No other car captures the essence of the “jet age” quite like the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado, with styling that could have been copied from a fighter plane. While many believe that Cadillac’s tailfins were a product of the 1950s, their use actually dates back to GM’s 3/8-scale “Interceptor” design studies of the early 1940s, which were inspired by the radical P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft of World War II.
Available in Biarritz convertible and Seville hardtop form, along with the hand-built Brougham four-door hardtop, the Eldorado was Cadillac’s undisputed image leader for 1959. Standard Eldorado equipment included a heater, fog lamps, air-assisted suspension, a radio with a rear speaker, power windows, a six-way power front seat, power door locks and whitewall tires. Power was provided by the top Q-code 390 cubic inch V8, which thumped out 345 horsepower with a trio of two-barrel carburetors, teamed with a four-speed Hydra-Matic Drive automatic transmission.
Just four options were available for the Eldorado – air conditioning, cruise control, the Autronic-Eye automatic headlight dimmer and E-Z Eye glass, along with a no-cost bucket seat option for the Biarritz. Both the Biarritz convertible and the Seville hardtops carried a lofty base price of $7,401 when new, with only 1,320 examples of the Biarritz produced.
1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Gallery
See full 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Gallery
Story by Rm Auctions
In Detail
| type | Series Production Car |
| built at | USA |
| price $ | $ 7,401 |
| engine | V8 |
| position | Front Longitudinal |
| aspiration | Natural |
| valvetrain | OHV |
| displacement | 6391 cc / 390.0 in³ |
| compression | 10.5:1 |
| power | 257.3 kw / 345.0 bhp @ 4800 rpm |
| specific output | 53.98 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 150.33 bhp per tonne |
| torque | 589.78 nm / 435.0 ft lbs @ 4800 rpm |
| body / frame | Steel over Tubular-Center X-Frame |
| front tires | Tubeless 8.20 x 15 |
| rear tires | Tubeless 8.20 x 15 |
| front brakes | Power Assist |
| rear brakes | Power Assist |
| f suspension | Air-Ride Suspension |
| r suspension | Air-Ride Suspension |
| curb weight | 2295 kg / 5060 lbs |
| wheelbase | 3302 mm / 130.0 in |
| front track | 1549 mm / 61.0 in |
| rear track | 1549 mm / 61.0 in |
| length | 5715 mm / 225.0 in |
| transmission | 4-Speed Hydramatic |
| final drive | 3.21:1 |
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