Page 78 - Experience Magazine Spring 2022

TOP OF

THE WORLD

RESTORED 1954 ELDORADO EXEMPLIFIES
CADILLAC’S TIMELESS STYLING

In 1953, Cadillac and General Motors celebrated
their 50th anniversary with the launch of the Cadillac
Eldorado. The nameplate, which means “the golden”
in Spanish, came from an in-house competition to
name the new car that would represent the company’s
golden anniversary.
The 1950s were an exuberant expression of America’s
post-war prosperity. General Motors’ limitless
ambition was made visible and touchable with the
Cadillac brand and its flair for Atomic Age styling.
At the top of GM’s rigid brand structuring pyramid
stood Cadillac, the ultimate symbol of luxury,
speed and power from the most prosperous nation
in the world. And at the top of Cadillac, there was
the Eldorado.
Most Americans got their first look at the Eldorado
during Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidential
inauguration in 1953 when he rode down
Pennsylvania Avenue in an Alpine White model. It
was the most luxurious American production car of
its era and regarded as the “standard of the world.” Early production years received additional influence
Based on the Series 62, the convertible came with from the 1953 Le Mans concept car, which featured
unique sheet metal and “bumper bullets” from GM’s a long, flat rear deck framed at the fender line by
1951 Le Sabre and Buick XP 300 concept cars. The the famous Cadillac taillight fins. The convertible
1953 Eldorado was also the first production car with top folded under a metal cover on the 1954 model
a wraparound windshield, which later appeared on to make the rear deck seem even more prolonged
all 1955 GM models. and flatter. And unlike the two-seater Le Mans, the
Eldorado could carry five people.
The Eldorado evolved from a limited-edition
anniversary model and into a production car that It came in four colors: Alpine White, Artisan Ochre,
officially joined the Cadillac lineup in 1954. The Aztec Red and Azure Blue. The convertible top was
slope of the door had been reduced for its first full either white or black.
year of production, but the vehicle retained many of Only 2,150 Eldorados were produced in 1954. This
the design cues that gave it a distinct “Cadillac look.” example with a stunning restoration is offered with

78 BARRETT-JACKSON EXPERIENCE SPRING 2022