What is your all time favorite automobile?
For many years I’ve always thought that the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham (1957) is one of the most chic and glamorous vehicles to have ever emerged from the creative minds of America’s auto industry. I must have an old soul because cars from decades past (especially the 1950s) have always drawn my attention like a powerful magnet. Ever since I was thirteen old, it was exciting to pore through print ads from old issues of LIFE, National Geographic, Popular Mechanics, Time, etc. to study the composition, layout, photography, and phraseology of these auto promotions.
This was most enjoyable during junior high study hall periods. My school library had tons of old magazines in remarkably good condition as sources for this type of material – something like a mini Library Of Congress! During these years I viewed hundreds of pages of Buicks, Cadillacs, Chevys, Chryslers, Fords, Mercurys, Dodges, Studebakers, Packard’s, Plymouths — the list is endless. I was also intrigued with many ads of cars from the 1940s, 1960s, and to a lesser degree some from the 1970s. However, the car that has held the most allure over all these years is still the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham which was first introduced in 1957.
At the time, it was the most luxurious and expensive American made car consumers could buy. Not only was it very prestigious, but this Cadillac model series was rare right from the start. During its 1957-58 production run only 400 were built. The base price for the Eldorado Brougham was a breathtaking $13,074 at a time when the average US home price (for a three bedroom unit) was around $12,200. So, it’s easy to understand why the production run was quite limited. By another comparison, a fairly typical Cadillac “62 series” cost $7,285 at most. In any case, what I find most pleasing is that the Brougham’s were handmade using only the finest materials available.
For instance, the Brougham had a full-leather interior with 44 different combinations to choose from. The carpet was made of lamb skin and the vehicle also contained a cigarette case, perfume atomizer (and hilariously) a set of six magnetic drinking tumblers! These are just a few of the interior offerings, and everything was made to order. Beyond these delightful touches, this Cadillac model was very advanced for the 1950s, having cruise control, quad headlamps (a first among carmakers), memory seats, automatic trunk opener, and power windows.
This Cadillac model had another intriguing feature known as Autotronic Eye 👁️ that would automatically dim the headlights when a vehicle approached from the opposite direction. It also had a transistor radio which was a big deal in those days as well. I absolutely love the exterior – and easily consider the Eldorado Brougham to be the most attractive car of 1957. Although there were numerous color schemes the buyer could choose from, I love the black & silver combination the best. The brushed aluminum roof really sets it off, and the forged aluminum wheels and white wall tires are unsurpassed. When I finally saw one of these cars at the Martin Auto Museum & Event Center in Phoenix, Arizona — I thought I’d died and went to vintage auto heaven!
