A car that lived up to the brand’s  “Standard of the World” maxim

     The Images were taken at 2022 Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The awards received for this vehicle are:  1:st place American Production Post-War pre 1974,  National Association of Automobile Clubs of Canada Hobbyist of the Year Award and The Outstanding Post-war.

      Owner : Vernon Smith, Swift Current, NL.

     In its day, Cadillac’s Eldorado Brougham was as good as luxury motoring got.  The Brougham meant to assert Cadillac at the top of the car world’s pecking order while delivering a good, hard slap to Lincoln and its premium priced Continental Mark II.  In an era when even Rolls Royce cost $10,000, the Eldorado Brougham started at $13,074  (equivalent to $119,370 today).  There were choices – paint colour and interior fabric, for example – but no options.

     The Eldorado Brougham – designed in 1954 as Cadillac’s dream car for General Motors Motorama of 1955.  From the beginning, the Brougham was a pace setting vehicle with styling and engineering features destined to be incorporated into lesser cars in future years. Two years of testing and development went into Brougham helping designers in their search for a better way to build the best automobile.  Cadillac engineers also came up with a special body for Brougham alone, which was built by Fisher Body’s Fleetwood plant.

     GM Design boss Harley Earl combined features from a couple of Motorama show cars: The 1953 Orleans, which presaged the panoramic windshield and the pillarless four door hardtop/ suicide rear door configuration: and The El Camino coupe concept of 1954, with its brushed stainless steel door.  Making the “Florentine” roof a styling feature made some sense.  At 55.5 inches high, the Eldorado Brougham was a full 3.5 inches lower than Series 62.  The Brougham body was also 2.5 inches narrower. The doors latched onto a stubby central pillar barely a foot high, helping to maximize rear legroom.

     The roof was trimmed in brushed stainless steel, an the exterior ornamentation included wide, polished lower rear quarter beauty panel extending along  the rocker sills and rectangularly sculptured side body “cove” highlighted in  five horizontal wind splits on the rear doors.  Tail styling followed the Eldorado pattern.

An X – frame was developed to work with the industry’s first production self – leveling air suspension (replacing springs with inflatable rubber bags), in conjunction with America’s first production four – link rear suspension.  New low profile 8.40 -15 US Royal high- speed rated white stripe tires rolled on bespoke 15 x 6 Kelsey – Hayes forged aluminum wheels.  The higher roll center, lower center of gravity, shorter wheelbase than Series 62, air suspension, standard 61 – inch tread, and special tires combined to offer Cadillac levels of drivability in a more controllable and dynamic package.

     The power steering, brakes, windows, locks and front seat with “favourite position” programming and air conditioning were standard issue on the Eldorado Brougham. So was the ability to open, close and lock the trunk via controls from the glove compartment. Switches on the rear doors prevented the transmission from shifting into a driving gear while the doors were open, and the rear doors automatically locked while driving.  There was also polarized sun visors, automatic starter with re start function, autronic eye and drum type electric clock.  What is more, every Eldorado Brougham was delivered with a full vanity set, including four metal drink tumblers and a magnetic tray in the glovebox, tissue holder and cigarette case. An Evans compact case also included a comb, mirror, cigarette case, lipstick ,coin holder and powder. In the rear, a special compartment contained a small leather notebook with Cross pencil, beveled mirror, and a perfume atomizer with An ounce of Arpege Extrait de Lanvin perfume.

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The interior of the Brougham is luxorious to a high degree with some 45 choices of trim and colour combinations available during ordering. Carpeting was available in either mouton, a specially processed lamb skin or high pile nylon karakul.

     There is a special heating system with both front and rear compartment outlets. The under seat heaters for the rear can be operated individually by the passenger

     The following paint colours were offered in 1957:

Ebony

Chamonix White

Wimbledon Gray

Deauville Gray

Lake Placid Blue

Copenhagen Blue

Fairfax Blue

Jamaican Green

Plantation Green

Manilla

Sandalwood

Kenya Beige

Nairobi Pearl

Maharani Maroon

     The use of air bags marks the first time that such a system had been used on an automobile.  The system provides an individual air spring unit at each wheel.  Air is supplied to the spring units through leveling valves so that the car remains level with varying loads and road conditions, thus contributing to the Brougham’s appearance as well as assuring consistently easy handling and smooth ride quality.  There were serious difficulties with the air suspension, which proved troublesome in practice.  Some owners found it cheaper to have it replaced with conventional coil springs.

Specifications

Engine          365 Cid V8 with 2 four barrel carburators

Bore               4.0 inches

Stroke            3.68 inches

Compression     10:1 (1957)  10.25 :1 (1958

Horsepower    325 (1957  335 (1958)  @4800rpm

Torque 405 ft lbs @3400rpm

Transmission   Four speed GM Hydra-matic

Wheelbase  126 inches

Length 216.3 inches

Front and Rear Track  61 inches

Anti roll bar suspension, live axle with self leveling air springs

Price $13,358 USD

Production   1957 – 400 units;  1958 – 304 units

Famous owners: Bob Hope, Conrad Hilton, Aristotle Onassis, John Wayne and Frank Sinatra

Sources:

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1957-58-cadillac-eldorado-brougham

https://www.supercars.net/blog/1957-cadillac-eldorado-Brougham/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Eldorado

https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/az21/arizona/lots/r0053-1957-cadillac-eldorado-brougham/1018475

https://www.mecum.com/lots/CA0821-481138/1957-cadillac-eldorado-brougham

https://wwwgrovewood.com/1957-cadillac-eldorado-brougham