The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham for 1959 was a new design. Priced at $13,075, it was the equivalent of more than $120,000 today.
This gorgeous Cadillac is an Italian coach-built car pulled from the days when Cadillac ruled supreme when it came to the luxury automobile.
In the mid-1950s, Cadillac wanted a new range-topper. Something to sit atop the Fleetwood trim it already offered that was a nod to the Fleetwood Body Company. The coachbuilder offered special car bodies to multiple brands but became exclusive to Cadillac in 1925.
In 1959, Cadillac went peak tailfin. The 1959 Cadillac boasted a pair of absolutely massive fins, with twin bullet tail lights and chrome everywhere. They’re the cars that sum up the excess of the 1950s more than nearly any other car. If you want a classic Cadillac, a 1959 is probably the one you’re thinking of. In pink.
But that same year, Cadillac offered something different. Something more restrained. Something with a little more class. Something that was low, and wide, and downright subtle. At least for the era. A car that wasn’t to be seen in, but a car that was meant to be coddled in. The car for drivers who didn’t need to shout from the rooftops to everyone around them. A car that said “I’m the boss” without saying anything at all.
The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham for 1959 was a new design. Priced at $13,075, it was the equivalent of more than $120,000 today. It was nearly three times the average annual wage, and more than the cost of the average new home.
The Eldorado Brougham was set apart from standard Cadillacs. The body was built not in Detroit, but in Italy. By famed coachbuilder Pinin Farina – this was before the name became one word. Just 99 examples of the car were built that year.
This is one of them. Number 53. It’s possibly the most original of them as well. It’s never been restored but has survived as new. This car has travelled just 52,148 miles (84,480 km).
Under the long hood is a 6.4L V8 engine, generating around 345 hp and probably enough torque to move worlds. Power was sent to the ground as smoothly as possible through a four-speed automatic.
Peer in through the massive front windshield and behold the grey cloth upholstery with pinstripes that would do a suit proudly. Loaded with luxury features that were high-tech at the time, these cars offered cruise control and automatic high beam switching. This one came with air suspension, though it’s been replaced by conventional coil springs. The compressor is still there if the owner wanted to go back to original.
This rare Cadillac might be one of the most beautiful models the brand has ever made. It’s going up for sale at RM Sotheby’s fall Auburn auction in September.
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Keyword: This is the Restrained 1959 Italian Cadillac