1971 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado Convertible
Technically, it is a “Fleetwood” Eldorado, although we rarely hear that today. The 1971 and 1972 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorados replaced the DeVille-based Fleetwood coupe and convertible when the DeVille was redesigned for 1971. This 1971 Cadillac “Fleetwood” Eldorado convertible is listed here on eBay in Lakeland, Florida. The current bid price is $13,200, but the reserve isn’t met.
“Fleetwood Eldorado Convertible. For the first time, there is now an all-new companion model to the elegant Eldorado Coupe – the youthful and glamorous Eldorado Convertible.” So says a 1971 Cadillac brochure showing the new-for-’71 Eldorados. Comparing what I consider the “first” Eldorado – the 1967 through 1970 models – to the 1971 through 1978 Eldorados is the difference between Sean Connery and Roger Moore for 007 fans. One is cool, crisp, and sharp-dressed; the other, while still cool, is a bit puffier, showier, and from the era of leisure suits.
That isn’t to say that I don’t love this generation of Eldorados because I do. It’s just that the two styles of Eldorados were so different from each other, just as the 1960s were different from the 1970s. This car appears to be beautiful in the photos, or most of them. I’m not a fan of painting the underside of a vehicle, as this seller often shows. Undercoating a rust-free car is one thing, but painting everything black and then painting the exhaust silver seems weird to me. There are a few detail issues, and I’d want to see this one in person before paying $1,500+ in shipping. That being said, the seller isn’t hiding anything, so kudos to them for that.
The interior is gorgeous in this perfect-for-Florida Olive green color. I don’t see a flaw inside this Eldorado. As expected, the back seat and trunk look like new. The seller says the AC is ice-cold, and there’s a Bluetooth stereo—nice. The seller also says the convertible top is new. This car has a Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission, sending power to the front wheels.
The clean engine bay houses a massive 500-cu.in. OHV V8, which had 365 horsepower and a stump-pulling 535 lb-ft of torque. Take that, OPEC! At just over 8 MPG and with gas seeming “cheap” at an average of $0.36 a gallon – $2.76 today, so not really that cheap – you could go 230 miles on each tank of gas. Is the coolant overflow cap missing? Hagerty is at $11,800 for a #3 good-condition car and $21,600 for a #2 excellent car. This example must be somewhere between those two numbers if nothing to be concerned about has been covered with black paint or undercoating underneath. Any thoughts on this Eldorado?
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Comments
Nice!!! I wish I could buy it!!! It’s from when Cadillacs meant big, heavy, stylish, comfortable, nice ride, and big chrome bumpers!
That’s a lot of shade for a convertible.
What’s up with the wheel covers?
FWD automobile. Original equipment covers.
I remember them painted.
The painted wheel covers were a 75 & up item – although in black only – maybe white too.
71-74 while changing in detail a bit each year – were shiny stainless steel. I have a 73 pace car.
These were the epitome of the American car to have at the time. Looking back they hood is just so darned huge!
GM did that with a few cars in the early ’70s. I had a ’70 Caprice with, as they called them, “color keyed” wheel covers. ’70 Monte Carlo also had them.
A true ” Luxury car ” but look at the difference in fuel prices compared with 2024 ? Not only that but those 500 cubic inch engines require premium gas . A Cadillac is a rich man’s car ! Happy Motoring !
Owned a 76 in Firethorn for 8 years. Carb wizard got it to 11 MPG if driven carefully. Cruising top down on moon lit lit nights was pure joy but gas pumps dampened that all too quickly.
I used to paint my model cars black frames and silver pipes.
Man, oh man. These are love at first sight for me. Sweet cream and green is a great combo from when green ruled. Even if a little fuller figured it is still a sleek looking car.
4-5 guys could easily man spread in this car. Women would find it easy to cross their legs as well minus thr transmission and drive shaft tunnel.
Nice preservation/restoration of a ’71 Eldo; glad the seller refrained from any cheesey ghetto-modding, save for the underside painting the reviewer remarked on. I’m not sure if the missing cap is for coolant recovery or the windshield washer system; it looks pretty big to be for coolant recovery. But no big deal, a replacement should be fairly easy and cheap to acquire if the new owner knows where to look.
8.2L. 501 not 500?
If you multiplied out the specified bore and stroke of the motor, displacement was 500.02 cubic inches.
Still closer to 500 rather than 501 as Gregg pointed out!!! Lol.
8.2L. 501 not 500?what size motor?
500
I actually thought it was a 502
No bulls horns? Oh, Boss Hogg not gonna be too happy ’bout this.
What a fantastic Cadillac! It’s beautiful. This was the fulfillment of the American dream. You had arrived in this Cadillac and everyone knew it. If I could turn back time, I would go.
I’m just glad I had two of them in my youth and all my buddies enjoyed riding in them too. Boy I was a big shot when I was 19 and 21 😂😂
Weren’t Eldorado convertibles usually called Biarritz?
They were from 1956-60 to give them a separate identity from the Seville hardtops of that same era, as if they really needed a separate surname.
I forgot to add that they kept the Biarritz surname through 1966.
What? No comment yet from our Lady Diva? I thought she’d be the first one in since it’s a Cadillac and an Eldorado at that!
This car looks absolutely gorgeous with that color combo. I love it. Looks like 8,400 miles.
I, too, wonder about the underside painting, but not for long!
My future wife and I were at an ice cream stand in 1972 when one of these pulled in, green with a white leather interior, top down. There were two Irish Setters in the back— the owner got out, bought 2 huge vanilla ice cream cones and just tossed them into the back seat where the dogs went crazy devouring them.
I’m still impressed more than 50 years later.
That owner obviously didn’t care one wit for his car. To have those dogs slaver all over that leather and the car. Maybe he or she’s got a lot of money and it’s just transportation to them. Somebody should’ve made an offer on the spot and taken the car to a good home.
I don’t allow pets in the house and absolutely never, never in a car! EWWW!
Auction update: this one made it to $17,000 and no sale.