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1957 Cadillac Series 70 Eldorado Brougham

The brand new 1957 Eldorado Brougham, inspired by the Orleans, Park Avenue, and Brougham show cars of 1953 to 1955, was an exclusive, elegant, and stylish vehicle. With a list price of $13,074, it was nearly three times the cost of a base Cadillac Coupe, and over $3000 more than a new Continental, and more expensive than a 1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. The four-door pillar-less hardtop had a brushed stainless steel roof and center-opening doors. The large rear fender skirts were formed from stainless steel. Wheels are deep-dish forged aluminum with low-profile tires and one-inch wide whitewalls. In the back were Eldorado tail fins with slender vertical taillights. The tops of the front fenders used air intakes. In the front were dual headlights, which was a first for an American car, albeit matched that same year by Lincoln.

Production lasted two years with a total of 704 examples made. It is reported that Cadillac lost $10,000 on every car built. Just 400 Eldorado Broughams were assembled for the model's initial 1957 production year, plus 304 more for 1958. Another 99 and 101 followed on a longer wheelbase for 1959 and 1960.

These cars were given nearly every available option, and even the glove box came filled. Cadillac provided a lady's vanity case with a compact, powder puff, lipstick, comb and holder, and coin holders, as well as six drink tumblers, a tissue dispenser, and a cigarette case. In the back, the seat armrest opened to reveal a notepad and pencil, a mirror, and a perfumer atomizer, which came with a complementary ounce of Arpège by Lanvin. The trunk lid and rear doors not only opened with the push of a button, but they closed with one too. The doors locked automatically when the transmission was put in gear. A memory front seat was a first for a production car, as were the forged aluminum wheels.

Cadillac's Eldorado Brougham was the world's most luxurious and advanced automobile, and it backed up those claims with elegance, style, exclusivity, and luxury.

1957 Cadillac 70 Eldorado Brougham

The four-door (with 'suicide' rear doors), six-passenger hardtop sedan Series 70 Eldorado Brougham had a base price of just over $13,000, and a total of 400 examples were produced in 1957. Buyers could select from forty-four leather interior trim combinations, tailing their vehicle to unique specifications. The generous 149.7-inch wheelbase chassis had an overall length of 236.2 inches and was powered by an overhead-valve V8 engine with a 365 cubic-inch displacement, hydraulic valve lifters, five main bearings, 10.0:1 compression, and dual four-barrel carburetors. It produced 325 horsepower at 4,800 RPM and was paired with a Hydra-Matic drive transmission. Power steering and brakes were standard, along with air conditioning, radios heaters, power window lifts, and an ounce of Arpège Extrait de Lanvin perfume. Five colors were exclusive to the Eldorado Brougham.

The Cadillac 70 Eldorado Brougham kept the company's reputation of 'The Standard of the World' at the forefront, without compromise and a base price that was thousands more than the Lincoln Continental Mark II and even the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. It offered limited production, quality, handcrafted construction, and elegance.

by Dan Vaughan

Hardtop Sedan
Chassis number: 5770092463

There were four-hundred examples of the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham created in 1957. They featured Harley Earl designs like a wrap-around windshield and a low-cut, bulging beltline. The 1957 through 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Broughams were the last truly handcrafted Cadillacs. The inspiration for their design came from the Brougham Dream Car concept of the 1955 General Motors Motorama and was aimed at the most discriminating, luxury-oriented customers.

This Eldorado Brougham is an elegant Ebony over black leather combination example riding on period-correct whitewall tires. It benefits from a recent restoration and has been well-maintained throughout its life.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the St. John auction presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $90,000 - $120,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $77,500, including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Hardtop Sedan

The production of the Eldorado Brougham was from 1957 through 1958 and fewer than one thousand examples were ever built. They sold new for $13,074 which made them more expensive than the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud.

The Eldorado Brougham was a very stately and luxurious car that featured a stainless steel roof, air suspension, and the first memory power seats and every other convenience and comfort feature GM used at the time. Power was from a V8 engine that offered 310 horsepower.

This example is believed to have been originally bought by a member of the Rockefeller family. The original owner had the roof converted into a town car. The current owner purchased the car in 1968 and had the paint and upholstery restored in 1998. The 2009 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance was the first time the car was shown at a Concours.

Hardtop Sedan
Chassis number: 5770121759

This 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was offered for sale at the 2007 RM Auctions held in Amelia Island, Florida where it was estimated to sell between $140,000 - $180,000. The car is powered by a 365 cubic-inch overhead valve eight-cylinder engine with three two-barrel carburetors capable of producing 325 horsepower. There is a four-speed Hydramatic gearbox and servo-assisted four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

There were a total of 905 Eldorado Broughams constructed between 1957 through 1960. The design was inspired by the Eldorado Brougham of 1955 and constructed as an ultra-luxury automobile. When new, the vehicle would set the buyer back $13,000 which was a rather sizable price tag at the time.

There were four doors and a pillar-less stainless steel hard top. The list of standard equipment included air conditioning, E-Z Eye tinted windshield, an automatic headlight dimmer, and multiple power accessories. One of the big features that improved the vehicle's ride was the air ride suspension. This kept the car level regardless of the road conditions or the load being carried in the vehicle. The system was not without its growing pains; it was expensive to produce and maintain. It was discontinued after the 1960 model year.

This example is finished in white with a black, white, and gray interior. The odometer reads just 30,000 miles since new. It was awarded its Junior and Senior Award status by the AACA. The air ride suspension has been removed and replaced with a conventional and period-correct suspension system.

At the auction, bidding reached $125,000 but failed to satisfy the reserve. The car was left unsold.

by Dan Vaughan

Hardtop Sedan
Chassis number: 5770058691

This 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was offered for sale at the 2007 RM Auctions held at Meadow Brook. The car is powered by a 365 cubic-inch overhead valve eight-cylinder engine that is capable of producing 325 horsepower. The car has a four-speed Hydramatic transmission and servo-assisted drum brakes on all four wheels.

The Eldorado Broughams were the pinnacle of American design and luxury and commanded a price tag of over $13,000. The designs featured a four-door pillarless setup with a brushed stainless steel roof. The interior featured a bar and vanity set and was outfitted with the finest materials available. Standard equipment included air-conditioning, an E-Z Eye tinted windshield, an automatic headlight dimmer, and numerous power-operated accessories. The Eldorado Brougham also introduced air ride suspension to the Cadillac marque.

This example has an odometer that read 76,000 miles and has recently undergone a mechanical and cosmetic restoration. The car was stripped and repainted and the interior was correctly reupholstered in blue cloth with blue leather. It is equipped with power steering, power brakes, power windows, power locks, and air conditioning, among other items.

This car was expected to sell for $120,000 - $140,000. Those figures were nearly achieved as the bidding reached $115,500 and the car was sold.

by Dan Vaughan

Hardtop Sedan
Chassis number: 5770096914

To start the car, the ignition must be positioned to 'on'; the engine with start automatically as soon as the Hydra-Matic gear selector was moved into 'neutral' or 'park.' When the Brougham was put into gear, the center-opening doors were automatically locked. The car could be purchased with three shell horns and a trumpet horn. Standard features on the Brougham were power steering, power brakes, power windows, power seats, power door locks, a power trunk, and a power antenna. There was air conditioning, a bar and vanity set, an automatic headlight dimmer, a tissue dispenser and an E-Z Eye tinted windshield. These were but a few of the convenience and luxury features available on the Eldorado Brougham.

This particular example has an older restoration that has been refreshed and fully serviced. The chrome shows well and the brushed stainless steel roof is in excellent condition. It was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars sale at Hershey, PA presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $100,000 - $150,000. The lot was sold for $110,000 including the buyer's premium.

It has an overhead-valve eight-cylinder engine and a four-speed Hydramatic transmission. There are servo-assisted four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. The paintwork is maroon and white with a leather interior. There are wool carpets and a leather dashboard.

by Dan Vaughan

Hardtop Sedan

Cadillac's 1957 third-generation Eldorado coupes and convertibles received a major redesign notable for its down-swept, rounded rear fenders topped by inboard shark fins and finished with large stainless steel panels behind its rear wheels. 1957 also saw the debut of the limited production, hand-built Eldorado Brougham 4-door hardtop.

Designed by Ed Glowacke and influenced by 1953-54 Park Avenue and Orleans show cars, it sported Cadillac's first quad headlamps, rear-hinged doors, a stainless-steel roof, and unique trim that included wide, ribbed rocker panels and sculpted body coves with five horizontal wind-splits on its rear doors.

The ultra-luxury Fleetwood-bodied Brougham stickered at $13,074, double what other 1957 Eldorado cost and more than Rolls-Royce of the time. Powered by a dual-4 barrel 365 cubic-inch displacement (6.0L) V-8 engine, it featured self-leveling air suspension, the first two-position 'memory' power seats, low-profile, thin-whitewall tires, an automatic starter with restart function, power windows and locks, forged aluminum wheels, Autronic Eye, automatic trunk opener, cruise control, high-pressure cooling, polarized sun visors, a signal-seeking all-transistor radio with power antenna, automatic-release parking brake, dual heating, and air conditioning, silver magnetized glovebox, drink tumblers, cigarette and tissue dispensers, a loaded ladies' compact and matching leather notebook, an Arpege atomizer with Lanvin perfume and 44 leather interior and trim choices with Mouton, Karakul or Lambskin carpeting. Not surprisingly, just 400 1957 Eldorado Broughams were sold.

Hardtop Sedan

The 1957-58 Eldorado Brougham was GM's answer to the beautifully crafted Continental Mark II. The flawlessly styled Continental was built by a new, special Ford Motor division and was the most costly U.S. car at $9,695-$9,966--until the Eldorado Brougham arrived.

The Eldorado Brougham stood out with its brushed stainless steel roof, unique center-opening doors that locked automatically when the car was put in gear, four headlights (still illegal in some states), massive stainless steel 'skirts' covering the lower rear fenders, exquisite taillights in beautifully shaped fins and a much lower height allowed by Cadillac's more rigid new tubular X-type frame.

The Eldorado possessed more upscale features than any luxury auto. It carried every conceivable gadget and cost as much as a new suburban tract home. Cadillac reportedly lost $10,000 on each Eldorado Brougham made, but never really expected it to be profitable.

Hardtop Sedan

Harley Earl's signature is all over the luxurious 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, car number 49 of 400 built. Deluxe features include an all-transistor radio, Autronic Eye automatically dimming headlamps, power-adjustable front seats with an innovative memory function, and air conditioning with power-retractable vents. A built-in vanity compartment provided old-world convenience in a modern setting, with its tissue dispenser and cigarette package compartment.

Of course, the Eldorado Brougham delivered more than adequate acceleration from its 365 cubic-inch V-8, and a sophisticated four-speed Hydra-Matic automatic gearbox.

This first-year example has been recently refinished in its original stately Fairfax Blue with the requisite stainless steel roof. Underneath, the problematic Air Ride suspension was replaced by factory technicians with coil springs. Inside, its interior retains the original two-tone factory upholstery. Rebuilt instrumentation includes the clock, radio, and more. it features a nearly complete vanity kit, as well as a jack.

Hardtop Sedan

The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham is one of the most extravagant cars ever built by Cadillac. It was produced in limited numbers and was the highest-priced American car at the end of the 1950s. The four-door hardtop sedan sold for a stratospheric price of $13,074 when a regular Cadillac sedan cost $4,781, and a Chevrolet sedan could be had for $2,048. Only 400 Eldorado Broughams were made in 1957, and 304 were built in 1958.

This 1957 example is completely original and unrestored, finished in its factory paintwork of Desert Rose metallic. Its first owner was a doctor in Beverly Hills and it has remained in California throughout its life. It features the original magnetized silver drinking tumblers, a cigarette case, a tissue dispenser, a lady's compact with unique lipstick, and an Arpege Extrait de Lanvin perfume atomizer. The opulent interior is virtually as new, including the fitted mouton carpeting and factory accessory seat cushion topper.

Hardtop Sedan

The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham is one of the most extravagant cars ever built by Cadillac. This particular 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham is #221 of 704 examples built in 1957 and 1958, and the ultra-luxury sedan cost an astonishing $13,500, twice the price of any other 1957 Eldorado and more than the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud of the same year. Designed by Ed Glowacke, the Eldorado (literally 'the gilded one') was the first American automobile with quad headlights and the first four-door sedan without a center door post. It features legendary space-age fins concluding a swooping, low-slung silhouette that is over 18 feet long. Unusual for its time, standard equipment on the Brougham featured such amenities as air ride suspension, the first automatic memory seats, an automatic trunk opener, an electric antenna, an automatic-release parking brake, power windows and locks, and even air conditioning. Vanity items included steel drink tumblers (fitting securely into the magnetized glove box), a tissue dispenser, a cigarette case, an Arpege atomizer with Lanvin perfume, and a lady's compact including lipstick, powder puff, and comb. Also included was a matching leather notepad with Cross pencil and a leather-backed mirror.

Hardtop Sedan
Chassis number: 5770089009

The 1957 Cadillac Series 70 Eldorado Brougham was the most expensive luxury car in 1957, and this particular example is the 81st of 400 built. When this car was brought to auction in 2023 at Amelia Island, it was in the care of H.A. 'Humpy' Wheeler, the voice of the 1975 Cadillac Coupe de Ville cartoon character, 'Tex', in the 2006 Pixar film Cars and its 2017 sequel, Cars 3.

This Cadillac is a well-maintained example that is finished in Code 118 Deauville Gray paint. The troublesome air-spring suspension has been replaced with conventional coil springs, the bumpers have been re-chromed, and new tires have been installed. Prior to Wheeler's stewardship, a California family owned it for 22 years, and the odometer shows 58,650 miles.

by Dan Vaughan