Finned Beauty! 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
The Cadillac Eldorado could be thought of as an early personal luxury car. To help make the car special, Cadillac’s marketing gurus would label them the “Eldorado Seville” (2-door hardtop) and the “Eldorado Biarritz” (convertible). This distinction would continue through the 1956-60 model years. The cars were beautifully styled, and the 1957 editions might be the most stunning with their unique tailfins and rear deck treatment. Located in Morganton, North Carolina, this Biarritz was restored several years ago and has held up well. The drop-top is available here on eBay where the bidding has reached $51,600 with no reserve.
Eldorado as a nameplate first appeared in 1952 as a Cadillac concept car to celebrate the company’s golden anniversary. The following year, it would adorn a limited production convertible. Eldorado is derived from two Spanish words that translate as “the gilded (i.e., golden one)” and refers to El Dorado, the mythical South American “Lost City of Gold.” The Seville name was dropped when the hardtop was discontinued in 1961, but the Biarritz stayed through 1964. The Biarritz would make a comeback in 1976 with an upper-level trim package.
No history is provided about this car other than the beautiful ’57 under went restoration between 2010-14. The exterior is finished in Olympic White while the interior is draped in Sabre Blue with a matching convertible top. It’s one of 1,800 Biarritz drop-tops built that year out of a total of 4,300 Eldorado’s. The car is flanked by chromed 15-inch Sabre-Spoke wheels at all four corners.
The Eldorado was powered by a 365 cubic inch V8 with a 4-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. Twin 4-barrel carburetors are used to feed gasoline from the fuel tank to the engine. We assume the car runs well, but there are no details offered. It’s a well-equipped machine with power for everything and a signal-seeking radio. The odometer reading is approximately 60,000 miles. Hagerty pegs the minimum resale value for a ’57 Eldorado in this kind of condition at $80,000, and NADA goes well past $100,000. So, the current bidding on this car may just be getting started.
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Comments
I like the color combo, but I personally think that year’s Chevy is better looking. I dislike the ’57-’58 Eldos. But I appreciate the difficulty of restoring a car like this. GLWTS!
Nice rear end! OK. We got that out of the way.
Me? I’m personally fond of the Dagmars!!
I have not seen a rear end that nice since JLo!
We’ve all seen junker renditions of these in BF’s. They take in excess of $100K to restore, easily. Then there is the finished product like this! Sure, you’re paying way more but there is nothing left to do to the vehicle, other than to collect all the trophies!!
Or cut out the middleman and just buy yourself some trophies.
Pity there is so little info in the auction. The seller is shooting themselves in the foot by not providing details about the restoration and provenance. Sure, the few pictures included look good. But the level of restoration is absolutely unclear. Was it a frame-off? Was there rust restoration? What was done? Who did it? Is it a north-eastern car slathered with bondo, painted, carpeted (the proverbial pig with lipstick)? How is it mechanically? Has anyone vetted it? Where are the trophies? Really weak presentation of a rather valuable car. In person, these Eldorados are absolutely magnetic. This one looks pretty… but the auction suggests a seller who may be hiding something.
Art,
You are very correct, and the final price of $63,850. shows the concerns the bidders had.
The seller appears to have been a car dealer who is not used to selling older vehicles like this, hence he’s neglected to show us photos and evidence that would push this car another $40k.
No photos of the interior or under the hood, yet they show a photo of the trunk insides, and it shows a spare tire cover. ’57 Eldorados never had a matching tire cover. That suggests the trunk carpets may not be correct.
That’s concept car rear end styling!
Some interior pics needed – please.
I just wanna cruise PCH all summer in this beauty.
I agree with the prior comments. The seller needs to provide a much better description. How about at least one photo (or a full set) of the interior, trunk, underside, and engine compartment. Due to laziness, he is leaving a lot of $$$ if the car is truly 100% restored.
In central California a 1957 Cadillac Seville was just pulled out of a warehouse after 50 years. Color is mist green, has gold sabre wheels. This car has 1/2 a ton of dust but zero rust. It never snows here and hardly ever rains either. Odometer show 44000 miles andthe tires, all flat, but appear to be the orginals. Vynal top is mint, body just might clean up and paint might be good for a while. I offered $10,000 but was turned down. I think it will take $25,000 to acquire it. Willing to work for a finder’s fee.
I am the guy that found the 1957 Cadillac Seville, mist green, I just talked to the shop that is going to restoreitand offered $19,000. I was still turned down.
Car and Driver did a review of this model, back in the day, and reprinted it a few years ago, and likened the rear to a potato complete with eyes. One of their best – and if you are not familiar with the mag, it is the only car mag with a sense of humor, throughout.
But for me, it would be one of the best post war Caddies, style wise, all throughout.
Just received a note referencing Car and Driver magazine. In 1967 I was a middle level exec at Ford and was able to acquire automobiles that had been used by upper execs that get new cars every 90 days and cars for other uses. I bought a 1967 Mercury Cougar XR7, 289 V8 eng. and three speed manual transmission, had leather & AC. Was the racing green color. Car had been given to Car and Driver for a comparision test with a Jaguar. Car had 3,000 miles when I got it and my purchase price was $2,700. + $75. dealer prep charge. Put 100,000 miles on it and then bought my wife a 1972 Opal GT.
It must have sold. It is no longer on line.
The 57 and 58 Eldorados are one of the finest Cadillacs made.
My Pops drove Cadillac cars and Oldsmobile Station Wagons. One such car was a 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. The 1958 Station Wagon was an Olds Super 88 Fiesta 4dr Hardtop in two-tone green and white.The Brougham was medium Jade green with stainless roof. I bring those two cars up because my oldest sister bought her first Cadillac in 1958. Eldorado Biarritz dressed in green. Everything was green or chrome including the roof and the tonneau cover. The 58 Biarritz is different from the 57 but both are stunning automobiles
Rear-end inspired by a plastic well-medium-rare steak indicator in a baked potato.
https://carbits.blogspot.com/2016/12/not-label-one-expects-for-story-about.html
Bill, the car dealer knew EXACTLY what he was doing. As stated before, “buyer beware”.
I remember a `1958 Cadillac El Dorado Broughm for sale in Detoit. I believe I could have gotten it for $7,000.00. this was in 1974. I now live in central Californa and come across many old rust free cars and will not them get away anymore.
This is one of two of my favorite cars of the 50’s, the other being a ’57 Olds 98 Starfire convertible. Great styling.
I think the 1958 Buick Limited edition is one of the greatest styled autos of all time. In a convertable they only made 839. Buick made 5 different levels of the 1958 Buick this year. Last year for using the name “Roadmaster” until the mid 90’s
Can you imagine anyone saying that in the future about today’s plastic chrome all lookalike 4 door only vehicles? & BTW the new upcoming small Ford Maverick! pickup truck is 4 door only too, has no frame, & is front wheel drive!
I hope the flex pipe used on the exhaust wasn’t an example of the restoration process the car went through.