#Cadillac

Of the three high-dollar, limited-production two-door convertibles GM debuted in 1953, Cadillac’s Series 62 Eldorado was far and away the most expensive. With its drop-door styling, a loaded interior covered in additional leather, and a sky-high $7,750 price tag, Eldorado was out of the reach of the majority of consumers. And though it sold only 532 examples, GM felt the model’s future was bright. That is if they could just cut the asking price down to something more reasonable. Enter the all-new 1954 Eldorado, swimming in a sea of fins.

In our last Eldorado entry, we discussed the exterior differences between Cadillac’s standard Series 62 convertible and the limited production Eldorado. Visual differences were few, and limited to a revised window line via “drop door” sheet metal, and a wraparound windshield that was fitted only to the Eldorado in ‘53. There were interior differences too, though they didn’t quite add up to the “specially designed instrument panel” claim in the marketing.

At first, I didn’t like the 2023 Cadillac CT4 V-Series Blackwing. I found it a little too stiff riding and I wasn’t sure the chassis was as well sorted as it should be.

Then I found the space to open it up. Whoo boy.

My initial take faded away as I realized that this is a car that needs to be allowed to play.

We began our journey through 50-plus years of the Cadillac Eldorado last week. Conceived as a new high-end convertible in the years leading up to the personal luxury car, the Series 62 Eldorado “sports convertible” wore unique sheet metal to all other Cadillac models in 1953. Joined that year by the Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Fiesta and Buick Roadmaster Skylark, the trio represented GM’s new high-cost, low-volume halo convertible experiment. Unlike later examples of two-door vehicles from the three most expensive GM brands, these three were not the same underneath.

Last week I wrote about a BMW 3-Series that reminded me of Bimmers of the past, at least in terms of being fun to drive. I also pointed out that it was a relative bargain.

The 2023 Cadillac CT4 heard that and said “hold my beer.”

After completing our extensive Rare Rides Icons coverage of every Lincoln (Continental) Mark between 1939 and 1998, it seems only fair we cover the Mark’s arch-rival in a similar fashion. Though the General Motors competition arrived long after the Continental name was applied to a Lincoln, its history is equally varied and interesting. Come along as we learn about another luxurious subject: the Cadillac Eldorado.

The official Cadillac Celestiq pricing is out, and the car will start at around $340,000.

GM is making good on its promise to exit this decade with Cadillac offering a portfolio of fully electric vehicles. To date we’ve seen the Lyriq and uber-lux Celestiq; next up, the Escalade IQ.

Readers who are fully caffeinated will recall Cadillac’s promise to exist this decade as a purveyor of electric-only vehicles. With the Lyriq already out in the wild and Celestiq in the hopper, plus a mysterious Vistiq and Lumistiq waiting in the wings, it doesn’t take an MBA in marketing to figure out Cadillac’s new naming scheme.

Except for one: Escalade. There’s a ton of brand equity in that name, so changing it to Escaladiq would likely cause weeping in the corner offices of RenCen. How about Escalade IQ, then?

I’ve tested Cadillac’s Super Cruise twice this year, and I had my first taste of Ford’s BlueCruise autonomous system last year.

As a journalist who covers the automotive industry, I have plenty of opinions about autonomous driving – mainly, I don’t believe we’ll see full Level 5 anytime soon. As a journalist who’s also been able to actually test AV systems, I have come to the conclusion that for now, at least, using an AV system leaves you with very mixed feelings. Especially if you’re a car enthusiast and not someone who merely uses your car as a means of conveyance.

General Motors has done something that I think might be a bit dumb. It also had me checking the calendar to make sure it was for real.

Cadillac began using the Biarritz name on the high-zoot Eldorado in 1956, dropped it after 1964, then revived it for 1976 on an Eldo distinguished by its extra-squishy "Cabriolet" vinyl half-roof. The definitive Biarritz came a bit later, though, with the downsized 1979-1985 generation of Eldorados. Here's one of those cars, found on the outskirts of my very favorite Colorado car graveyard.

I or another staffer has probably asked this QOTD before, and it will probably come up again, but hands-free driving is fresh in my mind.

Do you want a Cadillac Corvette but your bank account isn't fat? Take a gander at this XLR.