1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible

The “Last American Convertible;” the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado. The NHTSA was breathing down car manufacturer's necks, and safety concerns had laid the convertible to rest. GM went out with a bang, offering their finest brand's finest personal luxury car, the Eldorado. At 224 inches long, 5100lbs empty and powered by a 500 cubic inch V8 these luxury cruisers were the pinnacle of mid 70's excess. Some were put away and never used, some were driven into the ground, and some were lucky, like this car: Driven a mere 4,010 miles from new, it was frequently in service to maintain its readiness. Its single repaint covers the substandard original paint job while 96% of the car remains assembly line correct. This is a driveable time capsule.

As collector car people we go crazy over ink splotches, paper tags and grease pencil marks unnoticed by most. Check out the detail pictures--tags still on the torsion bars and leaf springs, the original clamps and hoses, paint code markings under the hood, mystery scribbles behind the rear bumper...and we sure didn't find them all! This is a reference piece for Cadillac enthusiasts. Put this car on a (strong) lift and examine the undercarriage. That's all original sound deadening and undercoating, the original set of shocks and brakes, the original exhaust (aside from the tailpipe and resonator,) the original and functioning air ride setup and the original, resealed fuel tank. The unpainted/unfinished metal parts on the car have the appropriate amount of light surface rust just as we would expect to see an any low mileage original car. There are four fresh Michelin tires on the original rims, fresh fluids throughout and a front end alignment was done within the past year.

Originally purchased in Indiana, and owned by a widow, this 1976 Cadillac Eldorado sat stored and unused in the garage for years. The convertible was driven just over 2,200 original miles between 1976 and 1997 when it was purchased out of an estate. At that point, the car was sold to a couple that lived in Pennsylvania who over the course of 13 years managed to put on another whopping 1,600 miles! The car saw yearly oil changes, new plastic filler panels and a new high quality, wet sanded paint job. We have affidavits from the 2nd owner in regards to the mileage and the window sticker from the dealership that sold in to them in 1997 stating the mileage.

The engine compartment is nothing short of amazing. The original spark plugs, master cylinder and other wear components are sill in place, while the belts and hoses are either original or GM dealer replacements. Logos and parts tags are evident here as well, and the paint is in exceptional shape considering how much of an afterthought the engine compartment was at the assembly line. Original clamps and original hardware are everywhere. Mechanically the motor is in top shape, idling below an audible level and pulling with a mountain of torque. You're not going to get anywhere in a hurry but you'll get there relaxed.

Outside, this is an extremely straight and shiny Eldorado. The quarter panels on these cars are absolutely massive and are just asking for dents and waves: Here they're laser straight. The windows on the Eldorado are the factory originals and mint. Speaking of survivor cars in general - we have never seen such high quality original glass. The windows are totally free of any stone chips or typical scratches that begin to occur on older cars. The often-tricky top lift mechanism on this car is excellent, the electric motors in this beautiful example perform as new, and the alignment between the front and rear windows and the top could not be tighter. The chrome and stainless trim is showroom quality.

The interior is as close to perfect as possible. Not only is the leather still soft and supple, but it literally looks brand new. There are no wear areas, no cracks, no dried areas, or any leather with faded color. The all the interior panels are totally wear free, both from human use and from sun exposure. The same goes for the dash and the steering wheel which look new and have no evidence of any sun damage, cracks or general wear. All of the switches and knobs in the car look virtually unused. It's usually easy to spot how often switches are used by the varying amount of wear that plastic takes on, but on this car, they all look the same--new.

These are rising investments, representing a peak of Detroit styling and flat-out scale that will never be duplicated. Though from a bygone era this Cadillac is thoroughly useable, and will serve its new owners with pride.