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1967 Cadillac Eldorado

The Cadillac Automobile Company of Detroit, Michigan was founded by Henry Leland and Robert Faulconer, and its first car was completed in October of 1902. It soon established a reputation as the foremost builder of quality cars in the United States, thanks in part to the firm's superior precision manufacturing technology. They were among the pioneers of the V8 engine and introduced the first synchromesh gearbox on its 1929 range. Its cars have come to symbolize wealth and prestige, and have introduced numerous innovations during its long and illustrious career. In the mid-1960s though, it was General Motors' Oldsmobile division that produced the corporation's landmark car of the decade, the front-wheel-drive Toronado. The FWD system was soon applied to its conventional stablemates, including the 7.0-liter 'sports-styled' two-door hardtop coupe, the Fleetwood Eldorado, in 1967. It entered dealer showrooms on October 6th of 1966, marking the culmination of various design experiments beginning with the GM XP-727 in 1962.

The all-new-for-1967 Cadillac Eldorado wore razor-edge overall styling, a formal coupe layout, and an innovative front-drive powertrain. Although a radical departure from Cadillac tradition, it continued its longstanding engineering excellence and advanced styling heritage. The interiors were plush, the performance impressive, and the fit-and-finish were outstanding. A 429 cubic-inch V8 engine with overhead valve, hydraulic valve lifters, five main bearings, and a Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel carburetor, produced 340 horsepower at 4,600 RPM and 480 pounds-feet of torque. Backed by a three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic transmission, the Eldorado was able to go from zero-to-sixty mph in ten seconds with a top speed of an illegal, but exhilarating 130 mph. Front-wheel drive, variable-ratio power steering, and automatic rear-level control provided exceptional road-holding. Buyers endured long waitlists to ultimately have one in their driveway.

The 1967 Cadillac Eldorado was a hit in the showroom and with the media, earning accolades that included the coveted Design and Excellence Award from Automobile Quarterly, and heady praise from Car Life, which compared the Eldorado to 'the sort of visually distinctive, tastefully luxurious, enormously expensive, individualistic conveyance which characterized the Classic Era of Automobile design'. Contemporary Motor Trend testers found 'the car will stick' if pushed hard into corners.

The new Cadillac design by GM styling chief Bill Mitchell was dramatic yet strikingly simplistic, with an overall look of distinction and dignity. It had a long, spectacular hood, daring rooflines, and a sweeping rear deck. It was a styling masterpiece as individualized as the motorist for whom it was created. Utilizing the same basic body shell as the Oldsmobile Toronado, the source of its chassis platform, it was shorter and lower than other Cadillacs in the lineup, with full six-passenger seating and unobstructed floors due to the front-drive layout.

The 1967 Eldorado was the first production front-wheel-drive platform from Cadillac. To accommodate the drivetrain layout, the V8 engine received changes to its exhaust manifolds, accessory and drive belt layout, oil pan, and engine mount system. Although it had a single outlet muffler and tailpipe arrangement, it used dual exhausts. Chrome trim was minimal, only used to accent the sharp edges and sculpted appearance, lower bodyside, and around the windows. The grille, housing hide-away headlights, had a cross-hatch pattern that appeared above the bumper and through a horizontal slot cut into it, between the rectangular parking lamps. The grille had a forward angle and blades that accented its vertical members.

Styled after the Florentine show car, the coupe roof structure provided privacy for its rear-seat passengers. Priced at nearly $6,300, the Eldorado hardtop coupe was equipped with an improved fresh-air system that eliminated the need for the front ventipanes. It had a slide-out fuse box, an improved automatic headlamp dimmer, optional front disc brakes (the only 1967 Cadillac available with this feature), a bigger power brake booster, braided rayon brake hoses, and Mylar-backed circuitry. Other standard features included three-speed windshield wipers and washers, an electric clock, cornering lights, lamps for the rear compartment, glove box and luggage compartment lights, interior courtesy lamps, and a heater and defroster. Other interior features included Automatic Climate Controls, a padded dashboard, and a cigarette lighter. It had power steering, power brakes, and all the standard GM safety features including the Hazard Warning System and seat belts with outboard retractors.

Cadillac produced 17,930 examples of its Eldorado in 1967 (three times as many as the previous year), accounting for nearly ten percent of total production. It successfully combined the spirit and action of a true performance car with the comfort and spacious five-passenger seating of a true luxury car. It was a styling masterpiece as individualized as its buyers.

Eldorado vs. Oldsmobile Toronado
In comparison, Oldsmobile (another General Motors Company) produced 22,062 examples of its Toronado (the second year using the innovative FWD system). The coupe, priced at $4,670, found 1,770 willing buyers, and the Deluxe Coupe, priced at $4,870, had 20,020 sales. The Eldorado was priced nearly twice as high, at $8,275, yet had comparable sales at just under 18,000. The 7-liter V8 in the Cadillac delivered 340 horsepower, while the 7-liter V8 in the Oldsmobile had 385 horsepower. The Cadillac used a three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic while the Oldsmobile was equipped with a three-speed TH-425 automatic.

The Oldsmobile had fewer amenities, more horsepower, slightly more sales, and more horsepower. However, its sales compared to 1966s figures, were down by nearly half (from 40,963 in 1966).

Eldorado vs. Buick Riviera
In comparison, Buick (another General Motors Company) produced 42,799 examples of its Riviera hardtop coupe, priced at $4,470. 1967 was the second year of its fresh redesign, introduced for the 1966 model year, and continued to use the cruciform X-frame, powertrain, and brakes of its 1965 predecessor, but wore new curvaceous bodywork that was longer, wider, and slightly heavier. While the Toronado and Eldorado had front-wheel drive, the 1967 Riviera retained the rear-wheel-drive layout. The 425 'Nailhead' V8 of 1966 was replaced in 1967 by an entirely new 430 CID (7-liter) V8 that offered 360 horsepower and 574 lb-ft of torque and was backed by a three-speed ST-400 automatic. Disc brakes with Bendix four-piston calipers became optional for the front wheels.

The nearly 42,800 examples of the Buick Riviera were comparable to the 45,348 units built in 1966 and exceeded the combined totals of the Eldorado and Toronado. Priced approximately $200 less than the Toronado, and approximately $3,800 less than the Eldorado, the public preferred the rear-wheel-drive configuration and styling of the Riviera over its Eldorado and Toronado siblings.

Eldorado vs. Lincoln Continental
The Lincoln Continental was offered as a four-door sedan, hardtop coupe, and convertible with prices that ranged from $5,000 to $5,500, higher than the Riviera and Toronado but less than the Cadillac (nearly $6,300). Sales of 45,667 units were nearly 2,900 more than the Riviera and exceeded those of the combined front-wheel-drive Eldorado and Toronado. The 7.6-liter engine offered 340 horsepower and was mated to a three-speed automatic transmission.

Conclusion
The cost, optional front disc brakes, and power made the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado a very exclusive automobile, reinforced by its attractive styling and solid reputation. Although expensive, its pricing was similar to the Fleetwood Sixty Special ($6,420 - $6,740) and below the Fleetwood Seventy-Five (beginning at $10,360). It was among the most expensive American built automobiles in 1967, certainly at the top for the two-door body styles, but its price was below those from Britain, Germany, and Italy, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Iso, Bizzarrini, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, and Mercedes-Benz. The limousine-style coachwork of the Mercedes-Benz 600 topped the list at over $22,000, followed by Rolls-Royce's Silver Shadow at nearly $20,000.


by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2021

1967 Cadillac Eldorado Vehicle Profiles

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Price Comparison

$900-$8,275
1967 Eldorado
$8,275-$25,580
1967 Cadillac Eldorado Base Price : $8,275

Compare: Lower | Higher | Similar

Other 1967 Cadillac Models
$5,390 - $5,630

Eldorado Eighth Generation

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
17,930
120.00 in.
8 cyl., 429.00 CID., 340.00hp
$8,275 - $8,275
24,528
120.00 in.
8 cyl., 472.00 CID., 375.00hp
$6,600 - $6,600
23,333
120.00 in.
8 cyl., 472.00 CID., 375.00hp
$6,710 - $6,710

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