The Americans are great at bling and you can’t say that this Eldorado has been spared any.
A truly extravagant machine that apart from the colour is how it rolled out of the factory in 1954. Many Cadillacs were transformed after purchase by specialists to give the Eldorado look but this one was done by special factory order.
No expense was spared when this car was first ordered. A genuine Eldorado will be fitted with large chromed side panels and very specific wheels.
This one has the ‘Continental’ kit added which is the extended rear that houses the covered spare wheel as well as what was known as the ‘Parade’ hard tonneau cover for the power roof, ready for your VIP to perch on during a tick-a-tape parade.
Proper factory-built Eldorado, not an aftermarket kit
Importation documentation
Certificate of Title for the previous owner in the US
An extensive folder of information is available
UK V5
The most expensive Eldorado available from the factory comes to you with a lot of associated information.
Since being in the keep of the present owner since 1992 this leviathan of a vehicle has been painstakingly cared for as part of a private collection. It has had very little use and has been maintained carefully over the years.
In the early 90s, our owner decided to change the colour inside and out with a full respray from white to pale yellow and had the interior re-trimmed to suit.
Beautifully re-trimmed upholstery to complement the exterior
Original dashboard embellishments and radio
Working powered roof
The interior has had such little use since being re-trimmed in the 90s.
The colour of the seating although a little garish to our sensitivities does compliment the vibrant exterior and maintains the flamboyant design cues of the era.
There are lots of bright and flashy embellishments to the cabin and the steering wheel alone is a sheer wonder to behold.
With the roof fully lowered the ‘Parade’ cover can be fitted over in pieces to create a near-seamless transition from interior to exterior, although you would need to practice fitting it correctly.
There aren’t enough expletives in the dictionary to describe the exterior of a 54 Eldorado, suffice to say that it is loud, brash full of bling and very big, I mean really big.
That aside the uncompromising flair is what makes this car such an amazing thing to behold and very desirable. It has benefitted from having such minimal use over the years and has been dry stored as part of a collection so the bodywork still appears in very good condition.
The access to the spare wheel works well and the hidden fuel cap is revealed beneath the left-hand tail light. There are a few little nicks and the odd scratch but on the whole apparently in great shape.
The heavy doors close with a reassuring clunk and don’t need a lot of force. The vehicle has had an ongoing maintenance regime but there are always little jobs to do to keep a new owner busy.
Overall this car presents itself very well and is a fully functioning example of one of Cadillac’s most expensive versions.
It’s a machine that needs no major restoration but will require a continuation of gentle tinkering to keep everything working as it should. The engine ticks over beautifully and revs within an instant of pressing the throttle.
The car has not been tested on the road but presented no obvious engine gearbox issues as it was moved around for the photographs. It’s an awful lot of car and yet fairly simplistic mechanically and would not be a daunting prospect for anyone with minimal experience.
Not all of the accessories were tested but at least the roof was seen to raise and lower.
Let your extravagant and extraverted side loose with this car. It epitomises the feel-good times of the USA of the 50s with its sheer size and overzealous use of bright bling.
Of course, it is a huge departure from the austere cars of the 50s here in the UK but that’s what makes it so appealing. It makes no apologies for the way it looks, the amount of money needed to lavish on its original purchase or indeed it's rather low economy figures.
This car was built to show off and that’s what it does in spades, add to that the fact that it is a pretty rare beast, and you can be assured that it will draw a pretty large crowd wherever you may go.
Just a word to the wise before you buy it, measure your driveway first, she’s a little on the large side!
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