Rare Rides Icons: The Cadillac Eldorado, Distinctly Luxurious (Part XIX)

We’re back with more Cadillac Eldorado today, in our final entry on the third generation models. We spent our last installment reviewing the special and sometimes troublesome engineering that was standard on the Brougham. Since then, I discovered this April 1957 edition of The Cadillac Serviceman, GM’s in-house magazine publication for its dealer service centers. Twelve clearly scanned pages of technical and service detail await you! After reading, return here and learn about the changes made to the Eldorado line in 1958.

Annual changes to vehicles kept customers coming back, marketing happy with new things to advertise, and made it clear to the general public if you could afford a new car (or not). In 1958 the hot new ticket was quad headlamps. Now legal in all states, all Cadillacs adopted them immediately. Everyone wanted to be seen in a new quad headlamp car, and with few exceptions domestic cars used the same four sealed beam lamps up front.

The Eldorado’s upper fenders had to be widened in 1958 to accommodate an extra set of lamps, and chrome bezels extended further toward the rear than in 1957. A sign of the times, the awnings over the headlamps retreated and disappeared as that trend faded from popularity. Though the hood was the same basic shape as before, notable changes occurred with regard to decor: The finned hood ornaments previously on the fenders migrated to the center of the hood, right where they lived in 1956.

At the prow, the Cadillac logo was wider than before to take up more surface area, along with a mildly enlarged V decoration underneath. The hood shut line was newly horizontal, and no longer gave way to inset Dagmars. Instead, those pointy decorations moved toward the outward edge of the grille. Their shape was slightly less pointed at the tip than in 1957. 

Leading inward toward the center of the grille there was a new chrome strake on either side, set into a new egg crate grille. The grille had circular bullet type protrusions from the intersections of the grille vanes, and was a more subtle take on Buick’s Fashion-Aire Dynastar grille. That grille was a ‘58-only design, as Buick introduced the disastrous Limited lineup. Worth noting, GM was reeling at the time stylistically and its upmarket and luxury ‘58s were an attempt to catch up to Virgil Exner’s very successful Forward Look Chrysler and Imperial models of 1957.

At the lower portion of the bumper 1958 Eldorados returned to a square parking lamp, though the use of chrome heavy-handedness increased that year. The big bumper extended further back toward the wheel than the prior year, as the Eldorado grew in length from 222.1 inches in 1957 to 223.4 inches in 1958. The wrap-around chrome vent detail of 1957 was replaced by a U-shaped design instead, which no longer wrapped around the front corner. 

Above it was an additional piece of chrome trim placed over a character line that was previously unadorned. There was no longer Seville or Biarritz script above that body detailing. Instead, the Cadillac crest returned just ahead of the door, in gold. But designers weren’t nearly finished adding trim in 1958!

Aft of the door, 10 vertical chrome spears appeared. They served no particular purpose, but added a bit of visual heft to an already heavy side profile. But the real weighty-looking additions were left for the ‘58 Eldorado’s backside.

The quad gunsight ports used for reversing lamps and the integrated exhaust were gone. Instead exhausts exited underneath the bumper, and a new eggcrate and bullet-inspired chrome assembly took their place. These large ovoid shapes were the reversing lamps, and the lens was huge. 

The bumper shape no longer extended from the wheel arch chrome to wrap under the Eldorado, but instead terminated with a horizontal platform on either side. Further inward next to the license plate, there were a set of 10 additional chrome strakes, matching the design of those on the rear fender. That’s 30 total strake details if you lost count. 

Finally, the traditional V and Eldorado block lettering was relocated to the left side of the trunk for 1958. The V itself was made narrower, almost to look like a bird. Block lettering was more stylized and larger than the prior year. 

As one might expect, the low-volume Eldorado Brougham did not receive a handy front and rear clip update like other Cadillac models. Instead, some updates were made to its interior. 1958 Eldorado Broughams had leather appointments at the top of their door panels in place of metal the prior year. There was also a new turbine-type wheel cover, in place of the spoked wheel Brougham shared with other Eldorado models in 1957.

There was also some special model advertising in 1958 to celebrate General Motors’ 50th production year. Dubbed the “Golden Anniversary” models, the line began with the newly minted Chevrolet Bel-Air Impala and Pontiac Bonneville Catalina, and moved up to the Oldsmobile Starfire 98, the slow-selling Buick Limited Riviera, and finally the Eldorado Seville. Notable here, the Seville eclipsed the Biarritz as the top-line standard Eldorado offering. 

Recall the original idea of Eldorado was as a halo convertible. No longer, customers preferred the hardtop coupe! The “Golden Five” was just a marketing tactic, however. There’s no evidence to suggest any special limited editions were issued as part of this 50th anniversary. 

Leaner times and an economic recession in 1958 would ensure the third-gen Eldorado was a rare one. Compared to 6,050 Eldorado sales in 1956, 1957 saw 1,800 Biarritz and 2,100 Sevilles rolled from showrooms, along with 4 special-order Sedan Sevilles. Just 400 Eldorado Broughams were sold. 

For its second outing in 1958 with more awkward styling, recession-addled Americans purchased just 815 Biarritz convertibles, and 855 examples of the Seville. Buyers of the Eldorado Brougham were wealthy enough to be immune to a recession, and the sedan managed 304 sales that year. 

And wealth was certainly required, as the 1957 Eldorado Brougham was $13,074 ($147,000 adj.), far and away the most expensive production car in the US at the time. It was in a different league to the likes of the Seville or Biarritz at $7,285 ($81,910 adj.). Brougham was seen more in line with the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud or the elegant Facel Vega.

The following year in 1959 it was time for a do-over of Cadillac styling, where GM could take aim at Virgil Exner’s work more directly. Rocket inspired looks, even more chrome, and the biggest fins ever? Check. See you next time.

[Images: GM, seller, seller]

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