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1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado

Cadillac celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 1953 with the Eldorado convertible, a production version of the Motorama show car of the previous year. With a base price of $7,750, it was the highest-priced car in America, ensuring its exclusivity. The Eldorado nameplate is a contraction of two Spanish words that translate as 'the gilded (i.e., golden) one' — and also refers to El Dorado, the mythical South American 'Lost City of Gold' that fascinated Spanish explorers.

The 1975 Cadillac Eldorado was part of the seventh generation of the model which had received a substantial redesign in 1971, gaining two inches in length and six in the wheelbase. Its appearance was rounder, the door glass remained frameless, the hardtop rear quarter windows were deleted (replaced by a fixed 'opera window' in the widened 'C' pillar, and highlighted by the return of fender skirts. A convertible body style re-joined the lineup.

This generation of the Eldorado would continue through 1978, receiving facelifts in 1973 and 1975. 1971 set a new record of 27,368 units being produced.

The 1975 Cadillac Eldorado styling was among the most flamboyant and luxurious automobiles built by an American manufacturer of the era. They were devoid of the rear fender skirts and wraparound cornering lamps, had new square headlamps, new cross-hatch grille, and parking lamps and directionals located in the bumper ends. Body styles included a hardtop coupe, priced at $9,935, and a $10,350 convertible. The coupe had larger rear quarter windows and Fleetwood ornaments on the roof 'C' pillar.

The base price of the Cadillac Eldorado increased twice during the year, with the coupe being listed at $9,950 before topping out at $10,365 by year's end. The Convertible increased to $10,370 before its price settled at $10,785.

Powering the front-wheel-drive Eldorado was an overhead valve V8 with hydraulic valve lifters, a four-barrel carburetor, displacing 500 cubic inches, and delivering 190 (SAE) horsepower at 4,000 RPM.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible
Chassis number: 6L67S5Q262723

Bill Mitchell became Vice-President of Styling at GM in 1959. Cars that bore his designs include the 1964 Buick Riviera, the 1965 Chevrolet Corvair, the 1970 Chevrolet Camaro, and the 1971 Buick Riviera.

The first Eldorado was shown to the public at GM's Motorama in 1953 as a limited-production convertible and produced in low numbers. This legacy - the Eldorado - would continue for many decades.

This Eldorado was the personal car of Mitchell and was built to his specifications. It includes a distinctive pearlescent lemon-yellow exterior with gold pinstriping and a custom yellow interior. The odometer reads just 3,643 miles and the engine is a large, 500 cubic-inch V8 delivering 190 horsepower.

In 2009, this car was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey presented by RM Auctions where it was estimated to sell for $20,000 - $30,000 and offered without reserve. The lot was sold for the sum of $35,200 including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Hardtop Coupe
Chassis number: 6L47S5Q418381

This 1975 Cadillac Eldorado two-door coupe is a one-owner car that is all original, including the original paint and interior. There are new bumper extensions, an original protector plate, copy or original title, and two sets of original keys.

by Dan Vaughan