The Drivers Reserve Blog #4 | Cadillac Is Bringing Bespoke Craftsmanship Back

Gino Aloisi • September 3, 2026

Cadillac Is Bringing Bespoke Craftsmanship Back

There’s a lot I think the modern automotive industry could do better, but when a manufacturer gets something right, they deserve credit for it. Cadillac is getting something very right with the CELESTIQ.


Whether you like the styling, want an EV, or think a Cadillac should cost over $400,000 is a different conversation. What interests me about the CELESTIQ is the way Cadillac is building it. They aren't building hundreds of identical cars, shipping them to dealer lots, and hoping someone likes the color combination. Each CELESTIQ is commissioned for its owner, and that distinction matters.


Cadillac describes the CELESTIQ as a custom-commissioned, hand-built automobile. Buyers work with a personal design concierge to create their car, choosing colors, materials, finishes, and other details before the final specification is approved (“CELESTIQ”). This isn't the typical experience of choosing between a few interior colors and whatever exterior paints happen to be available.


The possibilities are nearly endless. Cadillac can develop custom exterior colors around a client's vision, while buyers work directly with designers to select materials and finishes throughout the car. Physical samples can be created during the process so the customer can actually see and feel different combinations before making a final decision (Stafford). If you want a particular color Cadillac doesn't offer, they can develop it. If you have something completely different in mind for the interior, you can work with the designers to make it happen.


That's what makes the CELESTIQ interesting to me. You're not just choosing options. You're commissioning your car.


That used to be a much bigger part of what made high-end automobiles special. Today, we've become accustomed to buying cars in packages. Want one option? You might need a $7,000 package containing six other things you didn't ask for. Want a certain interior with a particular exterior color? It may simply not be available. That makes manufacturing easier, but it doesn't necessarily make the finished car more special.


CELESTIQ takes almost the opposite approach. Once the specification is finalized, the car is hand-built at Cadillac's Artisan Center in Warren, Michigan. Production is intentionally extremely limited, allowing Cadillac to spend considerably more time on each vehicle than would ever be possible on a conventional high-volume assembly line (“CELESTIQ”). Even the paint process can take more than two weeks (Stafford).


From a manufacturing standpoint, that probably sounds terribly inefficient. I think that's part of the point. Some things shouldn't be optimized to death.


If someone is spending this kind of money on an automobile, there should be evidence that real time, thought, and craftsmanship went into creating it. That's where I think we've started to lose some of the meaning of luxury.


Luxury has increasingly become another screen, another piece of technology, more ambient lighting, or another feature buried somewhere in a menu. Those things can certainly be impressive, but they aren't craftsmanship. To me, real luxury is something you can see and feel: the quality of the leather, the finish of the metal, the texture of the materials, the way a switch feels when you use it, or the depth of the paint. At this level, it should also mean owning something that isn't exactly the same as everyone else's.


That's what Cadillac seems to understand with the CELESTIQ. There is some irony here, of course. The car has a massive 55-inch display across its dashboard and is one of the most technologically advanced Cadillacs ever produced. Road & Track even questioned whether more traditional analog details could have made the interior feel more timeless (Bovingdon). I can understand that criticism, but I also don't think bringing craftsmanship back means pretending technology doesn't exist.


The two can coexist. Keep the technology. Keep pushing performance and engineering forward. Just don't forget about the materials, the details, and the people actually building the car.


Cadillac once called itself “The Standard of the World.” That's an enormous statement, but at its best, Cadillac represented American ambition. The cars were distinctive, beautifully finished, and unmistakably Cadillacs.


CELESTIQ doesn't try to recreate those cars, and it shouldn't. What it brings back is something more important: the philosophy behind them. Build something special, let the customer make it personal, use great materials, take your time, and take pride in what leaves the building.


That's what I respect about the CELESTIQ. You don't have to like the car to appreciate what Cadillac is trying to do. In an industry increasingly focused on building more cars, faster and more efficiently, Cadillac created one where the entire point is to slow down and make each one different.


I hope more manufacturers are paying attention, because maybe the future of luxury isn't about giving us more.


Maybe it's about giving us better.


— The Drivers Reserve



Works Cited

Bovingdon, Jethro. “The Cadillac Celestiq Is Both Spectacular and Strange.” Road & Track, 6 May 2025.

Cadillac. “CELESTIQ.” Cadillac, General Motors.

Stafford, Eric. “Cadillac Gives Us an Inside Look at Building a Bespoke Celestiq.” Car and Driver, 26 May 2024.

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The Drivers Reserve Blog #2 | When Did Cars Lose Their Character?

By Gino Aloisi • August 31, 2026
When Did Cars Lose Their Character?

The Drivers Reserve Blog #1

By Gino Aloisi • August 27, 2026
When Did Our Cars Get So Big? Walk through any parking lot today and you'll notice something that has quietly become the new normal. Our vehicles have gotten enormous. A modern pickup can make a sports car from just two decades ago look miniature. Today's SUVs are taller, wider, and heavier than ever before, and even many vehicles labeled as "midsize" would have been considered full-size not long ago. It's one of those changes that happened so gradually, most of us barely noticed. As someone who genuinely loves automobiles, I'm not here to argue that bigger is bad. Modern trucks and SUVs are remarkable pieces of engineering. They're more capable, more comfortable, and in many ways safer than the vehicles they replaced. But every engineering decision comes with a trade-off. And one question has become increasingly difficult to ignore: Have we made our vehicles safer for the people inside them while making them more dangerous for the people outside them? The Cost of Getting Bigger The biggest change isn't horsepower or technology. Its height. Modern trucks and SUVs have taller hoods and more upright front ends than ever before. That gives drivers a commanding view of the road ahead, but it also creates larger blind zones directly in front of the vehicle. Imagine a child standing just a few feet ahead of a full-size pickup. Depending on the model, the driver may not be able to see them at all. That's not carelessness, It's design. The concern goes beyond visibility. When a pedestrian is struck by a taller, heavier vehicle, the shape and height of the front end can make those crashes significantly more severe. A recent New York Times investigation explored the relationship between the growing size of American trucks and SUVs and the rise in pedestrian fatalities. Whether you're an enthusiast, an engineer, or simply someone who spends time on the road, it raises a question that's worth thinking about. We Asked for This It's easy to point the finger at manufacturers. The reality is more complicated, we wanted more cargo space. More capability. More towing capacity. Better visibility. More technology. More comfort. Manufacturers delivered exactly what buyers wanted. SUVs replaced sedans. Pickup trucks became family vehicles. Crossovers became America's default choice. Then something interesting happened. As the average vehicle grew larger, driving something smaller began to feel less secure. The result is a cycle where bigger feels safer because everyone else is driving something bigger. Eventually, what once looked enormous simply becomes normal. This Isn't About Eliminating Trucks or SUVs Let's be clear. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to own a larger vehicle. Families need space. Contractors need trucks. Enthusiasts tow race cars. Some people live where four-wheel drive isn't a luxury it's a necessity. And sometimes people simply like driving a truck. There's nothing wrong with that. This isn't about telling people what they should drive. It's about asking whether the next generation of vehicles can be just as capable while also becoming more considerate of the people who share the road. Fortunately, technology is already helping. Automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, surround-view cameras, and advanced driver-assistance systems are making modern vehicles safer than ever before. But technology shouldn't replace thoughtful engineering. It should complement it. The Next Chapter of Automotive Design As enthusiasts, we spend a lot of time talking about horsepower, Nürburgring lap times, carbon fiber, and the newest performance technology. Those conversations are part of what makes this hobby so enjoyable. But maybe the next great advancement in automotive engineering won't be measured by a spec sheet, maybe it'll be measured by something much simpler. Can we continue building vehicles that are bigger, stronger, and more capable while making them safer for everyone who encounters them? That's a challenge worth solving, because great automotive design has never been about building the biggest vehicle. It's about building the best one, and that's a future every enthusiast should be excited about.