Cadillac Eldorado

Cadillac Eldorado
1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
Overview
Manufacturer	Cadillac (General Motors)
Also called	Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado
Production	1952–2002
Assembly	Detroit Assembly, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size personal luxury car

First generation
1953 Cadillac Eldorado
Overview
Model years	1953
Assembly	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Designer	Harley Earl
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door convertible
Layout	FR layout
Platform	C-body
Related	Cadillac Series 62 Buick Roadmaster Buick Super Oldsmobile 98
Powertrain
Engine	331 cu in (5.4 L) OHV V8
Transmission	4-speed Hydra-Matic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	126.0 in (3,200 mm)
Length	220.8 in (5,608 mm)
Width	80.1 in (2,035 mm)
Height	58.5 in (1,486 mm)
Curb weight	5,000 lb (2,300 kg)

Second generation
1955 Cadillac Eldorado
Overview
Model years	1954–1956
Assembly	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Designer	Harley Earl
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door hardtop 2-door convertible
Layout	FR layout
Platform	C-body
Related	Cadillac Series 62 Buick Roadmaster Buick Super Oldsmobile 98
Powertrain
Engine	331 cu in (5.4 L) OHV V8 365 cu in (6.0 L) OHV V8
Transmission	4-speed Hydra-Matic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	129.0 in (3,277 mm)
Length	1954: 223.4 in (5,674 mm) 1955: 223.2 in (5,669 mm) 1956: 222.2 in (5,644 mm)
Width	1954: 79.6 in (2,022 mm) 1955: 79.8 in (2,027 mm) 1956: 80.1 in (2,035 mm)
Curb weight	4,900–5,100 lb (2,200–2,300 kg)

1957-58
1958 Cadillac Eldorado Seville
Overview
Model years	1957–1958
Assembly	Detroit, Michigan, United States
Designer	Harley Earl
Body and chassis
Body style	Series 62: 2-door hardtop 2-door convertible 4-door hardtop Series 70: 4-door hardtop
Layout	FR layout
Platform	Series 62: C-body
Related	Series 62: Cadillac Series 62 Buick Limited Buick Roadmaster Buick Super Oldsmobile 98
Powertrain
Engine	365 cu in (6.0 L) OHV
Transmission	4-speed Hydra-Matic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	Series 62: 129.5 in (3,289 mm) Series 70: 126.0 in (3,200 mm)
Length	1957 Series 62: 222.1 in (5,641 mm) 1958 Series 62: 223.4 in (5,674 mm) Series 70: 216.3 in (5,494 mm)
Width	Series 62: 80.0 in (2,032 mm) Series 70: 78.5 in (1,994 mm)
Height	Series 70: 55.5 in (1,410 mm)
Curb weight	5,000–5,500 lb (2,300–2,500 kg)

1959 Eldorado
1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
Overview
Assembly	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Designer	Chuck Jordan
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door hardtop 2-door convertible 4-door hardtop
Layout	FR layout
Platform	C-body
Related	Cadillac Sixty Special Cadillac De Ville Cadillac Series 62 Buick Electra Oldsmobile 98
Powertrain
Engine	390 cu in (6.4 L) OHV V8
Transmission	4-speed Hydra-Matic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	130.0 in (3,302 mm)
Length	225.0 in (5,715 mm)
Width	1959 2-door: 80.2 in (2,037 mm) 1960 2-door: 79.9 in (2,029 mm) 4-door: 80.2 in (2,037 mm)
Height	coupé: 54.1 in (1,374 mm) convertible: 54.4 in (1,382 mm) 4-door: 56.2 in (1,427 mm)
Curb weight	5,100–5,300 lb (2,300–2,400 kg)

Fourth generation
1961 Eldorado Biarritz Convertible
Overview
Model years	1961–1964
Assembly	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Designer	Bill Mitchell
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door convertible
Layout	FR layout
Platform	C-body
Related	Cadillac Sixty Special Cadillac De Ville Cadillac Series 62 Buick Electra Oldsmobile 98
Powertrain
Engine	390 cu in (6.4 L) OHV V8 429 cu in (7.0 L) OHV V8
Transmission	4-speed Hydra-Matic 3-speed TH-400, automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	129.5 in (3,289 mm)
Length	1961–62: 222.0 in (5,639 mm) 1963: 223.0 in (5,664 mm) 1964: 223.5 in (5,677 mm)
Width	1961: 79.8 in (2,027 mm) 1962: 79.9 in (2,029 mm) 1963: 79.7 in (2,024 mm) 1964: 79.5 in (2,019 mm)
Curb weight	4,800–5,000 lb (2,200–2,300 kg)

Fifth generation

Overview
Model years	1965–1966
Assembly	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Designer	Bill Mitchell
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door convertible
Layout	FR layout
Platform	C-body
Related	Cadillac De Ville Cadillac Calais Buick Electra Oldsmobile 98
Powertrain
Engine	429 cu in (7.0 L) OHV V8
Transmission	3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic THM400 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	129.5 in (3,289 mm)
Length	224.0 in (5,690 mm)
Width	79.9 in (2,029 mm)
Curb weight	4,700–4,900 lb (2,132–2,223 kg)

Sixth generation
1967 Cadillac Eldorado
Overview
Production	1967–1970
Assembly	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Designer	Bill Mitchell
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door hardtop
Layout	Longitudinal front-engine, front-wheel drive
Platform	E-body
Related	Buick Riviera Oldsmobile Toronado
Powertrain
Engine	429 cu in (7.03 L) OHV V8 (1967 only) 472 cu in (7.7 L) V8 (introduced 1968) 500 cu in (8.2 L) V8 (introduced 1970)
Transmission	3-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	120 in (3,000 mm)
Length	221 in (5,600 mm)

Seventh generation

Overview
Production	1971–1978
Assembly	Linden, New Jersey, U.S. Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door coupé 2-door convertible
Layout	Longitudinal front-engine, front-wheel drive
Platform	E-body
Related	Buick Riviera Oldsmobile Toronado
Powertrain
Engine	500 cu in (8.2 L) V8 (1971–76) 425 cu in (7.0 L) V8 (1977–78)
Transmission	3-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	126.3 in (3,210 mm)
Length	224 in (5,700 mm) (1977–78) 224.1 in (5,690 mm) (1974–76) 223 in (5,700 mm) (1971–73)
Width	79.8 in (2,030 mm)
Height	54.2 in (1,380 mm)

Eighth generation

Overview
Production	1979–1985
Assembly	Linden, New Jersey, U.S. Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door coupé 2-door convertible (1984-85 only)
Layout	Longitudinal front-engine, front-wheel drive
Platform	E-body
Related	Buick Riviera Oldsmobile Toronado
Powertrain
Engine	4.1 L V6 4.1 L V8 4.5 L V8 5.7 L V8 5.7 L Diesel V8 6.0 L V8
Transmission	3-speed automatic (1979-83), 4-speed w/electronic overdrive (1984-85)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	114 in (2,900 mm)
Length	204.5 in (5,190 mm) (1982–85) 204 in (5,200 mm) (1979–1981)
Width	71.4 in (1,810 mm) (1979–1981) 71.5 in (1,820 mm) (1982–83) 70.6 in (1,790 mm) (1984–85)
Height	54.3 in (1,380 mm) (1982–85) 54.2 in (1,380 mm) (1979–1981)

The Cadillac Eldorado is a personal luxury car that was manufactured and marketed by Cadillac from 1953 to 2002 over ten generations. Competitors and similar vehicles included the Lincoln Mark series, Buick Riviera, Oldsmobile Toronado and Chrysler's Imperial Coupe.

The Eldorado was at or near the top of the Cadillac line during early model years. The original 1953 Eldorado convertible and the Eldorado Brougham models of 1957–1960 were the most expensive models that Cadillac offered those years, and the Eldorado was never less than second in price after the Cadillac Series 75 until 1966. Eldorados carried the Fleetwood designation from 1965 through 1972.

The nameplate Eldorado is a contraction of two Spanish words that translate as "the gilded (i.e., golden) one" — and also refers to El Dorado, the mythical South American "Lost City of Gold" that fascinated Spanish explorers.

Chosen in an internal competition for a 1952 concept vehicle celebrating the company's golden anniversary, the name Eldorado was proposed by Mary-Ann Marini (née Zukosky), a secretary in Cadillac's merchandising department — and was subsequently adopted for a limited-edition convertible for model year 1953.

Palm Springs Life magazine incorrectly attributes the name to the Eldorado Country Club in Indian Wells, California, a favorite resort of General Motors executives in the Coachella Valley — though the resort opened in 1957, five years after Cadillac's own naming competition.

Cadillac began using the nameplates 'Eldorado Seville' and 'Eldorado Biarritz' to distinguish between the hardtop and convertible models (respectively) while both were offered, from 1956 through 1960 inclusively. The 'Seville' name was dropped when the hardtop was initially discontinued (1961), but the Biarritz name continued through 1964. Beginning 1965, the Eldorado became the 'Fleetwood Eldorado'. 'Biarritz' returned as an up level trim package for the Eldorado for 1977.

...
Wikipedia