TOP OF THE WORLD: Restored 1954 Eldorado exemplifies Cadillac’s timeless styling

March 22, 2022
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

Written by Nicole Ellan James

LOT #664 – 1954 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible – Selling with No Reserve at the 2022 Palm Beach Auction.

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.”

Based on the Series 62, the convertible came with unique sheet metal and “bumper bullets” from GM’s 1951 Le Sabre and Buick XP 300 concept cars. The 1953 Eldorado was also the first production car with a wraparound windshield, which later appeared on all 1955 GM models.

The Eldorado evolved from a limited-edition anniversary model and into a production car that officially joined the Cadillac lineup in 1954. The slope of the door had been reduced for its first full year of production, but the vehicle retained many of the design cues that gave it a distinct “Cadillac look.”

Early production years received additional influence from the 1953 Le Mans concept car, which featured a long, flat rear deck framed at the fender line by the famous Cadillac taillight fins. The convertible top folded under a metal cover on the 1954 model to make the rear deck seem even more prolonged and flatter. And unlike the two-seater Le Mans, the Eldorado could carry five people.

It came in four colors: Alpine White, Artisan Ochre, Aztec Red and Azure Blue. The convertible top was either white or black.

Only 2,150 Eldorados were produced in 1954. This example with a stunning restoration is offered with No Reserve during the 2022 Palm Beach auction, held April 7-9 at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

Almost every luxury option of the day was standard on the 1954 Eldorado. The seats, steering, brakes and windows were all powered. This car also retains the correct red-and-white leather upholstery that greeted occupants, as well as its proper deep pile carpet. The trunk was also restored with the correct pattern inserts and carpeting. Additionally, this Eldorado was equipped with air conditioning, a feature Cadillac offered for the first time in 1953.

The car was restored and repainted in its original Alpine White color. All of its exterior chrome and brightwork, such as its egg-crate grille and big chrome bumper bullets, were replated or polished. The black canvas power convertible top was recently serviced with new hydraulic convertible top lift cylinders, also called rams, and weatherstripping seals. To top it off, the Eldorado rolls on original chrome wire wheels with Coker Classic whitewall radial tires.

This beauty is a tribute to “the standard of the world” and is sure to please on the auction block in Palm Beach.