Eldorado Cadillac Models & History 1957
Cadillac’scompletely restyled 1957 offerings borrowed heavily from the lines of the Park Avenue, a hardtop sedan “idea” car shown at the 1954 Motorama. A new X-member chassis contributed to structural rigidity as well as to a profile nearly 75mm lower than before. Of course, the lack of side rails meant that the new frame afforded virtually no lateral impact protection, but Detroit wasn’t particularly safety-conscious in those days.
Once more the Eldorado Biarritz and Seville had their own rear-end configuration. The work of Ron Hill, a talented 23-year-old design newcomer, it featured a sloped deck flanked by rounded fenders sprouting sharply pointed fins. Rear wheel openings were again skinless, and the lower rear fenders were liberally garnished with chrome. The hood ornament was eliminated, contributing to a smoother frontal appearance. Overall, the ’57 was more readily distinguishable from other Cadillacs than any Eldorado since the original. Oddly enough, the dual four-barrel carburetion was dropped this year, and standard horsepower backed off slightly to 300 despite an increase in compression ratio. The all-out performance buff could still get the twin pots and 325 horses, but they now cost extra.
But the Biarritz and the Seville were no more than a warm-up for 1957s main event: the new Eldorado Brougham.
I. D. NUMBERS
- Serial numbers and engine numbers were the same again.
- They appeared
- on a boss on the front right-hand face of the engine block;
- on the lubrication plate on the left front door pillar (1953-1957)
- and on the right frame side member behind the motor support.
- The first pair of symbols were “57” to designate the model year.
- The next two symbols indicated series as follows:
- “62” = Series 62 including Eldorado Specials
- “60” = Series 60 Fleetwood
- “70” = Series 70 Eldorado Brougham
- “75” = Series 75 Fleetwood
- The immediately following numbers, beginning at 00000 for each series, indicated the production sequence in consecutive order.
- Ending numbers were the same for all series since the engines were installed in mixed production fashion.
STYLE
| Model Number | Body Style | Doors | Model | Seat | Price | Weight | Production Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57-62 | 6237SDX | 2 door | Coupe Seville Hardtop | 6 | $7286 | 2186 kg | 2,100 |
| 57-62 | 6267SX | 2 door | Biarritz Convertible | 6 | $7286 | 2241 kg | 1,800 |
| 57-62 | 6239SX | 4-door | Sedan Seville | 6 | 4 |
NOTES
- The Eldorado Sedan Seville was a special order model built in limited quantities.
- The symbol “X” after Body Style Number in brackets indicates power windows optional
- without brackets indicates this feature standard.
ENGINE
| Feature | Standard Engine | Optional Engine |
| Type | V-8, Overhead valves | V-8, Overhead valves |
| Block | Cast iron block | Cast iron block |
| Displacement | 5.972 Liters | 5.972 Liters |
| Bore and stroke | 101.6mm x 92.1mm | 101.6mm x 92.1mm |
| Compression ratio | 10.0:1 | 10.0:1 |
| Brake horsepower | 300 hp @ 4800 rpm | 325 @ 4800 rpm |
| Power | 224 kW @ 4800 rpm | 242 kW @ 4800 rpm |
| Main bearings | Five | Five |
| Valve lifters | Hydraulic | Hydraulic |
| Carburetor | Rochester four-barrel Model 7015701 | Two (2) Carter four-barrel (Front) Model 2584S; (Rear) Model 2583S |
CHASSIS
| Feature | Series 62 Eldorado |
| Wheelbase | 3289mm |
| Overall Length | 5641mm |
| Front Tread | 1549mm |
| Rear Tread | 1549mm |
| Tires | 8.20 x 15 whitewall |
| Exhaust | Standard dual exhausts |
POWERTRAIN OPTIONS
| The 325 horsepower Eldorado Brougham dual four-barrel V-8 was optional on the Eldorado Seville and Biarritz only |
| In normal attachments on these models the front carburetor was changed to a Carter four-barrel Model 258S |
| When air conditioning was also installed, the front carburetor was the same model use in the Brougham, which came standard with air conditioning |
CONVENIENCE ACCESSORIES
| Hydra-Matic drive, power steering and power brakes were standard in all Cadillacs |
| Many models (designated by non-bracketed “X” suffix in charts above) also had standard power window lifts |
| Fore-and-Aft power seats were standard on the same models |
| Six-Way power seats were regularly featured on Eldorados and Sixty Specials |
| Air-conditioning, radios, heaters, etc. were optional on most other models (standard in Brougham) along with regular GM factory and dealer installed extras |
PHOTOS
Keyword: Eldorado Cadillac History 1957