I just saw one of the coolest videos on Jay Leno’s Garage that takes us to the secret design center GM has in California where it designed the Cadillac Ciel. As you are watching this video look behind them as the speak and look at the Cadillac concepts that are just hanging around. I see three convertibles that I didn’t know existed and one Cadillac that looks like the Cadillac Sixteen but in a wagon like design. You will also see some smaller Cadillacs that could have been concepts for the new ATS. Very exciting stuff and I would love to be a fly on the wall in this place. After you click the play button you may have to wait a minute for the video to play. The screen may even go black for a minute.
I’m predidposed not to like this really angular design period, but this , I’m liking! So the cross-car dash is now a “new” trend?? I’m looking forward to convertibilizing one of my early Eldos–I did it with a scale model 44 years ago. Such a beautiful car. Just hard to push when you run out of gas (my 60 convert pushes so easily under such conditions. . . .).
I’d love to see the Art Center classses in action in Pasadena, too. The trick is to maintain brand identity whilst “modernizing” the concepts through time. In the 50s, creating the modernity translated as slathering on a bit more glitz each year (Cadillac did it in reverse, usually–see 1959 to 1960).
Tiz fun to speculate where this facility is. There is a lot of specialized car activity across VanNuys Blvd from where the old Chevy assembly plant once stood–around Chase St. But this looks like a rather substantial new bldg. Then, again. . . . . .
Bruce – I would love to go to this place just to look around.
Ken – What makes you think they are half scaled cars. They kind of look like real size to me. It is just that the Ciel looks large and is front and center that makes them look smaller was my thinking.
Judging by their accents the two designers are both foreign; speaks to the wide appaeal of Cadillac or the lack of American design talent? …i am facinated by the background looks like the racks are filled w maybe 1 /2 scale models. More on the design center would prove very interesting to Cadillac fans. As stunning as the Ciel concept is and with all the design and artistic genius brought to bear- no one addressed designing a convertible top?