The legend of Mary Kay Ash and her iconic pink Cadillacs dates back to nearly 60 years ago, when a misogynistic Lincoln salesman turned the burgeoning makeup mogul away because she had the then-progressive idea to buy her own car without the help of a man. Now, the long-running Mary Kay makeup company is turning to a new era of progressive vehicular ideas by offering its top salespeople a pink pearl Cadillac Optiq, the first fully electric vehicle that has been given out by Mary Kay. I wonder if Mary Kay’s current CEO (and the founder’s son) Ryan Rogers will order a pink Cadillac Celestiq. That would be awesome.
In a statement issued by Mary Kay, Rogers said said,
With the introduction of the all-electric OPTIQ, we’re honoring that iconic legacy while driving into a transformative future—one grounded in our commitment to sustainability and dedication to inspiring and celebrating the achievements of our independent sales force for generations to come.
Pink is the new green
Mary Kay pink Cadillacs are very rare vehicles. The pink pearl color is reserved exclusively for Mary Kay Inc., and all Mary Kay vehicles are only leased for two years. Once the lease period ends, the vehicles are returned to the dealer where they are repainted the factory color. Finding a Mary Kay pink Cadillac for sale doesn’t happen often, but some have slipped through the cracks through the years. Only the top 1% of Mary Kay sales representatives qualify for the pink Caddies, and should the rep not want the car, they instead receive a significant bonus of $900 per month — though 90% of people who qualify for it choose to take the car.
The Mary Kay pink Cadillac lore is one of my favorite pieces of automotive history, and I’m happy to see that the most driven cosmetic-wielding Capitalists now have the option to go all-electric without compromising their allegiance to Mary Kay. Though I have yet to drive the Optiq, I have driven the Equinox EV that shares a platform with the Optiq, and I loved it. My colleagues have driven the Optiq and consistently sing its praises, so it’s likely a much better option for the Mary Kay salespeople than an XT4 or XT5. Pink is the new green, I guess.