June 16, 2009Sighting: Cadillac SRX - Mary Kay Edition

Yes, this ridiculous spectacle that you are looking at really does exist.  Somebody (well actually, somebodies - plural) actually considers this car a reward.  Photo via Flickr.

Observe the Cadillac SRX, an otherwise edgy and attractive car that I might want to drive.  Now take a gander at the Cadillac SRX - Mary Kay edition (pictured above), a pink “vision” (to put it kindly) on four wheels.  When I passed this vehicle on the Long Island Expressway this past Sunday, I was intrigued.  Intrigue on the road usually leads to aggressive driving maneuvers on my part.  When I finally had my fill of parallel lane time and was able to discern the letters spelling “Mary Kay,” I wondered whether Mary Kay was to the Cadillac SRX what Eddie Bauer had been to the Ford Explorer.  If there hadn’t been so much traffic, I probably would have attempted to answer the question using my Blackberry’s internet browser.  But an answer had to wait until I got home.

So, here’s what I learned:

No, the Mary Kay edition Cadillac is not an available trim level that buyers of the SRX can opt for.  So, what is the deal? Well, each year, Mary Kay, an old-school brand of skin care products (in the vein of Avon), rewards its top producers with a Mary Kay car of their (almost) choice.  In total, there are about 100,000 Mary Kay cars that GM has produced for the cosmetics company since the reward program was incepted in 1968.

For more information, check out this fascinating Wikipedia article.

I don’t love you for your pink Cadillac…