“In 1958 it was the beginning of the Space Age and US automobile manufactures designed their new models with that space look in mind. In 1958 there was a lot of chrome and a lot of fins. Cadillac took a little more refined approach for the fins than other GM cars that year, but the Eldorado-Seville kept with the trend of a dorsal fin on the rear fender. Only 855 Cadillac Eldorado-Seville’s were built in ’58 due to their high price tag and there are only 50 or so of these hard tops that exist in the world today.”

“My car was totally restored by a professional shop (Impatient Creations, Alabaster, Alabama) nearly 18 years ago, but still shows well, (she won 1st in class at the Atlanta and the Best Cadillac in the show at Hilton Head Concourse de Elegances in 2018. First place at the indoor Speed and Custom show in Spokane with nearly 1,000 fine cars in 2021 and best in show at the Cadillac Fall Festival in Hickory Corners Michigan in 2021. The car always draws a lot of attention and is well received by all.”

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“I bought it from a lady that owned a Cadillac dealership. It only had 74,000 miles on it. Everything is original. This car makes everyone smile when they see it, even if they’re having a bad day. It has 500 hp. This is the best Caddy I have ever owned.”

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The post Old Cars Reader Wheels: 1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

We’re being quite literal with this “We’d Buy That” feature car. Indeed, we almost did buy this car a few weeks ago. However, we couldn’t part with our own 1955 Cadillac coupe to buy this ’55 Coupe deVille that we’ve long admired, so we’re sharing this gem with you, now listed on our Old Cars Marketplace classifieds:

Meet “Sophi,” a 1955 Cadillac Coupe deVille with as pure of a past as you can hope to find in a collector car — or even a Victorian-era debutante, for that matter. She’s exactly how experienced, finicky hobbyists like to find an old car: original paint, original interior, low miles, unique status and fussy previous owners who were limited in number.

Sophi was special-ordered by Pierre La Vine of Los Angeles with an all-leather Eldorado interior. The body was to be painted Wedgewood Green Light with a Pecos Beige roof to match the special-order tan leather interior; he further optioned her with Autronic-Eye, E-Z-Eye tinted glass, a heater, fog lamps and a radio. She was built on April 27, 1955, and delivered to Pierre on May 12 of that year. Pierre owned the special Cadillac until his passing in 1999, at which time she only had 17,000 miles. The ’55 Cadillac was always cherished by Pierre, who kept it in his modest one-car garage and only occasionally drove her and even then, only when the sky was absolutely clear. His wife and daughter sometimes rode with him, but were always kindly asked not to touch anything.

After Pierre’s passing, Sophi the 1955 Cadillac was sold to an admiring neighbor, who had enjoyed watching her glide through their Blythe Avenue neighborhood. The second owner kept her for just a couple years before Cadillac fanatic Jonathan Cody saw her for sale and flew from Wisconsin to LA to buy her. He said it was love at first sight. While there to pick up Sophi, Jonathan met with Pierre’s widow who verified and expounded on the unique Cadillac’s history.

Since buying this 1955 Cadillac in 2002 and immediately christening her with her name, Jonathan has thoroughly enjoyed Sophi some 30,000 miles. Jonathan’s trips in her include a tour down Route 66 and a stop at the first-ever Elvis Presley Motor Classic in 2010 where Sophi was awarded “Best Original” and photographed in front of Graceland. She’salso been to numerous other car shows, mostly in Wisconsin. Although Jonathan and his wife Lauren are well-known Cadillac & LaSalle Club members, Sophi has never made a CLC Grand National appearance.

Today, Sophi sports 48,000 honest miles on her original four-barrel 331-cid V-8 and is always kept ready for her next road trip. Her only changes from original are wide whitewall radials, a Petronix ignition and a CD player hidden in the glovebox with a multi-disc changer in the trunk. The few deviations from original finishes are her repainted air cleaner and valve covers.

As one should expect in such a well-maintained and beloved original, Sophia’s paint is thin in some areas from polishing, her original chrome has some haze and there is some wear to her original interior (notably seam separation where the driver’s left shoulder meets the seat back). She may have a few other blemishes, yet she stands very tall as a testament to Cadillac build quality during the car maker’s postwar peak.

Jonathan and Lauren surprised many with their decision to part with Sophi, and they tell me it’s because another ‘50s Cadillac caught their fancy. That gives another lucky soul a rare chance at a survivor Cadillac that needs little more than another loving owner who appreciates a stellar unique 1955 Cadillac. 

You can check out more photos of Sophi on Jonathan and Lauren’s website at www.codysclassiccars.com

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I am the 2nd owner of this car with all original 84,000 miles. A  car is only original once.

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John Olson thought a couple of his late father-in-law’s Cadillacs might be worth a little more than a salvage yard’s scrap price, but he and his family assumed most of the 30 rusty and dirty cars in the dank barn were junk. Had Olson not taken a chance and called Yvette VanDerBrink of VanDerBrink Auctions earlier this summer, he admitted that he would have junked most of the cars, including a rare 1953 Buick Skylark and an incomplete 1959 Cadillac Eldorado convertible. Instead, Yvette told Olson all the cars had some value and she’d prove it with an auction.

When VanDerBrink Auctions’ online-only sale of that car collection closed on Aug. 26, it became clear that junking that Hartford, Wis., collection would have been a $242,000 mistake.

The two nicest cars in the collection — a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible and a 1963 Eldorado Biarritz convertible — fetched $83,000 and $7,250, respectively, and the prospect that they might be valuable saved the other cars from certain doom. Notable cars in the sale that would probably have been lost to the scrapper included a 1959 Eldorado Biarritz missing its deck lid and driver’s rear quarter panel (sold for $60,000); a very rusty 1959 Eldorado Seville coupe (sold for $16,500); a rusty but buildable 1953 Buick Skylark (a deal at $9,000); 1961 Cadillac Series 62 convertibles ($3,600 and $3,100); 1959 Cadillac Sedans deVille ($4,200 and $3,200); and a 1959 Fleetwood Sixty Special ($5,500).

Only two of the 30 cars in the collection didn’t receive bids (a 1965 Jaguar sedan and an incomplete 1941 Cadillac Sixty Special), and not all of the cars sold for thousands of dollars. A 1947 Packard sedan, a 1948 Packard sedan and a 1969 Rover sold each for hundreds of dollars. Many more sold for around a $1000 or more.

A few 1959 Cadillac parts were included in the online-only sale. A set of four 1959 Eldorado and Sixty Special wheel covers sold for $2200 — about twice what they usually sell for on eBay — and some miscellaneous 1959 Eldorado trim sold for $2100.

It’s also worth noting that none of the cars were made to run before the sale and a few of the vehicles didn’t have titles. Nearly all of the cars were in complete condition. For safety and security reasons, there was no pre-sale inspection.

Complete results will appear in an upcoming issue of Old Cars, so stay tuned to the pages for additional information.

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The post Nearly junked 1959 Cadillac stash nets $242K at auction appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Do I think the car was worth $150,000? Probably. But before I explain why, here’s how our man Phil described the car and his opinion sale:

Phil’s description

Two-door hardtop. 365-cid, 325-hp V-8 engine with dual four-barrel carbs, automatic transmission. Finished in Copper Metallic, copper leather seats, copper vinyl top. Beautiful restoration and loaded with all the toys: power steering, brake, windows, antenna, seats, and signal-seeking radio. Brilliant Kelsey-Hayes “Sabre” wheels (standard) set this car off. We noticed a very minor issue with the fuel-filler door, other than that, the body panels lined up perfectly, under the hood spotless, some minor debris and dirt on the undersides. OCRPG condition 2.

Phil’s opinion
Often overshadowed in the Eldorado line by the Biarritz convertible and Brougham four-door hardtop, the Seville two-door hardtop is just as luxurious as the Biarritz and features the same Eldorado fin styling seen on the drop-top models. This was an outstanding example that set the standards for restoration and set a new standard for values.

Another opinion

Any car is worth what one person will pay, and if this car is a truly a No. 2, it was a bargain. Remember, a No. 2 car is a former No. 1 show car after a few show seasons that had been authentically restored to better-than-new condition, and a 1957 Cadillac Eldorado cannot be restored to No. 1 condition for less than $150,000. I have seen the re-chroming bill for a similarly styled 1958 Eldorado Biarritz that had been restored to No. 1 condition, and it was more than $75,000. Add in the additional money required for a show paint job, show interior, mechanical restoration and the simple fact that Cadillac parts are much more expensive than other domestic car parts from this era, and you can bet it cost far more than $150,000 to restore this Seville.

Many of the No. 2 cars we’ve seen could be brought back to No. 1 condition with a thorough detailing, and assuming that is the case on this 1957 Seville, it was bought right and in the right color — if you have to have the perfect 1957 Seville. And what Cadillac connoisseur doesn’t?

The post 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Seville fetches record $150,000 at Mecum Kissimmee sale appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

In honor of the late Henry Ruby, the Cadillac & LaSalle Club Potomac Region car show coordinator, and the 60th Anniversary of the 1953 Eldorado, the theme for this year’s Annual Fall Car Show at Capitol Cadillac will be Colossal Convertibles, celebrating the long and storied history of Cadillac and LaSalle open cars.

Specifically, Cadillac and LaSalle roadsters, phaetons, open cars and convertibles from all model years will be the honored cars at the show to be held on Sunday, Oct. 27, at Capitol Cadillac in Greenbelt, MD.

As a tribute to Henry, his 1958 Eldorado Biarritz will be on display (pictured top), as well as the factory-built “super-charged” 1953 Eldorado (pictured below), one of the only two 1953 Cadillac LeMans concept cars remaining (pictured bottom) and a 1953 Cadillac custom convertible from the Scott Milestone collection.

Every Cadillac and LaSalle convertible owner is encouraged to attend this very special show. To celebrate the event, each registered owner will receive a commemorative dash plaque illustration. In addition, the Colossal Convertibles owners who pre-register will receive a framed certificate of appreciation for participating. It is time for the convertible owners to take their place alongside the V-12 / V-16 Cadillacs, Eldorados, LaSalles, Fleetwoods, Capitol Cadillac Alumni Cars, DeVilles and Professional car owners who have been featured at the Potomac Region’s past seven theme-related fall car shows.

The judging will be done by the owners of the vehicles registered. The registered owners will be able to judge cars in all classes, including their own, and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards will be given to inning vehicles in each class, including five special classes for the convertibles.

Capitol Cadillac is an easy five minute drive from the Holiday Inn Greenbelt where rooms will be reserved for Friday thru Sunday at the special CLC Potomac Region rate $94/night (301-982-7000 – mention “Cadillac & LaSalle Club” when making reservation).

For more information, visit www.clcpotomacregion.org or contact Dan Ruby at 301-894-8026 or danruby@clcpotomacregion.org.

Capitol Cadillac Car Show

Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013
Car Registration: 9 am – noon
Show Hours: 9 am – 3 pm
6500 Capitol Drive
Greenbelt, MD 20770
Phone: 301-441-9600
www.ecapitol.com

The post Capitol Cadillac Car Show to feature ’53 Cadillac LeMans appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Story and photos by Jeff ‘Titus’ Bloedorn

A few months ago, I was in Annandale, Minn., visiting French Lake Auto Parts (FLAP), my favorite junk yard. FLAP has thousands of vintage cars and millions of parts, and the owners are always adding old cars to replenish the stock. In my frequent trips, I have gotten to know Skip Nolan, the owner of the yard. Skip is a second-generation junk yard operator, as FLAP was started by his father, Floyd, in the 1950s.

Skip often tells me about leads on cars he’s buying for the yard’s inventory. On a recent trip, Skip mentioned he was in the process of buying a private collection of cars that numbered in the 250-vehicle range. He had bought some cars from the collector in the past, and now the owner had decided he wasn’t getting any younger and he would sell off many of the cars so they could be saved or parted.

The owner of the car collection had a job that required him to travel, and on his endeavors, he would sometimes purchase cars and then drive them or have them hauled home. Therefore, a lot of the cars were out-of-state cars and good solid projects, not the typical rusty vehicles found in Minnesota.

Skip shared a list of the vehicles that he would be securing from the collector, and there were several very rare and interesting cars. Included in the collection is a 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, one of 704 built from 1957-’58. There was also a 1956 De Soto Adventurer with a 345-cid Hemi with dual four-barrels and a 1956 Chrysler 300-B that has documentation to prove it was Jack Chrysler’s personal car. Other rare cars from the collection include a 1956 Continental Mark II, 1962-’63 Ferrari 250 GTE, early-postwar Chrysler Town and Countrys, more than half a dozen Chrysler Airflows plus 1950s Packards, many other finned Mopars, Cadillac Eldorados and other rarities.

I noticed a 1935 Ford coupe on the list and mentioned to Skip that when he purchased the vehicles, I’d be interested in it.

A few weeks went by and I didn’t hear from Skip. Another month went by and still nothing. Finally, I made another trip to FLAP in search of parts for my wife’s ’59 Olds, and on that trip, I asked Skip if he had heard anything on the collection. There was indeed some news — Skip had a more sound deal worked out and had arranged to start loading the cars in two weeks. I reminded him of my interest in the ’35 Ford.

A couple weeks later, Skip called.

“Hey, if you wanna look at the ’35, you’re welcome to come out.” Naturally, I hooked up the trailer to drive to the collection. Upon arriving, I was astonished at all the neat and amazing cars that were being staged in a field for loading. I couldn’t get too nosey, because the owner didn’t know me and was recently turned off by people. He had encountered theft from his collection, which I learned was another reason he wanted to let go of some cars.

I met up with Skip’s friend Mike Carrols, who was helping identify and number the cars. Carrols walked me over to look at the ’35 coupe and then told me they found another coupe body in the collection. I looked over the cars and made a deal to purchase both.

The drive wasn’t too bad, so after I unloaded the first Ford at my house, I went back for my second prize find. When I returned to the collection, I came upon a few semis waiting to be loaded. Saying that you’re buying 250 cars and then figuring out the logistics of transporting them is two different things. Skip has made purchases of car collections before, but nothing on this scale. It was a huge undertaking: first, all the cars had to be tagged so he knew which were staying and which were going. Then, he had to get the machinery to the location to remove and load the cars. Since the location of the collection is in the Midwest, and this was March, there was snow and ice with which to contend. Fortunately, some cars were stored indoors and they were easier to move.

Skip had planned 14 days to complete transporting the car to FLAP, but the project took just 10 days. The cars are all now at FLAP and are offered for sale. They are moving fast, as Skip has been offering the cars at very reasonable prices. Those cars already on the sold list include a 1956 De Soto Adventurer, which is going overseas, and a 1960s Ferrari. In addition to the 1935 Ford coupes I purchased, I also brought home a 1959 Buick convertible that I plan to fix up as a driver.

If there’s anything that sparks your interest, contact Skip at FLAP without delay:

French Lake Auto Parts
3531 County Road 3 NW
Annandale, MN 55302
320-274-8497
www.frenchlakeautoparts.com

More treasures pictured below:

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The predecessor to these limited models is the 1956 XP-48, an open-front town car concept that predicted the styling of the subsequent limited-production Eldorado Broughams, which featured an glamorous stainless-steel roof.

The story of XP-48 is as intriguing as the car’s styling, and its tale is told below by RM Auctions, which will offer the car during its sale at the Amelia Island Ritz Carlton Hotel on March 12. The sale is held in conjunction with the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.

RM Auctions offers the information and image of this important Cadillac in the release below:

The Eldorado Brougham is sometimes called Cadillac’s answer to Ford Motor Company’s Continental Mark II, though in reality General Motors’ product was more impressive. The Eldorado Brougham was not only more exotic and exclusive than the Mark II, it commanded a price nearly a third higher than the Mark II’s $10,000 sticker.

Finally ready for production in 1957, the Brougham had made the show circuit in 1956, including the Motorama tour and the Paris Salon. Known in GM Styling as project XP-48, the four-door hardtop Brougham had a nearly forgotten sibling, the Eldorado Brougham Town Car, which debuted at the New York Motorama at the Waldorf Astoria.

Constructed of fiberglass, the Town Car was more concept car than prototype. Just 55.5 inches high, it had a half-roof over the passenger compartment, covered in black leather. Very similar to the hardtop Brougham, it had an open chauffeur’s compartment, different roofline and more understated side trim. Inside, the passenger compartment was done in beige leather in a “biscuit and button” motif with gold trim; the chauffeur was treated to black Moroccan leather and chrome. The passenger compartment was equipped with twin compartments furnished with, among other items, a decanter and cups, a vanity case and a tissue dispenser, all in gold plate. The divider bulkhead had a sliding glass window, but for contacting the chauffeur without opening the window, a bulkhead-mounted telephone was provided, also in gold.

The 1956 Motorama tour was called the “Highway of Tomorrow,” and from New York it went to Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston. In October, the Town Car was at the Paris Salon, where it drew much applause. At the end of the season, of course, the Brougham entered production, and the Town Car retreated to the shadows. Like many GM concepts and prototypes, it was consigned to the storied Warhoops salvage yard outside Detroit in December 1959.

The staff at Warhoops, however, could not bear to euthanize it, so the Town Car sat for years under a tarp until discovered by renowned Chicago entrepreneur, collector and restorer Joe Bortz in 1989. Bortz has made a career of rescuing and collecting concept cars and prototypes, particularly GM Motorama alums. Bortz did not restore it, however, but he sold it to J.C. Whitney owner Roy Warshawsky in the early 1990s. Warshawsky planned a total restoration but passed away before he could complete the job. A subsequent owner was Dick Baruk of Detroit.

Ultimately the car’s restoration was completed by RM Auto Restoration. One particularly complex portion of the project was fitting the car with a V-8 motor from a 1956 Cadillac sedan donor car. The engine compartment was dressed up with such items as gold-plated valve covers, dual four-barrel carburetors and unique air cleaners. Had Cadillac brought their prototype to running condition, this is what it would have looked like. It should be noted, however, that RM did not build the car to be road- and highway-worthy. The intention of the modification was to allow the fortunate new owner to run and drive the car on the show field and on and off the trailer.

Following its completion, the restored Cadillac was acquired by a prolific Texas collector and was displayed and occasionally lent out for museum exhibits.

The restoration is now several years old, but it still presents extremely well. The whitewall tires have yellowed somewhat, but the gold trim is intact and vibrant. The steering wheel is unmarked, the dashboard equipped with the original Wonderbar signal-seeking radio, and air conditioning cools the car, front and rear. The passenger compartment has deep-pile Wilton carpeting, which matches the beige leather, all in excellent condition. The engine compartment is clean and well detailed.

A star in its day, and hardly faded by time, this Motorama show car presents beautifully. In an age where bulky stretch limousines are the norm, it is sylphlike and sultry, seductive and smart, just the right car in which to amaze onlookers at a concours event.

The post Cadillac Eldorado Brougham to be offered during Amelia Island appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

As a result of Lincoln’s styling challenge, Cadillac released a clean, slab-sided car of its own in 1965 that elegantly retained traditional Cadillac features. Yet, through the redesigned 1965 and similar-appearing 1966 models, Cadillac convertible coupes retained a bulky folded convertible top when the top was in the lowered position. The 1961-and-later Lincoln Continental convertible sedans, however, featured a folded convertible top hidden under a cover flush with the sheet metal around it. In 1965, General Motors worked to match Lincoln’s appealing flush top-cover styling element on a special Eldorado.

The project to give this Eldorado a fully automatic top and
flush-fitting top compartment lid earned the special project
car the name “XP-850.”

A 1966 General Motors Project Report of the “XP-850 Cadillac Convertible Running Car” details work by the General Motors Styling Staff and Fisher to build “a completely automatic convertible top on a 1965 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible.”

The report, submitted by J.H. Gilson and approved by A.A. Limberg in January 1966, addresses the special design features of the unique project Eldorado.

“The design features of the Cadillac Eldorado Convertible, XP-850 are the Fisher ‘Infora’ convertible top and the Styling features which were added to make it fully automatic,” the GM report said. “These were a powered retractable glass window, powered flush top compartment lids and a powered convertible top header latch. The Fisher ‘Infora’ convertible top bows and tacking strip were altered to accept the flush lid design. The deck lid was retained, but the hinging was replaced with hood hinges.”

Details of the Infora top are not included in the report, but the photos accompanying the report made it appear to be a more finished-appearing top on the inside, and without the intrusion of exposed convertible top bows. XP-850 was one of 10 1965 Cadillac Eldorado convertibles fitted with the Fisher Infora convertible top early in 1965, and it was the only car scheduled for evaluation by the General Motors Styling Staff. As a result, it was likely the only such 1965 Eldorado given the special styling alterations by General Motors Styling Staff.

According to the report, “Styling, at this time, decided to install flush convertible top compartment lids and add electric header latches as well as a powered rear glass window to provide a completely automatic top; a top that any woman could operate with ease.
“The advanced design should be cheaper, more positive in operation and feasible for production.”

Engineering these styling alterations by the General Motors Styling Staff commenced Feb. 1, 1965, but the design staff’s heavy workload caused many holdups. On Oct. 11, 1965, the conversion work on the Eldorado was completed by the fabrication department and the top was demonstrated to management and car division representatives. Nine days later, on Oct. 20, 1965, the accompanying photos were taken. “All agreed that the design has production possibilities,” indicated the Project Report.

The Eldorado was then delivered to the GM garage for use by an unnamed corporation executive. While being demonstrated, the circuit breaker for the top circuit protection kept opening, shutting off power to the top.

“It was suggested [by the executive] that before it was delivered to him again, the top be cycled 2,000 times to make sure of its dependability,” the report said. “This, he felt, would be necessary before demonstrating it to other corporation executives.”

At this point, the car was returned to Styling and the recommended cycling test began. During the cycle tests, the top began moving slower with each test. The top finally stalled after 250 cycles, even with electric fans cooling the drive motor, “because of the circuit breaker opening,” stated the report.

The cause of the failure was determined to be a damaged spur gear and thrust bearings in the main drive gear boxes. Tenstedt Division had designed these Dura-built assemblies and inspected them and found the spur gear had not been hardened, causing the thrust bearing to fail, the report stated.

After the damaged parts were replaced, Fisher was called in to adjust XP-850’s top. When the top would not stack properly, it was determined that the main pivot-torail frame was bent by 1/4 inch. The rail’s thickness was increased 1/4 inch and its design was further corrected using a fixture to relocate it. The top was then reassembled and adjusted so that it stacked in the proper position.

By the time of these adjustments, automobile production was in the 1966 model season, so XP-850 was updated to the 1966 configuration. It is pictured here in Oct. 20, 1965, before the facelift was undertaken, and retains the standard 1965 Fleetwood Eldorado side trim, as well as the front grille and rear bumper found on all 1965 Cadillac models that year. However, there are a few unique elements on XP-850. Wire wheels not found on any other production Cadillac appear in these October photographs. During the 1950s, some design-study Cadillacs have appeared with wheels by Borrani, the company that may have sourced the three-bar spinner wire wheels on XP-850. These wheels do not appear to be the same wire wheels found on the 1964 Cadillac Florentine coupe show car.

XP-850 was also given cornering lamps similar, but not identical, to those found on 1966 Cadillac models. Using this style of cornering lamp would simply have required the use of a 1966-style front fender, which would have been available in October 1966, or significant modification to a 1965 Cadillac front fender that XP-850 was presumably fitted with originally. A single rectangular lense covered two stacked headlamps up front for a look often found early-1960s GM show cars, as well as the personal cars of Bill Mitchell. The crowning touch to the front end of the car was a deck job that removed the Cadillac “V” and crest, and the car received a special stand-up hood ornament showing the wreath and crest. Mitchell’s personal 1967 Fleetwood Eldorado also featured a stand-up hood ornament that replaced the standard wreath and crest on the front of the hood of production cars.

By Jan. 14, 1966, work to convert the XP-850 was complete. The car got a fresh repaint and was made available to management.
Where it went after that remains a mystery. They were submitted by J.H. Gilson and approved by A.A. Limberg in January 1966.

Below are pages from the original styling report.

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The post XP-850: Cadillac’s Experimental Eldorado of 1965 appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.