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Oldsmobile : 442 FRESH RESTO, MATCH #'S 400 V8, FAC 3 SPD MANUAL, PWR STEER/FRONT DISCS, POSI
$34,995
Charlotte, North Carolina
Category -
Mileage 89054
Posted Over 1 Month
Got a classic car to sell? We can Sell it! Call us Today! 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Stock #3118-CHA 1969 Oldsmobile 442 for Sale Charlotte Showroom 5400 West WT Harris Blvd Charlotte, NC 28269 Local/International: (704) 598-2130 Toll-Free: (866) 542-8392 Hours: Tues - Fri: 9AM - 6PM EST Sat: 9AM - 5PM EST Email: [email protected] Atlanta Showroom 213 Thornton Rd Lithia Springs, GA 30122 Local/International: (678) 279-1609 Toll-Free: (877) 367-1835 Hours: Tues - Fri: 9AM - 6PM EST Sat: 9AM - 5PM EST Email: [email protected] Dallas/Fort Worth Showroom 5400 Sandshell Dr Fort Worth, TX 76137 Local/International: (817) 764-8000 Toll-Free: (855) 877-2707 Hours: Tues - Fri: 9AM - 6PM CST Sat: 9AM - 5PM CST Email: [email protected] VEHICLESPECIFICATIONS ENGINE: 400 V8 BODY STYLE : Convertible TRANSMISSION: 3 Speed Manual (Believed to be original) EXTERIOR COLOR: ODOMETER READING: 89054 INTERIOR COLOR : White VEHICLE FEATURES & OPTIONS Restoration Photos, Restoration Receipts, Defrost, Numbers Matching, AM/FM Radio, Power Convertible Top, Heat, Tilt Wheel, Vinyl Interior, Front Disc Brakes, Power Steering, Seatbelts, Title Documentation SELLER REMARKS This 1969 Oldsmobile 442 convertible combines iconic bodylines with serious speed. Considering this is a numbers-matching, and HD manual transmission muscle car that's fresh off a restoration, it might not even last long enough in our showroom for you to read this whole description. There are very few designs from this era that could say both "sporty" and "luxury" so well. This convertible has all the great dramatic curves, flared fenders, and a handsome front end that was instantly recognizable as being from GM's rocket division. This car is coated in its factory-correct code 52 Crimson paint with matching rally wheels. Of course the spectacular shine on the super-straight body is thanks to a thorough re-spray that was performed less than a year ago. This is a true 442 ragtop, so all the chrome and badging are in the right places to take home the car show trophies. No off-white interior could possibly look this good without some serious money invested in a restoration. But beyond the pristine door panels, carpets, heat/defrost controls, and dashboard, this convertible has a serious desirability factor in its features. It's a bucket seat car, with a center console and floor-mounted stick shift. This one even has the cool factory tic-toc-tac. But since this is a luxury vehicle too, there are some great features like the original AM/FM radio, tilt steering wheel, and the power folding soft top. Under the hood is exactly what you want to see. It's a numbers-matching 400 cubic-inch V8 with only 200 miles on its fresh rebuild. The engine bay is tidy and was restored to look like the day it left the Lansing, Michigan factory over 45 years ago. It has a refreshing look that avoids superfluous or unnecessary add-ons to get in the way of people seeing that golden block. On top of that is the Rochester four-barrel carburetor, and the power makes a great rumble as it exits out of the dual exhaust (Yup...400 cubic inches, four-barrel carburetor, and dual exhaust the namesake of the 1969 Oldsmobile 4-4-2.) But if that isn't enough to get your heart racing, one rare feature will. This ragtop comes with the optional three-speed Dearborn HD manual transmission for perfect power control, and an interesting feature to show your friends. As usual with an Oldsmobile, no matter how much power it's putting down, it still has all-day usability. This comes from features such as power steering, front disc brakes, and the Positraction rear end. This is a great classic 442 with the title documentation, restoration receipts, and restoration photos to prove its pedigree. It has all the right looks and features that we know it won't last long in our showroom. Call today!! 1969 Oldsmobile 442 for Sale 1969 Oldsmobile 442 for Sale Stock # 3118-CHA Charlotte Showroom 5400 West WT Harris Blvd Charlotte, NC 28269 Local/International: (704) 598-2130 Toll-Free: (866) 542-8392 Hours: Tues - Fri: 9AM - 6PM EST Sat: 9AM - 5PM EST Email: [email protected] Atlanta Showroom 213 Thornton Rd Lithia Springs, GA 30122 Local/International: (678) 279-1609 Toll-Free: (877) 367-1835 Hours: Tues - Fri: 9AM - 6PM EST Sat: 9AM - 5PM EST Email: [email protected] Dallas/Fort Worth Showroom 5400 Sandshell Dr Fort Worth, TX 76137 Local/International: (817) 764-8000 Toll-Free: (855) 877-2707 Hours: Tues - Fri: 9AM - 6PM CST Sat: 9AM - 5PM CST Email: [email protected] TERMS OF SALE 1. Per the eBay User Agreement, by placing a bid you are entering into a legally binding contract and are committed to purchasing the vehicle described above. The details of this commitment are further outlined in the eBay User Agreement. 2. Vehicle may be sold by Streetside Classic Cars prior to the end of the auction. Streetside Classic Cars reserves the right to end its auctions early or to cancel bids solely at its discretion and shall not be held liable for any such cancellation. 3. The winning bidder is required to contact Streetside Classic Cars within 24 hours after the close of the auction to finalize the details of the transaction. 4. A $1,000 non-refundable deposit is required within 48 hours of the auction's close. This deposit reserves the vehicle and removes it from the market. Acceptable payment types for deposit are: credit card, wire transfer, cashier's check, and money order. 5. If winning bidder does not contact Streetside Classic Cars and submit deposit within 48 hours of auction close, vehicle may be made available to the next highest bidder or another qualified buyer on a first come, first serve basis. 6. Streetside Classic Cars has represented this vehicle to the best of its ability. Prospective bidders are encouraged to contact us directly to provide additional information or answer any questions. 7. Please be aware that all pre-owned vehicles, regardless of age, mileage, or manufacturer are subject to cosmetic wear and mechanical failure. Streetside Classic Cars encourages bidder to have a personal inspection completed prior to delivery to help ensure your satisfaction. Third party inspections are to take place prior to a vehicles shipment or delivery. 8. All vehicles are sold "AS IS" and with no warranties expressed or implied. 9. Final or winning bid price does not include shipping, tax, title, or registration fees. It is the purchaser's responsibility to provide for any state or local taxes and shipping expenses resulting from the sale. 10. We can assist you in delivery through our network of private and commercial carriers. Most of them can deliver the vehicle to your driveway. We assume no responsibility for damages or delays incurred once a vehicle is in a shipper's custody. 11. Streetside Classic Cars bears no liability and shall be held harmless for any complications, expenses, or damages resulting from a failure to meet these terms as they have been set forth and established herein. 12. An additional documentation fee of $199 will be added to the purchase price at the time of sale. DISCLAIMER This site and all advertising information may be updated without notice whenever new information is obtained and may contain mistakes and inaccuracies. Information is provided to the best of our knowledge and that of the owners of the vehicles, and we make no warranty or representation regarding the accuracy, truth, or reliability of such information. We cannot be responsible for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies contained in information provided by third parties. Streetside Classics is not an expert in the construction, engineering, finishes, materials, and componentry of every single vehicle we sell. It is the responsibility of the buyer to either inspect the vehicle personally or via a 3rd party, to ensure satisfaction to the condition and value, prior to purchase. Streetside Classics strives to perform extensive visual inspections on all vehicles we represent but we do not disassemble vehicles or components for inspection purposes and therefore it is always possible that there is hidden damage that is not readily apparent. All vehicles are sold AS-IS with no warranties expressed or implied. WE WELCOME INTERNATIONAL BUYERS As an international buyer, it is as easy to purchase a vehicle from us as it is for any domestic buyer. Please call or email any one of our showrooms at: Charlotte Showroom Phone: 001-704-598-2130 Email [email protected] Atlanta Showroom Phone: 001-678-279-1609 Email [email protected] Dallas/Fort Worth Showroom Phone: 001-817-764-8000 Email [email protected] Rest assured, you are dealing with one of the largest classic car dealerships in the United States with one of the largest (500+) vehicles on display. Our sales staff is very knowledgeable and can assist you in every aspect of the purchase. International buyers welcome! Click here for an estimate. If you decide to purchase from us, we require that you give us your complete name, address and phone numbers (home, office, mobile and fax) and a port of entry that handles containers. We do not ship vehicles open (RORO: Roll On Roll Off) due to risk of damage to vehicle and theft of parts. All international purchases must be paid by bank wire transfer in US Dollar funds only. Once we have received the funds, we will prepare the car for international shipment through one of our approved land and ocean carriers. We file all the necessary documents for export, deliver the car to a US port, secure it in containers and board an ocean carrier. We can land a vehicle to any port worldwide handling container traffic. We export cars regularly and are familiar with export requirements. You, or your agent, are responsible for Custom clearing the vehicle and registration in your own country.
1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera Indy Pace Car #278DET
$11,995
Dearborn, Michigan
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Posted Over 1 Month
#278DET This vehicle is located in our Dearborn, MI showroom which is just ten minutes away from historic Detroit. 313-982-3100 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera Indy Pace Car $11,595.00 Engine: 2.5L I4 FI Transmission: 4 Speed Automatic Mileage: 28931 ( Actual ) Body Style: Convertible Exterior Color: White Interior Color: Red Air Conditioning AM/FM Radio Anti-Lock Brakes Cassette Automatic Convertible Top Cruise Control Leather Interior Power Brakes Power Locks Power Seats Power Steering Power Windows Radial Tires Telescopic Wheel Tilt Wheel Numbers are Matching This rare 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera Indy pace car convertible is for sale in our Detroit Michigan showroom. The 1985 Cutlass Ciera Indy pace car is very clean and an attention getter. The 1985 Cutlass Ciera convertible pace car is powered by a 2.5 lt four cylinder engine and followed by a 4-speed automatic transmission. This 1985 Cutlass Ciera convertible pace car is a true time capsule with no rust to be found anywhere on the vehicle. This Cutlass Ciera convertible Indy pace car is one of only 33 ever made and was considered the festival car. The car was created by Hess and Eisenhardt for the 1985 Indy 500 parade and track laps. This 1985 Cutlass Ciera is not a replica and was actually used on the track and has full documentation in form of race programs showing the cars on the track. After the Indy 500 race it was sold by an Indianapolis area dealer and lived most of its life as a sunny day cruiser. The owner will include all receipts for work and maintenance done including original brochures and shop manuals. Options on this vehicle include AC, AM/FM radio, cassette, power convertible top, cruise control, power brakes, power steering, power locks, power seats, power windows, tilt wheel, seat belts, leather interior, wire wheels, radial tires, and raised white letters. This 1985 Cutlass Ciera Indy 500 Pace car convertible is ready to be taken to the car shows and noticed by everyone. To view this beautiful 1985 Cutlass Ciera Indy Pace car convertible in greater detail, including an HD video, please visit www.GatewayClassicCars.com or our Detroit showroom. For more information on the 1985 Cutlass Ciera Indy pace car convertible please call 313-982-3100.
Cadillac : Eldorado Brougham 1957 CADILLAC ELDORADO BROUGHAM, 35,392 ORIGINAL MILES, ON AIR SUSP.
$119,000
Chicago, Illinois
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Posted Over 1 Month
1957 CADILLAC ELDORADO BROUGHAM, 35,392 ORIGINAL MILES, 3 OWNERS FROM NEW, UNRESTORED TIME CAPSULE SURVIVOR ON AIR SUSPENSION, BODY #337 This 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham is an example of one of the two great (and arguably the best) years of the 1st Series Eldorado Brougham production run and represents an era of automobiles that will never be seen again… The condition of this car is highly original and very well preserved. The car shows very few signs of age and shows only 35,392 original miles on the odometer. I am the third owner from new. The car runs and drives fantastic and needs absolutely nothing. BODY: This Cadillac still is completely original and has most of its original white paint applied. All of the body panels are ripple and dent free and have never had any sort of body or accident damage. The finish is in extremely nice overall condition and retains its original finish, obviously the result of the car being garage kept and well cared for all of its life. The glass and seals are in very nice condition and there are no leaks evident. The chrome bumpers, a real focal point on the '57 and '58 Broughams, are in extremely nice original condition, with almost no de-lamination or corrosion evident. They are, along with the wheels, some of the best original chrome I have seen on a Brougham in many years. All of the stainless steel on the car, including the top, is also in beautiful and original condition. INTERIOR: The interior is trimmed in the original white leather with black trim. The seating areas are in very nice original condition, as are the door panels and dashboard with no rips or tears evident. The carpet is the original mouton and is also in very nice original condition. The electric windows are in perfect working condition. The electric window motors have been checked and re-installed. The door locks also work as they should. The automatic trunk release and closure mechanism is in working order and the trunk area appears well preserved, as the trunk carpet is in very nice original condition, and the spare tire, wheel, and trunk accessories are all present and in place. As of the date of this listing, all of the power accessories are in working order. SUSPENSION: This Brougham retains its original air suspension, and is one of the few remaining that has not been converted to springs. The system functions as it should and is a real experience to drive, the air example being not only more historically significant, but also far more comfortable to drive than an example converted to springs, as many Broughams have been. UNDERCARRIAGE: The underside of the car is in line with a 35,000 mile car and is very solid and well preserved. There is no previous damage evident. I am happy to email additional photos of the undercarriage of the car if requested. ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION: All of the mechanical aspects of the car have been inspected and repaired, if necessary. The motor is original to the car, with all numbers and codes matching, and the transmission is original to the car. All of the engine, transmission, and differential fluids have been changed, all belts have been replaced, the cooling system flushed out, and a new battery installed. ENGINE COMPARTMENT: The engine bay is completely original, with all components in operational condition. Every detail of the engine compartment is well preserved. There is some minor wear to certain painted surfaces due to age, but overall, it is very presentable. TIRES AND WHEELS: The tires are the correct size for the Brougham, but are radials for safety and driveability. They also have a period correct whitewall. There is almost no wear evident. The chrome plated aluminum wheels are the best original and un-restored aluminum Brougham wheels I have ever seen. As anyone who knows these cars realizes, the chrome plating on almost all of the aluminum parts on the '57 and '58 Broughams tends to de-laminate and corrode over time. The wheels, as well as all of the chrome plated aluminum parts like the bumpers, are in very nice original condition and have with very minimal de-lamination or corrosion evident. OVERALL DRIVING IMPRESSIONS: This Eldorado Brougham runs as any 35,000 mile car should – It’s barely broken in! The 365 cubic inch V-8 powerplant runs and accelerates smoothly and very quickly and the automatic transmission shifts as it should. The car drives around town and on the open road with no trouble. It has had all of the necessary service recently performed including oil change, tune up, installation of new battery and brakes, and gearbox and differential service, and needs absolutely nothing to drive, show, and enjoy. All of the mechanical aspects of the car work as they should. PLEASE NOTE: This 1957 Eldorado Brougham still retains all of its original components! This means the engine, transmission, rear end, etc. are original to the car. All of the numbers, markings, etc., are correct. It is an original and very special car that, as evidenced by the low mileage, has been driven very sparingly during the last 57 years… This Brougham is the most unmolested and original example I have ever seen! If you’ve never driven an Eldorado Brougham of this period that is still on the original air suspension, you are in for a treat with this one! There is absolutely nothing that needs to be done to this car to drive it occasionally and enjoy it as a showpiece. I am always looking for new cars and motorcycles to add to my collection, so please let me know if you have something interesting for sale. TERMS: $500 DEPOSIT WITHIN 48 HOURS OF AUCTION CLOSE. BALANCE OF AUCTION AMOUNT MUST BE PAID BY CASH IN PERSON, BANK TO BANK WIRE TRANSFER, OR CERTIFIED FUNDS (WITH VERIFICATION) ONLY WITHIN 7 DAYS OF AUCTION CLOSE. SORRY, NO C.O.D. AND NO PAYPAL. The description of this vehicle is written to the best of my knowledge. However, even though I have a serious interest in these cars, I am by no means an expert on them. Please don’t hesitate to ask for more photos and, if possible, come and look in person before the auction ends. ALL SALES ARE FINAL! If you have any questions, please contact me before the auction ends. If you have any questions, please contact me. If you live close to Chicago, I encourage you to come and inspect the car in person! In an effort to protect the eBay user information and to help ensure the authenticity of correspondence between sellers and bidders, eBay’s new listing format does NOT display any bidder information. Nevertheless, I STRONGLY encourage bidders to contact me directly to answer questions or to verify correspondence. Seller reserves the right to not accept bids or sell the vehicle to anyone with a zero or negative eBay feedback rating. This vehicle is being sold as is, where is with no warranty, expressed, written or implied unless there is a warranty in effect from the factory. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, authenticity, genuineness, or defects herein, and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, imperfection, defect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to bid based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer's request PRIOR to the close of sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any statements regardless of any oral statements about the item. Please remember that your bid constitutes a legally binding contract to purchase this item. If you require an inspection, have it done prior to bidding. I strongly encourage all bidders to inspect the motorcycle personally or enlist the services of a professional inspector prior to placing a bid. After the sale, inspections are not recognized as a contingency to completing your obligation to your winning bid. If there are any questions regarding the above terms, please e-mail prior to bidding. Please do not waste my time or yours bidding on an item you do not intend to pay for. If you bid on this car and win, you are expected to pay for the car and pick it up in a timely manner! I welcome ALL international bidders and am happy to assist with making shipping arrangements. If you are an international buyer, I understand it can take some time to arrange shipping, so I do not mind keeping the vehicle for a longer period of time until pick up. Please contact me before the sale ends, if possible, to discuss the specifics. Thanks for your interest! For more on the '57 and '58 Broughams, please read on past the photos... For more on the 1957 Eldorado Brougham, read on… The 1957-1960 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham has often been compared to the 1956-1957 Continental Mark II. It has even been said that the Brougham was GM's response to Ford's second-generation Continental. Truthfully, about all the two had in common were great styling and poor sales. The Continental Mark II was planned as a reincarnation of the original 1940-1948 Continental, later known as the Mark I. Built by the entirely separate Continental Division of Ford Motor Company, the Mark II was offered only as a two-door hardtop. The Eldorado Brougham was a four-door hardtop derived from a very different school of styling thought. Ironically, it was first delivered in any numbers in April 1957, just one month before the Continental Mark II was taken out of production. The Mark II had a "Modern Formal" look, the result of many months of styling exercises by Ford and four outside styling consultants. The Eldorado Brougham, on the other hand, was "Modern Baroque," one man's dream intended to play upon the fantasies of the American car-buying public. That man was GM's autocratic styling boss, Harley J. Earl, who paid a lot more attention to Cecil B. De Mille and Al Jolson than to the great coachbuilders of the Classics of the Thirties. To Earl, showbiz sold cars. The more chrome, the better; the more a car looked like it was ready to blast off for Mars, the more buyer appeal. This isn't to say that Earl encouraged bad design. Many of his Fifties efforts -- including the Eldorado Brougham -- were quite good. But the thinking behind these designs had a lot more to do with playing to an audience than to blending the best elements of the past with the present. The General Motors Motoramas were extravaganzas conceived by Earl to test public reaction to GM's wildest styling dreams. The Eldorado Brougham slowly evolved through three years of Motoramas, leading Earl to the inevitable conclusion that while the well-heeled public might applaud a dashing open two-seater, it was far more likely to shell out the big bucks for an equally glamorous chariot with four doors and a permanent top. The origins of the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham can be traced back to the Orleans show car seen at the 1953 Motorama. This was a standard Series Sixty-Two Cadillac made into the decade's first true pillarless four-door hardtop. Also featured on this car was the 1953 Eldorado convertible's wraparound windshield. While the concept of a four-door hardtop intrigued buyers far more than the racy Le Mans roadster at the same show, the Orleans' stock 1953 lines didn't lend themselves very well to four-door hardtop styling. Still, Earl carefully noted the buyer preference for four seats, four doors, and a metal roof in a GM dreamboat. He particularly observed that this preference came from those who could "back up their approval with a check." GM's auto designer Harley Earl went to the 1954 Motorama with the El Camino coupe, La Espada roadster, and four-door Park Avenue. The last not only very accurately predicted the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, but the rest of the 1957 Cadillac line, and, to a lesser degree, the 1957 Buick and Oldsmobile. Though the Park Avenue wasn't a true four-door hardtop, the attractive stainless window frame treatment made it look deceptively like one. The top was brushed aluminum. Again, Earl noted the reaction from those who could really afford such cars, and the overwhelming choice was the Park Avenue sedan. This was followed up at the 1955 Motorama with a fully operational prototype Cadillac Eldorado Brougham that was close -- but not identical to -- the Park Avenue. The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was a true four-door hardtop, not a four-door sedan. It was lower than the Park Avenue (and seven inches lower than production Cadillacs) and considerably shorter in the rear. Its roof was brushed stainless steel rather than aluminum, and the wraparound windshield was vertical at the A-pillars rather than swept back into the doors. By this time, it was crystal clear in Earl's mind what the public wanted in a very high-end GM car -- and it had very little to do with the Continental Mark II, which was officially introduced in late September 1955. The Brougham wasn't committed to production until about the time of the 1955 Motorama. It was built by the Cadillac Division at the Cadillac plant in Detroit, Michigan, with not nearly the same degree of commitment or necessity to turn a profit as had been the case with the Mark II. Earl told Motor Trend magazine in 1955: "From the outset it was apparent that we must incorporate certain features known to be acceptable to our customers by virtue of Motorama experience and reception of our regular production cars, such as pillarless body construction, Panoramic windshield, pivoting front seats, and such landmarks as gull-type front bumper, 'egg-crate' grille, rear fender fins, and the projectile shapes on the rear fenders similar to the 1955 Eldorado convertible." The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham boasted the first four-headlight lighting system in the industry, along with the soon-to-be-extinct Nash. Unlike air suspension, this feature quickly spread to practically every production car in the U.S. It was the norm for nearly three decades (toward the end with rectangular lamps), until new legislation allowed the now-universal aero-headlights to take over. But in the late Fifties, when the U. S. Interstate Highway system was just beginning to take shape, the dual-beam single headlights of the late Thirties were still the standard. One reason for this was outmoded laws, which in many states didn't permit a true quad-lamp setup. However, the new system, introduced by Cadillac on the 1957 Brougham, was quickly approved by all states and became the industry standard in 1958. It utilized outer lamps with both high and low beams and inner lamps with high beam only. The outer lamps on low beam were used for city driving and when there was oncoming traffic. Inner lamps and outer lamps on high beam were used for highway/freeway driving. Combined wattage of the four lamps was much greater than two-lamp systems, thus furnishing better illumination. In addition, the light was directed so that a driver got maximum visibility while creating minimal glare for drivers of oncoming cars -- as long as the headlights were in proper alignment. The first minutes of meetings concerning the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham were recorded on May 4, 1954, shortly after the last stop of the 1954 Motorama. At this first meeting, preliminary specifications and dimensions were laid down. Styling responsibility was turned over to Ed Glowacke, who headed the Cadillac studio. Engineering was handled by Fred Arnold, Cadillac's Chief Engineer. Unlike so many of the industry's immobile show cars of the period, the first Eldorado Brougham was a fully operational model with an all-steel body, conventional Cadillac engine, and a full complement of working accessories. While the prototype, first displayed in early 1955, was essentially a 1955 Cadillac from an engineering standpoint (the chassis notwithstanding), the production model had all of the engineering advances of the 1957 models, including a 365-cubic-inch V-8. In the Eldorado Brougham it developed 325 horsepower at 4800 rpm, and featured a 10.0:1 compression ratio and two Carter four-barrel carburetors. This engine was optional on the Series Sixty-Two Eldorado Specials, the Seville coupe and Biarritz convertible. It was combined with a conventional GM Hydra-Matic four-speed automatic transmission. Power steering, power brakes, and air conditioning were all standard. While fuel injection was seriously considered for the production models, at no time was it ever incorporated. The Motorama Eldorado Brougham was rushed from preliminary sketches to completion in less than 10 months. Assembly got underway on November 6, 1954. Amazingly, the finished car was previewed by the industry in New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel on January 19, 1955, literally with the paint still drying. Somehow, when the car was being unloaded at 2 a.m. it fell off its jacks, tearing the front fender and gouging the rear bumper. Some pretty frantic scurrying must have followed because the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was revolving sedately on its turntable at 4 p.m. when the cocktail crowd of over 5000 arrived. GM designer Harley Earl had made an appearance on Arthur Godfrey's TV show the previous morning, where he strongly hinted that the flashy Brougham would be put into limited production. By the time the first of six Motorama stops was over, a week later, it was almost a foregone conclusion that this unique Cadillac creation would in fact be put into limited production. The prototype stood on a 124-inch wheelbase; the production wheelbase was pegged at 126 inches. The length of both the prototype and production models was 216.3 inches, about the same as the 1957 Series Sixty-Two sedan. But whereas the Sixty-Two stood 59 inches high, the production Brougham was down to 55.5 inches and its 77.5-inch width was 2.5 inches less than the standard production car. Despite the trimmer exterior dimensions, front and rear headroom was actually greater than in the Sixty-Two sedan. Front leg room was about the same, but rear leg room was uncomfortably less. The prototype's front fenders were one continuous piece, and there was a forward-hinged hood. The centerpost between the doors was cut down to a mere stub with the doors locking against each other. This dictated that the rear doors be hinged at the rear "suicide" style, a feature that never took hold at GM, but was popularized a few years later by the Lincoln Continental. The windshield had the same wraparound treatment as the prototype. Since the car was to offer air conditioning as standard equipment, wind wings were eliminated. Instead, aircraft type air scoops were incorporated in the cowl area, and functional vertical exhaust slots were found on the rear doors. While the differences between the prototype of the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham and the production model were subtle, the trained eye could easily pick them up. Side trim on the production model had slightly more chrome and glitz, and small vent windows appeared. The prototype had very restrained fins containing conservative taillights at the top, and the rear deck was sloped. The production Brougham openly conceded to the Cadillac mentality with a tail treatment vacillating between that of the Eldorado Seville/Biarritz and the standard Caddys. The fins were larger, the taillights were moved down, exhaust pods were tamed, and the deck was less sloped than on the Seville/Biarritz. Even the front-end treatment on the production model moved more closely to the mass-produced 1957 models. Obviously, GM designer Harley Earl was hedging his bets. Although the prototype's dashboard predicted the panel of the 1957 Cadillac, there were no interchangeable parts. Controls included three knobs in the driver's door to operate the "memory seat," buttons for the electric door locks and power-actuated trunklid, plus a warning light for low air pressure in the suspension system. The car could not be started with either rear door open, and all doors locked automatically when the car was put into gear. Standard equipment included an Autronic-Eye headlight dimmer and virtually every other accessory offered as an option, even on the Fleetwood series. A fully transistorized radio boasted front and rear speakers and an antenna that popped up and down automatically when the radio was turned on and off. Seats, both front and rear, were contoured to accommodate two passengers. The front seats were separate and independently adjustable -- and they swung out. This resulted in extremely wide and comfortable seating for two across, but made it quite uncomfortable for an uninvited third party. Upholstery materials ranging from all-leather to sedate and tailored broadcloth could be had in 44 variations. Mouton carpeting was standard, or the buyer could opt for wooly Karakul or lambskin n at no additional cost. As Motor Trend noted in January 1957: "Completely equipped vanity cases, front and rear, even contained a complimentary ounce of Arpège Extrait de Lanvin, a perfume in the Brougham price class." It should be noted that the Continental Mark II suffered to a degree because it didn't embrace any major innovations that the potential buyer could see or experience. While the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham never did receive fuel injection, it did have two other features with buyer appeal. These were the first air-suspension system on any production car in the world and the industry's first quad headlight setup (along with the 1957 Nash). Less appealing at the time, but new nonetheless, were the industry's first low-profile tires with thin whitewalls. The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham's air suspension was designed by Lester D. Milliken and Fred H. Cowin, both engineers with the Cadillac Division. Cowin further developed a tubular X-frame to complement this new suspension setup. This type of frame was quickly adopted for all 1957 Cadillacs, which were coil sprung at all four corners. The 126-inch-wheelbase Brougham version was 3.5 inches shorter than the Series Sixty-Two, but the tread front and rear remained the same at 61 inches, making it a very stable compact design. The feature-laden, super-luxurious Cadillac Eldorado Brougham made its public debut at the National Automobile Show in New York in late January 1957. Public introduction at dealerships was held in key U.S. cities in February. At that time, orders were taken, although very few cars were actually delivered before March. Surprisingly, the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham received only passing attention in the motoring press, and was given pathetically few drive reports. For reasons never fully explained, the factory public relations effort was practically non-existent compared to the monumental press buildup that had preceded the introduction of the Continental Mark II. One publication that did road test the Brougham was Motor Trend. But the magazine only checked out the car's new suspension system, not the total performance and personality of this new breed of Cadillac. Reporter Joe Wherry wrote, not altogether enthusiastically, that "A rough, busted-up three miles of ancient concrete road provided a good place to drive both a conventionally suspended Cad 60 Special and the new airborne Brougham. There is no doubt that the ride is amazingly improved, but riders and driver too (through the entire structure) felt shocks; the edge or sharpness of the bump and rebound is taken away. Cornering under power produces as much heeling over as in a regular line Cadillac and more than in some current domestic cars with suspensions engineered specifically to maintain a level cornering attitude, regardless of the stresses imposed by the centrifugal action of a fast turn. Nose dipping on fast stops is still present." Without coming right out and saying it, Motor Trend must have concluded that the Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special, reported on separately in another issue, was by far the better value at a base price of $5,614. Praising the Fleetwood for quality, fuel economy, and overall economy, MT said that the riding qualities were "just about the best found on any present day automobile." It has been contended that one reason the Mark II failed in the marketplace was because it was not offered in a four-door version. If this was the case, then the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham should have fared better. Truthfully, it met a more resistant market than the Mark II. At $10,000, the Mark found only about 1200 buyers. Discounted to around $8,000, another 1,800 customers were found. The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was pegged at $13,074! There were no additional accessories needed, and no discount was offered. At this price, only 400 buyers were found in 1957 and 304 in 1958. With the Mark II, price was the entire story. With the Eldorado, price was only a part of it. When Cadillac had introduced the Eldorado convertible in 1953, the division was satisfied to sell only 533 examples. Even at this level, there were a lot of quality complaints coming back from the dealers, particularly with regard to the air suspension. While Cadillac has never offered any explanation for the low production numbers, it seems that the Eldorado Brougham was more of a token promotion effort than anything else -- a token to Harley Earl's ego and to the intensive Mark II exercise over in Dearborn. And the bottom line was that the Brougham effort seemed to do a good job of selling the upmarket Sixty Specials, which hit a production record of 24,000 in 1957 -- 7000 units more than in 1956. ***Article courtesy of : Auto Editors of Consumer Guide and How Stuff Works In the postwar era, Cadillac was a dominant force in the world of luxury automobile, outpacing its previous rival, Packard, with styling innovations such as the famous tail fins, as well as myriad luxury options. Cadillac in the 1950s proudly proclaimed its "Standard of the World" slogan. In order to truly own that idea though, Cadillac needed to build something with unsurpassed luxury, besting even its peers from across the pond. Originally shown as a concept at the 1955 L.A. Auto Show, the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was put into production in 1957 and was at the time the pinnacle of luxury and innovation. It featured numerous options, some of which are still not available today. The engine was a 365 cubic-inch V8, breathing though twin four-barrel carburetors and running through a 4-speed automatic transmission. The body was long, low and extravagant, with a pillarless four-door design and the rear doors opening suicide style (and you know how much we love suicide doors). At the behest of GM styling guru Harley Earl, the car recived a slick stainless-steel roof and road-adjusting quad headlights for better illumination. The suspension was as advanced as anything GM had in it's arsenal at the time: a centrally controlled, self-leveling and auto-adjusting air suspension which provided an uncompromisingly smooth ride. Where the Caddy really shimmered was in the amenities. Independent of each other, they seem underwhelming, but that all of the features lived in one car in 1957 is incredible. On the inside, drivers were greeted with power seats that included memory settings, remote-adjustable side mirrors and an auto-adjusting rear-view mirror, an all-transistor automatic-station-seeking radio with twin speakers, all-electric windows, a power locking system, and a power open AND close trunk lid. Now that's just the normal stuff. Here's where things get crazy. The designers also saw fit to throw in a stainless steel drinking set for the glove box, a cigarette dispenser, various vanity elements for the ladies, and a perfume dispenser filled with Arpege Extrait de Lanvin perfume. Are you kidding?! Of course, anything can be built when money is not option, and here's where the Eldorado Brougham took no prisoners. The base retail price in 1957 was $13,074, exceeding even the most pricey Rolls of the time. Toss that number into the Federal Reserve consumer price index calculator and that tally in 2008 dollars rings the bell at $100,311. Only the Cadillac XLR-V has ever commanded a sum so high, and that Caddy merely goes fast and has a lovely Eucalyptus wood interior. The Brougham was offered for only two years; total production of the princely luxo-yachts was 704 vehicles. After the initial run, production was farmed out to Pininfarina, where a redesign was executed, but the quality in craftsmanship just wasn't the same. The '57 Eldorado Brougham was probably the finest post-war Cadillac produced to date. Peerless in its design and attention to detail, it was the pinnacle of what an American boulevardier could ever be. Smooth, technically savvy, staggeringly handsome and cranking out as much power as the average Eisenhower Era captain of industry would ever need. It's not difficult to imagine driving this car on a lazy, cross-country summer roadtrip, dusk creeping across the sky, the calm glow of an old dashboard and a crackly radio serving as background noise. Not all of the best driving is done at the limit of grip. ***Artcle Courtesy of: Ben Wojdyla on Jalopnik, Jalopnik Fantasy Garage The Eldorado Brougham -- designed in 1954 as Cadillac's dream car for the General Motors Motorama of 1955. From the beginning, the Brougham was a pace-setting vehicle with styling and engineering features destined to be incorporated into lesser cars in future years. Two years of concentrated testing and development went into the Brougham helping designers in their continuous search for a better way to build the best automobile. Cadillac engineers came up with a special body for the Brougham alone. It was built by Fisher Body's Fleetwood plant, builders of all Cadillac bodies. Among the outstanding engineering features which exemplify the extensive study that went into the makeup of the Brougham are air suspension, a four headlamp system and a tubular center X-frame. The use of air springs marks the first time that such a system had been used on an automobile. The system provides an individual air spring unit at each wheel. Air is supplied to the spring units through leveling valves so that the car remains level with varying loads and road conditions, thus contributing to the Brougham's appearance as well as assuring consistently easy handling and smooth riding quality. The interior of the Brougham is luxurious to a high degree with some 45 choices of trim and color combinations available during ordering. Carpeting was available in either mouton, a specially processed lamb skin, or high-pile nylon Karakul. There is a special heating system with both front and rear compartment outlets. The under-seat heaters for the rear can be operated individually by the passengers. To complete the year-round comfort, each Brougham contains a front-mounted Cadillac air conditioner. Steering, braking and window controls (including vent panes) are power operated on the Brougham. Each feature of the Brougham -- as the car itself -- was designed to improve comfort, safety and convenience for the driver and passengers. The inquiring minds of Cadillac engineers and designers came up with the finest car possible in 1957. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE
Cadillac : Eldorado Brougham 1957 CADILLAC ELDORADO BROUGHAM, 35,392 ORIGINAL UNRESTORED MILES, ON AIR SUSP.
$125,000
Chicago, Illinois
Year -
Make -
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Posted Over 1 Month
1957 CADILLAC ELDORADO BROUGHAM, 35,392 ORIGINAL MILES, 3 OWNERS FROM NEW, UNRESTORED TIME CAPSULE SURVIVOR ON AIR SUSPENSION This 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham is an example of one of the two great (and arguably the best) years of the 1st Series Eldorado Brougham production run and represents an era of automobiles that will never be seen again… The condition of this car is highly original and very well preserved. The car shows very few signs of age and shows only 35,392 original miles on the odometer. I am the third owner from new. The car runs and drives fantastic and needs absolutely nothing. BODY: This Cadillac still is completely original and has most of its original white paint applied. All of the body panels are ripple and dent free and have never had any sort of body or accident damage. The finish is in extremely nice overall condition and retains its original finish, obviously the result of the car being garage kept and well cared for all of its life. The glass and seals are in very nice condition and there are no leaks evident. The chrome bumpers, a real focal point on the '57 and '58 Broughams, are in extremely nice original condition, with almost no de-lamination or corrosion evident. They are, along with the wheels, some of the best original chrome I have seen on a Brougham in many years. All of the stainless steel on the car, including the top, is also in beautiful and original condition. INTERIOR: The interior is trimmed in the original white leather with black trim. The seating areas are in very nice original condition, as are the door panels and dashboard with no rips or tears evident. The carpet is the original mouton and is also in very nice original condition. The electric windows are in perfect working condition. The electric window motors have been checked and re-installed. The door locks also work as they should. The automatic trunk release and closure mechanism is in working order and the trunk area appears well preserved, as the trunk carpet is in very nice original condition, and the spare tire, wheel, and trunk accessories are all present and in place. As of the date of this listing, all of the power accessories are in working order. SUSPENSION: This Brougham retains its original air suspension, and is one of the few remaining that has not been converted to springs. The system functions as it should and is a real experience to drive, the air example being not only more historically significant, but also far more comfortable to drive than an example converted to springs, as many Broughams have. UNDERCARRIAGE: The underside of the car is in line with a 35,000 mile car and is very well preserved. There is no previous damage evident. I am happy to email additional photos of the undercarriage of the car if requested. ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION: All of the mechanical aspects of the car have been inspected and repaired, if necessary. The motor is original to the car, with all numbers and codes matching, and the transmission is original to the car. All of the engine, transmission, and differential fluids have been changed, all belts have been replaced, the cooling system flushed out, and a new battery installed. ENGINE COMPARTMENT: The engine bay is completely original, with all components in operational condition. Every detail of the engine compartment is well preserved. There is some minor wear to certain painted surfaces due to age, but overall, it is very presentable. TIRES AND WHEELS: The tires are the correct size for the Brougham, but are radials for safety and driveability. They also have a period correct whitewall. There is almost no wear evident. The chrome plated aluminum wheels are the best original and un-restored aluminum Brougham wheels I have ever seen. As anyone who knows these cars realizes, the chrome plating on almost all of the aluminum parts on the '57 and '58 Broughams tends to de-laminate and corrode over time. The wheels, as well as all of the chrome plated aluminum parts like the bumpers, are in very nice original condition and have with very minimal de-lamination or corrosion evident. OVERALL DRIVING IMPRESSIONS: This Eldorado Brougham runs as any 35,000 mile car should – It’s barely broken in! The 365 cubic inch V-8 powerplant runs and accelerates smoothly and very quickly and the automatic transmission shifts as it should. The car drives around town and on the open road with no trouble. It has had all of the necessary service recently performed including oil change, tune up, installation of new battery and brakes, and gearbox and differential service, and needs absolutely nothing to drive, show, and enjoy. All of the mechanical aspects of the car work as they should. PLEASE NOTE: This 1957 Eldorado Brougham still retains all of its original components! This means the engine, transmission, rear end, etc. are original to the car. All of the numbers, markings, etc., are correct. It is an original and very special car that, as evidenced by the low mileage, has been driven very sparingly during the last 57 years… This Brougham is the most unmolested and original example I have ever seen! If you’ve never driven an Eldorado Brougham of this period that is still on the original air suspension, you are in for a treat with this one! There is absolutely nothing that needs to be done to this car to drive it occasionally and enjoy it as a showpiece. I am always looking for new cars and motorcycles to add to my collection and have several other cars for sale including a 1957 E-Code Dual-Quad Thunderbird as well as motocross and enduro motorcycles and Italian, Japanese, and German road and race bikes. Please contact me if you are interested or have something interesting for sale. ...And if you liked the gallery photo and the second photo in this ad, it's called Studio Effect by Dimostra. Studio Effect is a process that utilizes a photograph of your favorite car, truck, or motorcycle and simulates the photo to appear as if it was taken in a professional studio. Please contact me for more information. TERMS: $500 DEPOSIT WITHIN 48 HOURS OF AUCTION CLOSE. BALANCE OF AUCTION AMOUNT MUST BE PAID BY CASH IN PERSON, BANK TO BANK WIRE TRANSFER, OR CERTIFIED FUNDS (WITH VERIFICATION) ONLY WITHIN 7 DAYS OF AUCTION CLOSE. SORRY, NO C.O.D. AND NO PAYPAL. The description of this vehicle is written to the best of my knowledge. However, even though I have a serious interest in these cars, I am by no means an expert on them. Please don’t hesitate to ask for more photos and, if possible, come and look in person before the auction ends. ALL SALES ARE FINAL! If you have any questions, please contact me before the auction ends. If you have any questions, please contact me. If you live close to Chicago, I encourage you to come and inspect the car in person! In an effort to protect the eBay user information and to help ensure the authenticity of correspondence between sellers and bidders, eBay’s new listing format does NOT display any bidder information. Nevertheless, I STRONGLY encourage bidders to contact me directly to answer questions or to verify correspondence. Seller reserves the right to not accept bids or sell the vehicle to anyone with a zero or negative eBay feedback rating. This vehicle is being sold as is, where is with no warranty, expressed, written or implied unless there is a warranty in effect from the factory. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, authenticity, genuineness, or defects herein, and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, imperfection, defect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to bid based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer's request PRIOR to the close of sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any statements regardless of any oral statements about the item. Please remember that your bid constitutes a legally binding contract to purchase this item. If you require an inspection, have it done prior to bidding. I strongly encourage all bidders to inspect the motorcycle personally or enlist the services of a professional inspector prior to placing a bid. After the sale, inspections are not recognized as a contingency to completing your obligation to your winning bid. If there are any questions regarding the above terms, please e-mail prior to bidding. Please do not waste my time or yours bidding on an item you do not intend to pay for. If you bid on this car and win, you are expected to pay for the car and pick it up in a timely manner! I welcome ALL international bidders and am happy to assist with making shipping arrangements. If you are an international buyer, I understand it can take some time to arrange shipping, so I do not mind keeping the vehicle for a longer period of time until pick up. Please contact me before the sale ends, if possible, to discuss the specifics. Thanks for your interest! For more on the '57 and '58 Broughams, please read on past the photos... For more on the 1957 Eldorado Brougham, read on… The 1957-1960 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham has often been compared to the 1956-1957 Continental Mark II. It has even been said that the Brougham was GM's response to Ford's second-generation Continental. Truthfully, about all the two had in common were great styling and poor sales. The Continental Mark II was planned as a reincarnation of the original 1940-1948 Continental, later known as the Mark I. Built by the entirely separate Continental Division of Ford Motor Company, the Mark II was offered only as a two-door hardtop. The Eldorado Brougham was a four-door hardtop derived from a very different school of styling thought. Ironically, it was first delivered in any numbers in April 1957, just one month before the Continental Mark II was taken out of production. The Mark II had a "Modern Formal" look, the result of many months of styling exercises by Ford and four outside styling consultants. The Eldorado Brougham, on the other hand, was "Modern Baroque," one man's dream intended to play upon the fantasies of the American car-buying public. That man was GM's autocratic styling boss, Harley J. Earl, who paid a lot more attention to Cecil B. De Mille and Al Jolson than to the great coachbuilders of the Classics of the Thirties. To Earl, showbiz sold cars. The more chrome, the better; the more a car looked like it was ready to blast off for Mars, the more buyer appeal. This isn't to say that Earl encouraged bad design. Many of his Fifties efforts -- including the Eldorado Brougham -- were quite good. But the thinking behind these designs had a lot more to do with playing to an audience than to blending the best elements of the past with the present. The General Motors Motoramas were extravaganzas conceived by Earl to test public reaction to GM's wildest styling dreams. The Eldorado Brougham slowly evolved through three years of Motoramas, leading Earl to the inevitable conclusion that while the well-heeled public might applaud a dashing open two-seater, it was far more likely to shell out the big bucks for an equally glamorous chariot with four doors and a permanent top. The origins of the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham can be traced back to the Orleans show car seen at the 1953 Motorama. This was a standard Series Sixty-Two Cadillac made into the decade's first true pillarless four-door hardtop. Also featured on this car was the 1953 Eldorado convertible's wraparound windshield. While the concept of a four-door hardtop intrigued buyers far more than the racy Le Mans roadster at the same show, the Orleans' stock 1953 lines didn't lend themselves very well to four-door hardtop styling. Still, Earl carefully noted the buyer preference for four seats, four doors, and a metal roof in a GM dreamboat. He particularly observed that this preference came from those who could "back up their approval with a check." GM's auto designer Harley Earl went to the 1954 Motorama with the El Camino coupe, La Espada roadster, and four-door Park Avenue. The last not only very accurately predicted the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, but the rest of the 1957 Cadillac line, and, to a lesser degree, the 1957 Buick and Oldsmobile. Though the Park Avenue wasn't a true four-door hardtop, the attractive stainless window frame treatment made it look deceptively like one. The top was brushed aluminum. Again, Earl noted the reaction from those who could really afford such cars, and the overwhelming choice was the Park Avenue sedan. This was followed up at the 1955 Motorama with a fully operational prototype Cadillac Eldorado Brougham that was close -- but not identical to -- the Park Avenue. The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was a true four-door hardtop, not a four-door sedan. It was lower than the Park Avenue (and seven inches lower than production Cadillacs) and considerably shorter in the rear. Its roof was brushed stainless steel rather than aluminum, and the wraparound windshield was vertical at the A-pillars rather than swept back into the doors. By this time, it was crystal clear in Earl's mind what the public wanted in a very high-end GM car -- and it had very little to do with the Continental Mark II, which was officially introduced in late September 1955. The Brougham wasn't committed to production until about the time of the 1955 Motorama. It was built by the Cadillac Division at the Cadillac plant in Detroit, Michigan, with not nearly the same degree of commitment or necessity to turn a profit as had been the case with the Mark II. Earl told Motor Trend magazine in 1955: "From the outset it was apparent that we must incorporate certain features known to be acceptable to our customers by virtue of Motorama experience and reception of our regular production cars, such as pillarless body construction, Panoramic windshield, pivoting front seats, and such landmarks as gull-type front bumper, 'egg-crate' grille, rear fender fins, and the projectile shapes on the rear fenders similar to the 1955 Eldorado convertible." The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham boasted the first four-headlight lighting system in the industry, along with the soon-to-be-extinct Nash. Unlike air suspension, this feature quickly spread to practically every production car in the U.S. It was the norm for nearly three decades (toward the end with rectangular lamps), until new legislation allowed the now-universal aero-headlights to take over. But in the late Fifties, when the U. S. Interstate Highway system was just beginning to take shape, the dual-beam single headlights of the late Thirties were still the standard. One reason for this was outmoded laws, which in many states didn't permit a true quad-lamp setup. However, the new system, introduced by Cadillac on the 1957 Brougham, was quickly approved by all states and became the industry standard in 1958. It utilized outer lamps with both high and low beams and inner lamps with high beam only. The outer lamps on low beam were used for city driving and when there was oncoming traffic. Inner lamps and outer lamps on high beam were used for highway/freeway driving. Combined wattage of the four lamps was much greater than two-lamp systems, thus furnishing better illumination. In addition, the light was directed so that a driver got maximum visibility while creating minimal glare for drivers of oncoming cars -- as long as the headlights were in proper alignment. The first minutes of meetings concerning the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham were recorded on May 4, 1954, shortly after the last stop of the 1954 Motorama. At this first meeting, preliminary specifications and dimensions were laid down. Styling responsibility was turned over to Ed Glowacke, who headed the Cadillac studio. Engineering was handled by Fred Arnold, Cadillac's Chief Engineer. Unlike so many of the industry's immobile show cars of the period, the first Eldorado Brougham was a fully operational model with an all-steel body, conventional Cadillac engine, and a full complement of working accessories. While the prototype, first displayed in early 1955, was essentially a 1955 Cadillac from an engineering standpoint (the chassis notwithstanding), the production model had all of the engineering advances of the 1957 models, including a 365-cubic-inch V-8. In the Eldorado Brougham it developed 325 horsepower at 4800 rpm, and featured a 10.0:1 compression ratio and two Carter four-barrel carburetors. This engine was optional on the Series Sixty-Two Eldorado Specials, the Seville coupe and Biarritz convertible. It was combined with a conventional GM Hydra-Matic four-speed automatic transmission. Power steering, power brakes, and air conditioning were all standard. While fuel injection was seriously considered for the production models, at no time was it ever incorporated. The Motorama Eldorado Brougham was rushed from preliminary sketches to completion in less than 10 months. Assembly got underway on November 6, 1954. Amazingly, the finished car was previewed by the industry in New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel on January 19, 1955, literally with the paint still drying. Somehow, when the car was being unloaded at 2 a.m. it fell off its jacks, tearing the front fender and gouging the rear bumper. Some pretty frantic scurrying must have followed because the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was revolving sedately on its turntable at 4 p.m. when the cocktail crowd of over 5000 arrived. GM designer Harley Earl had made an appearance on Arthur Godfrey's TV show the previous morning, where he strongly hinted that the flashy Brougham would be put into limited production. By the time the first of six Motorama stops was over, a week later, it was almost a foregone conclusion that this unique Cadillac creation would in fact be put into limited production. The prototype stood on a 124-inch wheelbase; the production wheelbase was pegged at 126 inches. The length of both the prototype and production models was 216.3 inches, about the same as the 1957 Series Sixty-Two sedan. But whereas the Sixty-Two stood 59 inches high, the production Brougham was down to 55.5 inches and its 77.5-inch width was 2.5 inches less than the standard production car. Despite the trimmer exterior dimensions, front and rear headroom was actually greater than in the Sixty-Two sedan. Front leg room was about the same, but rear leg room was uncomfortably less. The prototype's front fenders were one continuous piece, and there was a forward-hinged hood. The centerpost between the doors was cut down to a mere stub with the doors locking against each other. This dictated that the rear doors be hinged at the rear "suicide" style, a feature that never took hold at GM, but was popularized a few years later by the Lincoln Continental. The windshield had the same wraparound treatment as the prototype. Since the car was to offer air conditioning as standard equipment, wind wings were eliminated. Instead, aircraft type air scoops were incorporated in the cowl area, and functional vertical exhaust slots were found on the rear doors. While the differences between the prototype of the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham and the production model were subtle, the trained eye could easily pick them up. Side trim on the production model had slightly more chrome and glitz, and small vent windows appeared. The prototype had very restrained fins containing conservative taillights at the top, and the rear deck was sloped. The production Brougham openly conceded to the Cadillac mentality with a tail treatment vacillating between that of the Eldorado Seville/Biarritz and the standard Caddys. The fins were larger, the taillights were moved down, exhaust pods were tamed, and the deck was less sloped than on the Seville/Biarritz. Even the front-end treatment on the production model moved more closely to the mass-produced 1957 models. Obviously, GM designer Harley Earl was hedging his bets. Although the prototype's dashboard predicted the panel of the 1957 Cadillac, there were no interchangeable parts. Controls included three knobs in the driver's door to operate the "memory seat," buttons for the electric door locks and power-actuated trunklid, plus a warning light for low air pressure in the suspension system. The car could not be started with either rear door open, and all doors locked automatically when the car was put into gear. Standard equipment included an Autronic-Eye headlight dimmer and virtually every other accessory offered as an option, even on the Fleetwood series. A fully transistorized radio boasted front and rear speakers and an antenna that popped up and down automatically when the radio was turned on and off. Seats, both front and rear, were contoured to accommodate two passengers. The front seats were separate and independently adjustable -- and they swung out. This resulted in extremely wide and comfortable seating for two across, but made it quite uncomfortable for an uninvited third party. Upholstery materials ranging from all-leather to sedate and tailored broadcloth could be had in 44 variations. Mouton carpeting was standard, or the buyer could opt for wooly Karakul or lambskin n at no additional cost. As Motor Trend noted in January 1957: "Completely equipped vanity cases, front and rear, even contained a complimentary ounce of Arpège Extrait de Lanvin, a perfume in the Brougham price class." It should be noted that the Continental Mark II suffered to a degree because it didn't embrace any major innovations that the potential buyer could see or experience. While the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham never did receive fuel injection, it did have two other features with buyer appeal. These were the first air-suspension system on any production car in the world and the industry's first quad headlight setup (along with the 1957 Nash). Less appealing at the time, but new nonetheless, were the industry's first low-profile tires with thin whitewalls. The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham's air suspension was designed by Lester D. Milliken and Fred H. Cowin, both engineers with the Cadillac Division. Cowin further developed a tubular X-frame to complement this new suspension setup. This type of frame was quickly adopted for all 1957 Cadillacs, which were coil sprung at all four corners. The 126-inch-wheelbase Brougham version was 3.5 inches shorter than the Series Sixty-Two, but the tread front and rear remained the same at 61 inches, making it a very stable compact design. The feature-laden, super-luxurious Cadillac Eldorado Brougham made its public debut at the National Automobile Show in New York in late January 1957. Public introduction at dealerships was held in key U.S. cities in February. At that time, orders were taken, although very few cars were actually delivered before March. Surprisingly, the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham received only passing attention in the motoring press, and was given pathetically few drive reports. For reasons never fully explained, the factory public relations effort was practically non-existent compared to the monumental press buildup that had preceded the introduction of the Continental Mark II. One publication that did road test the Brougham was Motor Trend. But the magazine only checked out the car's new suspension system, not the total performance and personality of this new breed of Cadillac. Reporter Joe Wherry wrote, not altogether enthusiastically, that "A rough, busted-up three miles of ancient concrete road provided a good place to drive both a conventionally suspended Cad 60 Special and the new airborne Brougham. There is no doubt that the ride is amazingly improved, but riders and driver too (through the entire structure) felt shocks; the edge or sharpness of the bump and rebound is taken away. Cornering under power produces as much heeling over as in a regular line Cadillac and more than in some current domestic cars with suspensions engineered specifically to maintain a level cornering attitude, regardless of the stresses imposed by the centrifugal action of a fast turn. Nose dipping on fast stops is still present." Without coming right out and saying it, Motor Trend must have concluded that the Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special, reported on separately in another issue, was by far the better value at a base price of $5,614. Praising the Fleetwood for quality, fuel economy, and overall economy, MT said that the riding qualities were "just about the best found on any present day automobile." It has been contended that one reason the Mark II failed in the marketplace was because it was not offered in a four-door version. If this was the case, then the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham should have fared better. Truthfully, it met a more resistant market than the Mark II. At $10,000, the Mark found only about 1200 buyers. Discounted to around $8,000, another 1,800 customers were found. The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was pegged at $13,074! There were no additional accessories needed, and no discount was offered. At this price, only 400 buyers were found in 1957 and 304 in 1958. With the Mark II, price was the entire story. With the Eldorado, price was only a part of it. When Cadillac had introduced the Eldorado convertible in 1953, the division was satisfied to sell only 533 examples. Even at this level, there were a lot of quality complaints coming back from the dealers, particularly with regard to the air suspension. While Cadillac has never offered any explanation for the low production numbers, it seems that the Eldorado Brougham was more of a token promotion effort than anything else -- a token to Harley Earl's ego and to the intensive Mark II exercise over in Dearborn. And the bottom line was that the Brougham effort seemed to do a good job of selling the upmarket Sixty Specials, which hit a production record of 24,000 in 1957 -- 7000 units more than in 1956. ***Article courtesy of : Auto Editors of Consumer Guide and How Stuff Works In the postwar era, Cadillac was a dominant force in the world of luxury automobile, outpacing its previous rival, Packard, with styling innovations such as the famous tail fins, as well as myriad luxury options. Cadillac in the 1950s proudly proclaimed its "Standard of the World" slogan. In order to truly own that idea though, Cadillac needed to build something with unsurpassed luxury, besting even its peers from across the pond. Originally shown as a concept at the 1955 L.A. Auto Show, the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was put into production in 1957 and was at the time the pinnacle of luxury and innovation. It featured numerous options, some of which are still not available today. The engine was a 365 cubic-inch V8, breathing though twin four-barrel carburetors and running through a 4-speed automatic transmission. The body was long, low and extravagant, with a pillarless four-door design and the rear doors opening suicide style (and you know how much we love suicide doors). At the behest of GM styling guru Harley Earl, the car recived a slick stainless-steel roof and road-adjusting quad headlights for better illumination. The suspension was as advanced as anything GM had in it's arsenal at the time: a centrally controlled, self-leveling and auto-adjusting air suspension which provided an uncompromisingly smooth ride. Where the Caddy really shimmered was in the amenities. Independent of each other, they seem underwhelming, but that all of the features lived in one car in 1957 is incredible. On the inside, drivers were greeted with power seats that included memory settings, remote-adjustable side mirrors and an auto-adjusting rear-view mirror, an all-transistor automatic-station-seeking radio with twin speakers, all-electric windows, a power locking system, and a power open AND close trunk lid. Now that's just the normal stuff. Here's where things get crazy. The designers also saw fit to throw in a stainless steel drinking set for the glove box, a cigarette dispenser, various vanity elements for the ladies, and a perfume dispenser filled with Arpege Extrait de Lanvin perfume. Are you kidding?! Of course, anything can be built when money is not option, and here's where the Eldorado Brougham took no prisoners. The base retail price in 1957 was $13,074, exceeding even the most pricey Rolls of the time. Toss that number into the Federal Reserve consumer price index calculator and that tally in 2008 dollars rings the bell at $100,311. Only the Cadillac XLR-V has ever commanded a sum so high, and that Caddy merely goes fast and has a lovely Eucalyptus wood interior. The Brougham was offered for only two years; total production of the princely luxo-yachts was 704 vehicles. After the initial run, production was farmed out to Pininfarina, where a redesign was executed, but the quality in craftsmanship just wasn't the same. The '57 Eldorado Brougham was probably the finest post-war Cadillac produced to date. Peerless in its design and attention to detail, it was the pinnacle of what an American boulevardier could ever be. Smooth, technically savvy, staggeringly handsome and cranking out as much power as the average Eisenhower Era captain of industry would ever need. It's not difficult to imagine driving this car on a lazy, cross-country summer roadtrip, dusk creeping across the sky, the calm glow of an old dashboard and a crackly radio serving as background noise. Not all of the best driving is done at the limit of grip. ***Artcle Courtesy of: Ben Wojdyla on Jalopnik, Jalopnik Fantasy Garage The Eldorado Brougham -- designed in 1954 as Cadillac's dream car for the General Motors Motorama of 1955. From the beginning, the Brougham was a pace-setting vehicle with styling and engineering features destined to be incorporated into lesser cars in future years. Two years of concentrated testing and development went into the Brougham helping designers in their continuous search for a better way to build the best automobile. Cadillac engineers came up with a special body for the Brougham alone. It was built by Fisher Body's Fleetwood plant, builders of all Cadillac bodies. Among the outstanding engineering features which exemplify the extensive study that went into the makeup of the Brougham are air suspension, a four headlamp system and a tubular center X-frame. The use of air springs marks the first time that such a system had been used on an automobile. The system provides an individual air spring unit at each wheel. Air is supplied to the spring units through leveling valves so that the car remains level with varying loads and road conditions, thus contributing to the Brougham's appearance as well as assuring consistently easy handling and smooth riding quality. The interior of the Brougham is luxurious to a high degree with some 45 choices of trim and color combinations available during ordering. Carpeting was available in either mouton, a specially processed lamb skin, or high-pile nylon Karakul. There is a special heating system with both front and rear compartment outlets. The under-seat heaters for the rear can be operated individually by the passengers. To complete the year-round comfort, each Brougham contains a front-mounted Cadillac air conditioner. Steering, braking and window controls (including vent panes) are power operated on the Brougham. Each feature of the Brougham -- as the car itself -- was designed to improve comfort, safety and convenience for the driver and passengers. The inquiring minds of Cadillac engineers and designers came up with the finest car possible in 1957. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE
