My high school chum Bob Harnsberger had a semi-custom 1956 Cadillac Sedan de Ville christened “Battlecar Cadillactica” after we had graduated. I don’t know if he has a green thumb, but if so, he’d be planting Cadillactus around his home.
Another Cadillac aficionado with a penchant for punny names is Roger Reutimann, a Swiss sculptor who was commissioned by the City of Palm Springs (California) to produce what the industry calls “public art.” Reutimann’s vision resulted in the installation of vertical sculptures scattered between the Palm Springs Airport and downtown Palm Springs that reference both local flora and Detroit iron, the latter being the most iconic American automobile from the 1950s: the 1959 Cadillac.
Though the Cadillac was a looker from all sides, it was the derriere that has inspired so many fans—Reutimann included. He used the fins and bullet-shaped taillights to “evoke the appearance of cactus spines and nocturnal blooms” that illuminate at night. These automotive-inspired sculptures are constructed in steel and fiberglass using the very same processes used on the cars, such as powder coating.
Thanks to Reutimann’s creativity, Cadillactus won the “prestigious” CODAworx People’s Choice Award in 2024, reflecting a “synthesis of sculpture, design, and engineering.” Say, wasn’t that Cadillac’s tagline several years ago?
