You guys are looking at one of the most expensive and rare cars currently for sale in Bring A Trailer. Not a Ferrari or Lamborghini, but a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible in perfect exterior condition. This is the top trim level Cadillac offered right at the peak of the dazzling excess era, fitted with gigantic tailfins and opulent chrome trim.
If you want the purest embodiment of American excess, the largest, most impressive land yacht to come out of the 1950s, it’s got to be this. And there aren’t that many around. Of the 138,000 Cadillacs made for 1959, only 1,320 were this Eldorado Biarritz top-end configuration, which would cost twice as much as a fully equipped Series 62.
The Eldorado came to be in 1953, as part of a luxury vehicle program where GM wanted to show its superiority over the American automotive landscape. It was joined by the Oldsmobile 98 Fiesta and Buick Roadmaster Skylark, but the Cadillac was by far the most expensive and special.
Throughout the 1950s, Caddy’s designers grew more ambitious with their wings, and it all culminated with the 1959 Eldorado. Under the guidance of design director Chuck Jordan and GM’s design chief, Harley Earl, this became a symbol of that era, stretching over 18 feet in length and dripping in excess. This stuff is straight out of Mad Men!
Unless I’m mistaken, the 1959 Eldorado has the record for the biggest fins on any production car. It definitely doesn’t blend into the car park and probably doesn’t fit either.
What a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado is worth
This example is currently being sold on BAT by Bullet Motorsports, the same guys who brought out that Corvette wagon and I mention this because they take great photos. Chassis number 59E050247 has gone through a full restoration which ended in 2016, so the red paint is looking as bright as the polished trim. Under the hood is your typical 390 cubic-inch V8 making 345 hp and 435 pound-feet since it’s got the triple two-barrel carburetors.
After a short bidding war, the price has reached $220,000 with 3 days left before the online auction ends. Last year a Biarritz sold for $330,000 at auction, but unlike muscle cars, prices have been sky-high for many years. Classic Cadillacs suffered from rust due, so many ended up being crushed, and trim specific to this convertible is almost impossible to find.
Both the Biarritz convertible and Seville hardtops carried a sky-high base price of $7,401 when new, as they battled with Mercedes and Rolls-Royce. Everything was fancy and cutting-edge for the time: power steering and power brakes, push-button radio, in-dash clock, the optional Autronic Eye automatic headlamp dimmer, air-assisted rear suspension, a six-way power front seat, power door locks and power-operated roof.
Ironically, even though they were inspired by the world of aeronautics and rockets, the fins of the Eldorado didn’t help the car take corners better. Some say this Cadillac embodies everything that was wrong with the American auto industry at the time and the giant fin trend died down as we entered the 1960s. Even so, nothing turns heads like 18 feet of chromed excess.
