CC For Sale: 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz In Mexico

– Posted on August 13, 2024

The legend of El Dorado is quite well known. A mythical city in Precolumbian America where gold was commonplace and its ruler covered himself in gold dust for ceremonies. A seductive tale that had Spanish Conquistadors scrambling all over South America during the 16th Century on its quest, regardless of peril and uncertainty.

Needless to say, no one ever found the imaginary place. But that didn’t stop folks from guessing its possible existence and location in later times. Most, believe it to be somewhere in the Colombian jungle.

So this particular ’57 Eldorado ain’t quite near Colombia, but it’s certainly down south. Apparently in Cuernavaca, not far from Mexico City. And while it may not be exactly what Spanish Conquistadors were looking for, it should be a pleasing find to Cadillac aficionados. A rather rare 1957 Eldorado Biarritz convertible, one of 1,800 built for that year.

And this one looks quite intact and unrestored, though seemingly no longer in the original upscale setting where it must have resided for ages.

Cadillac people need no introduction to this car. It’s, after all, the Eldorado legend. Originally launched solely as a ‘sports convertible’ for model year 1953, the model was inspired by Cadillac’s 1952 El Dorado ‘Golden Anniversary’ Concept Car.

So, the production Eldorado appeared featuring then novel wraparound glass, and a full assortment of luxury details. Technically it was a subseries of the Series 62 and was priced at an astounding $7,750. It was the priciest model of the brand for that year and moved an exclusive 532 units.

Prices for ’54-’55 would drop some, and the model would gain more commonality with the rest of Cadillac’s lineup. Yet, it was all part of a brief period among the Big 3 where high luxury was pursued. (Elsewhere, the Continental and Imperial were showing up).

For ’57, the Eldorado gained more distinctive rear quarters, somewhat reminiscent of the division’s older Interceptor concept car. But for ’57, the Interceptor-derived droopy slope was appropriately festooned with prominent jet-age fins. The lineup had expanded by then too, with a Seville hardtop beside the convertible. Each at a steep cost of $7,286.

But if those Eldorados were just too common for you, an additional one appeared for ’57, the Series 70-based Brougham. It sold at a lofty 13K dollars.

So, 1950s Eldorados remained appropriately scarce, befitting their exclusivity intentions.

There isn’t quite a breakdown of how many Cadillacs sold abroad in those years, but a decent number did. That, despite the brand being highly sought after in the US. Of course, scarcity just added to the brand’s allure.

So here’s one of those sold outside US soil, and an Eldorado Biarritz nonetheless. And this one in Mexico, while not really pristine, seems rather well preserved. That interior looks worn and aged, but rather original and far from ruined.

In the sales ad, there are no details of the car’s provenance or history. Did the car belong to some industrial magnate? A Mexican cinema star? Prominent politician?

Regardless, the seller claims to have most of the car’s original paperwork. So I guess one could track down said history if wanted.

The engine looks less intact with a few bits that seem to be missing, while some look oddly newer. But I would think it’s a sign that the car moves under its own power.

And regarding what we’re looking at, it’s a 364.4 cid V8, with dual 4-barrel carburetion providing 325 hp. From 0-60 in 10.6 secs; pretty good for a 1950s vehicle with 5110 pounds on its body.

Don’t get too excited about the current seller not knowing what it’s got. The car may be in Mexico, but it ain’t a bargain (if I did my Peso to USD conversion right). Then again, maybe the seller just wants to get his own El Dorado dream through this old Eldorado.

Should you care to check out the FB Marketplace ad, it’s HERE. And about that Colombian gold, I talked some more about it HERE.