Cadillac Eldorado

The Cadillac Eldorado is a 2-door convertible from Cadillac, built from 1952 to 2002, at the height of the post-war boom. Under the bonnet: 331 cuin Cadillac OHV V8. Harley Earl drew it.

The story

The Cadillac Eldorado is a luxury car manufactured and marketed by the Cadillac Motor Car Division of General Motors from 1952 until 2002, over twelve generations. The Eldorado was at or near the top of the Cadillac product line. The original 1953 Eldorado convertible and the Eldorado Brougham models of 1957–1960 had distinct bodyshells and were the most expensive models offered by Cadillac during those years.

The Eldorado was never less than second in price after the Cadillac Series 75 limousine until 1966. Beginning in 1967, the Eldorado retained its premium position in the Cadillac price structure, but was manufactured in high volumes on a unique, two-door personal luxury car platform. The Eldorado carried the Fleetwood designation from 1965 through 1972, and was seen as a modern revival of the pre-war Cadillac V-12 and Cadillac V-16 roadsters and convertibles.

What is underneath

Power comes from 331 cuin Cadillac OHV V8. It weighs 5000 lb. It shifts through a 4-speed Hydra-Matic. The wheelbase is 126.0 in. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.

Its place in the line

Its family tree is legible: its successor was the Cadillac CTS coupe; assembly was at Detroit, Michigan, U.S.. Its contemporaries in the catalogue — the Chevrolet Corvette, the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class — show what else the money bought that year. Nearby in the Cadillac catalogue sit the Cadillac 353 and the Cadillac ATS.

What it costs now

MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Cadillac Eldorado has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.