The 1950s were a magical time for the auto industry in the U.S. The Big Three in Detroit—especially Ford and General Motors—were working to build some of the best cars on the planet. If one single car best demonstrated this, it was the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. My Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com is one of these cars, a 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham offered by a dealer in Glendale, California.
The Eldorado Brougham was the very definition of a “halo” car: one that demonstrated exactly how great a car GM could make when they set aside things like budgets. These cars were literally hand-built at Cadillac, and the cost reflected that. In 1957-58, when a new Rolls-Royce cost $10,000, the price for the Eldorado Brougham was $13,074. Although you could choose from a myriad of 28 paint colors and 45 different interiors, the car had no added options because it came fully loaded from the factory.
Standard features included power steering, power brakes, power windows, power locks, power front seat with “favorite position” seat memory, alloy wheels and, of course, air conditioning. Also standard was a control to open, close, and lock the trunk from the glove compartment. Special switches in the rear doors stopped the transmission from shifting into a driving gear while the rear doors were open. Every Eldorado Brougham was also delivered with a full vanity set, including four metal drink tumblers with a magnetic tray in the glovebox to hold them, a tissue holder, and a special cigarette case.
For the female driver or passenger, there was an Evans compact case that 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 Arpège Extrait de Lanvin perfume.
These were simply the finest luxury cars in the world at that time.
With the price being so high, Cadillac did not sell many 1957-58 Eldorado Broughams. Total production in 1957 was 400 cars, with another 304 built in 1958, making them the one of the rarest production Cadillacs ever.
The seller states that this example is an older restoration done by White Post Restorations in Virginia that cost over $70,000. Work included converting the factory air suspension to a conventional system (a common practice when restoring these cars), a full repaint, replacing all chrome, and lots of other mechanical work, including going through the engine. The car has covered 44,000 miles from new and is finished in Copenhagen Blue with a black leather interior. Both the paint and interior look to be in excellent condition.
Under the hood is the same, featuring a tidy-looking engine compartment with no issues to be seen in the provided photos.
The underside of the car is also exceptionally clean, with no rust visible at all in any of the many provided photos in the listing.
These cars are extremely special and do not come up for sale more than a few times a year. They are eligible for concours events across the world and also are one of the nicest 1950s cars to drive, whether you’re on a long or short trip. There is just an elegance to the Eldorado Brougham that surpasses just about every other luxury car of the era.
If you are looking for the best of the best of the 1950s, this is your car. The asking price for this stunning Cadillac is $115,000, which is well in line for the current market for these rare and special vehicles. The chances of passing one on the road are all but non-existent; this car is guaranteed to draw a crowd wherever you go.
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