Coulda Killed the Cadillac Celestiq…
by Wallace Wyss –
I pity some VP at Ford if the $300,000 Cadillac Celestiq is a success. Because Lincoln had a competitor of similar size and shape but didn’t green light it.
They claim the concept, the Lincoln Model L100 Concept, named after the carmaker’s first luxury vehicle, is what an electric, autonomous luxury car could look like from the century-old brand. It was introduced at Pebble Beach earlier this year.
The vehicle is not meant for production or to be sold to consumers, they said. That’s a load of rubbish, if buyers were lined up with checks in hand it would get green lighted.
I think they went too far in not designing a steering wheel and pedals for an interim model that could be semi-autonomous. They overshot the runway so to speak.
They didn’t do what Cadillac did in having a fake radiator with a silly light show each time the owner presses “Open” on the key fob. I think it could still be green lighted but the problem is—do they have a skateboard electric platform it could fit on now?
It may be too late for Lincoln to catch up in case Cadillac’s 18 foot long 6,000 lb. monster scheduled for sales in late 2023 is a hit. It will take Lincoln three years to have one ready for the Rouge. In the auto industry, three years is forever.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss is an author and portraitist of exotic cars. His work can be seen in Mecum auctions.
I agree it is a wild design and slippery shape but it had some impractical features that wouldn’t work on a production car. Like the entire side opening to get in. How’s that work in a tight parking spot?