The Cadillac Eldorado bowed in 1952 as a concept car, marking Cadillac’s 50th anniversary. The Eldorado name came from an internal company contest to name the model. The name is a contraction of El Dorado, the mythical Colombian lost city of gold.
The 1953 model-year Cadillac Eldorado was the marque’s limited-production flagship. The Eldo featured unique bodywork, a wraparound windshield, a lower beltline, Dagmar bumper bullets, and a full roster of luxury equipment that included power windows, air conditioning, and a signal-seeking AM radio. The Eldorado came in Alpine White, Azure Blue, Aztec Red, or Artisan Ochre. This exclusivity came at a price, as the Eldorado’s sticker was nearly double that of the Series 62 convertible.
1954 brought revisions for the Cadillac Eldorado. The standard sheetmetal of other Cadillac models was adopted, robbing the Eldorado of its exclusivity, but allowing Cadillac to drop the price. The move brought far more orders than the previous year. The Eldorado did have unique trim, allowing differentiation from other Cadillacs. Available equipment included power brakes, power steering, power windows, electric front seat, E-Z Eye Headlight Dimmer, power convertible top, Hydramatic automatic transmission, chrome wire wheels, and wide whitewall tires.
1957 brought a full redesign for the Cadillac Eldorado. It was sleeker, longer, and lower than before. The rear deck lid was rounded, and accented by pointed fins. Polished stainless trim covered the quarter panels behind the rear tires, wrapping around to the rear bumpers where the exhaust exited. Dual round driving lights were located low in the three-piece front bumper. Only 1,800 Eldorado Biarritz convertibles were built, and only 50 were equipped with factory air conditioning. Sticker price for the Eldo Biarritz was around $7,300. The base price for a 1957 Chevy Corvette was $3,176.
Our feature 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz has been the subject of a rotisserie restoration. Finished in Ebony Black with a black convertible top over Light Red leather, it is powered by the numbers-matching 365 cubic-inch V8 producing 325 horsepower. The engine is fed by dual four-barrel carbs, and power is moved to the back wheels through the Hydramatic automatic transmission. The Eldorado Biarritz is equipped with power steering, power brakes, power windows, electric front seat, E-Z Eye Headlight Dimmer, power convertible top, air conditioning, and sabre wheels wrapped in wide whitewall tires.
This rare 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz will cross the Mecum Actions block at their Kissimmee, Florida event taking place January 2nd through the 14th.
