary variety of commission options, ensuring every desire for their vehicle can be fulfilled. Each Celestiq is tailored to reflect its owner’s tastes, which are conveyed directly to the design team.”

The name Celestiq comes from the combination of celestial and IQ.

“The name itself combines the otherworldly, even the divine with human intelligence, to capture the aspirational spirit of Cadillac,” said Singer. “This vehicle represents the ultimate expression of Cadillac design and technology, with a bold, dramatic presence, and unparalleled refinement and innovation.”   

The price of this “custom, one-of-a-kind, sculpture in motion” starts at $300,000.  Production is limited and available through inquiry only.

When asked about potential Celestiq customers, Singer said, “The ultra-luxury client is an extremely unique, maverick personality that ultimately matches the brand spirit of Cadillac.”

“In the past, Cadillac was the standard of the world. People talked about the Cadillac of things.” said VP of Global Design Michael Simcoe in a Celestiq video. “We really, honestly, wanted to bring back that level of detail, passion and engagement for the customers.”

According to Simcoe, “We’re reinventing American luxury, automotive luxury,”