The Cadillac Goddess Returns with the CELESTIQ
The Cadillac Goddess has been missing from the Cadillac models for the last half century, but she has never been forgotten. Adorning the hoods of most Cadillac vehicles from 1930 through 1959, the Cadillac Goddess was envisioned to represent the brand’s grace and spirit of unsurpassed swiftness and power. Today, she makes a return on the all-new CELESTIQ as a homage to Cadillac’s illustrious design history, and a new symbol of the Cadillac artistry.
“CELESTIQ is the beginning of the future for Cadillac, conveying the artistic innovation the brand is bringing to luxury electric vehicles,” said Bryan Nesbitt, executive director of Cadillac Design. “We wanted this flagship EV to embody the significant heritage of the brand in a truly meaningful way, with the Goddess representing the absolute pinnacle of bespoke craftsmanship from Cadillac.”
You can find today’s Goddess on both the exterior and within the all-new, all-electric CELESTIQ. The front quarter panel trim piece is milled from billet aluminum, polished, brushed and tinted, encasing the Goddess in glass. She can also be found in the infotainment controller, positioned center stage and backlit with her glass encasing. The aluminum dial turns independent of the glass Goddess, ensuring she always remains upright. The CELESTIQ charge port is surrounded by a ring of light that responds when plugged in, as well as a lit Goddess emblem above the charge port – a visual representation of how electrification is the soul of the CELESTIQ.
The Goddess of Swiftness and Power
The original Cadillac Goddess was designed by William N. Schnell of Ternstedt Manufacturing Company, a subsidiary of General Motors responsible for all GM brightwork, between 1928 and 1929. The original Goddess was a work of art that embodied “the very spirit of unsurpassed swiftness and power, coupled with grace and perfect balance.” Her long, sweeping lines were also meant to convey “the modern beauty and fleetness,” of the brand, and was available on Cadillac’s V-8, V-12 and V-16 models.
In 1933, a new version was designed by Chris J. Klein and John R. Morgan, also of Ternstedt Manufacturing. This new design became the fixture on most Cadillac vehicles shortly after. The Goddess was initially available only on the Cadillac V-16, signaling the car’s power and prestige. It was adopted across the lineup in a revised form in 1934 for V-8 and V-12 models, but through the end of their production, the “Sixteens” carried an exclusive version, using the 1933 design through 1937 before moving to an updated design from 1938-40.
With the end of Cadillac V-12 and V-16 production, a new Goddess was adopted for all models in 1941. After World War II and throughout the 1950s, she evolved further and updated designs were reportedly inspired by the same aircraft influences that sparked tail fins and jet-engine design cues, under the direction of legendary GM Design Vice President Harley Earl.
The original era of the Goddess concluded in 1956, although she made another appearance on the limited-production 1959 Eldorado Brougham.
“CELESTIQ is the beginning of the future for Cadillac, conveying the artistic innovation the brand is bringing to luxury electric vehicles,” said Bryan Nesbitt, executive director of Cadillac Design. “We wanted this flagship EV to embody the significant heritage of the brand in a truly meaningful way, with the Goddess representing the absolute pinnacle of bespoke craftsmanship from Cadillac.”
You can find today’s Goddess on both the exterior and within the all-new, all-electric CELESTIQ. The front quarter panel trim piece is milled from billet aluminum, polished, brushed and tinted, encasing the Goddess in glass. She can also be found in the infotainment controller, positioned center stage and backlit with her glass encasing. The aluminum dial turns independent of the glass Goddess, ensuring she always remains upright. The CELESTIQ charge port is surrounded by a ring of light that responds when plugged in, as well as a lit Goddess emblem above the charge port – a visual representation of how electrification is the soul of the CELESTIQ.
The Goddess of Swiftness and Power
The original Cadillac Goddess was designed by William N. Schnell of Ternstedt Manufacturing Company, a subsidiary of General Motors responsible for all GM brightwork, between 1928 and 1929. The original Goddess was a work of art that embodied “the very spirit of unsurpassed swiftness and power, coupled with grace and perfect balance.” Her long, sweeping lines were also meant to convey “the modern beauty and fleetness,” of the brand, and was available on Cadillac’s V-8, V-12 and V-16 models.
In 1933, a new version was designed by Chris J. Klein and John R. Morgan, also of Ternstedt Manufacturing. This new design became the fixture on most Cadillac vehicles shortly after. The Goddess was initially available only on the Cadillac V-16, signaling the car’s power and prestige. It was adopted across the lineup in a revised form in 1934 for V-8 and V-12 models, but through the end of their production, the “Sixteens” carried an exclusive version, using the 1933 design through 1937 before moving to an updated design from 1938-40.
With the end of Cadillac V-12 and V-16 production, a new Goddess was adopted for all models in 1941. After World War II and throughout the 1950s, she evolved further and updated designs were reportedly inspired by the same aircraft influences that sparked tail fins and jet-engine design cues, under the direction of legendary GM Design Vice President Harley Earl.
The original era of the Goddess concluded in 1956, although she made another appearance on the limited-production 1959 Eldorado Brougham.