Cadillac Eldorado Brougham Pininfarina -59. The 1959 and 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Broughams are the last of the hand crafted cars, despite being production models, that is models included in the product catalogs for these two years. show two proposals for a custom 4-door sedan on the Rolls Royce Phantom V Nonetheless, its a beautiful car and an example of something many Cadillac people know nothing about. Not many even knew it existed because of its rarity. These were really spirited vehicles. 131820 to 67000 isnt 60% depreciation. ten years [1996-2006] in the private collection of Alain-Dominique Perrin, CEO (former I would see these few auto in New York City where, at the time, we were living in midtown Manhattan, a right place for such a car. "facts" drawn from the source(s) which, in my opinion, seem the most scoop on the hood; both have Borrani spoke wheels. 1985, dos not include any photo of Jacqueline - does any reader have the EPA book Your email address will not be published. $5,000.00, in a -page ad, is what appears to be the light-colored coupe with the mid-nineties. a metallic paint finish, and (again) with a white roof; it has a real or dummy air Both are signed C. Delaisse. Go to Vegas and put your hands on the car. https://www.google.com/amp/s/notoriousluxury.com/2017/02/22/the-elite-1960-cadillac-series-6900-eldorado-brougham/amp/. None of the body panels nor any of the glass could be interchanged with the stock Cadillac models. sometimes are contradictory. Probably even less, since the air suspension may not have been working at this point, along with a lot of the power-operated gizmos. PF hand built most of the front clip and reverse opening bonnet using half front guards from America. I know not one panel was the same as the ordinary 1959 /60cars, but they were all still stamped in, and came from the USA including the firewall and cowl assembly.. Production in Italy was not only cost efficient but it prevented the assembly lines in Detroit from the slow-down due to the nature of the hand finishing that the Eldorado Brougham required. Become a member to add images to your comments. It was brought over to Joes for a complete go-over with the idea of a potential restoration. ); it is now believed that The whole body was handmade by PF in Italy. Perhaps Cadillac experts can comment on the originality of what looks like an upholstered plywood box under the dashboard. To the Unknowing, it looks like another 1960 Cadillac. I have never known quite what to make of these. However, because of all the hand-fitting that went into the manufacture of these custom automobiles, it was made clear in the service instructions that certain body parts, including sheet metal and moldings may have to be reworked if replacement is necessary. His name was David Fogg and he told us this story. This is beautiful, and appears well kept. The engine produces a massive 590 Nm of torque at just 3,400 rpm and rings up 345 hp on the dyno. Automobile]. Its purchase in 60 fulfilled its purpose, and, feathers displayed, surely a 61 Lincoln was already hot off the presses and in the driveway. Since it was handmade, there was no lead time on tooling and such, so it could be made to look like a 61 one year early. Month/year matched up with each ad (excuse the poor production values); tough to find ads where dealer actually gave asking price! Remember the plate under the bonnet, ASSEMBLED by Pininfarina. convertible model above BOTH are derived from the B&W coupe shown at Geneva in Cars section of the Database for bespoke Sheet metal was cut and formed on male wooden forms then welded together. Upon closer inspection, everything is different, it has a subdued opulence that none of the other 1960 Cadillacs can offer. [ Background image: Pininfarina archive photo of the Cadillac Jacqueline ]. +1. All Rights Reserved. The result was the 1961 Cadillac Jacqueline, built in honor of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. The sketches are The Italian Cadillacs were individually built and assembled on a stationary production line. a two-door hardtop; both [?] I always thought that these were far more attractive than the other 59 -60 Cadillacs. not hint that the Skylight had survived, even less that it had been sold. The photos in the lower row shows the car to be painted a light metallic gray In fact, its under 50%. featured a brushed steel roof and no back seat. Where does it say anything about the roof being fitted in the US?? Especially since the windshield and wind wings were unique to this model. Both 1959 & 1960 Broughams rode on Cadillacs rugged tubular X-frame. later Jacqueline model, below. It seems that Cadillac went through a lot of trouble for nothing. I rather prefer my gigantic cars to wear colors other than black, white, or silver, and todays feature car would probably show beautifully in a spread of well-taken photographs. Switzerland, in 1991, that I found it to be an engineless shell [a pushmobile] effectively Italiano, 1999, The Jacqueline coupe in 1996 [Photo: Collectible (a conversion of the foregoing coupe? public relations staff in the mid-seventies. After 200 Eldorado Broughams were built for 1959-60, the cars faded into the past with the majority of people probably soon forgetting them. is both caustic and sarcastic. Potential rust spots are filled with sealer. reminiscent of the 1959 Eldorado Brougham ! Pininfarina by Philippe Lancksweert, a Ferrari importer in Brussels. I would be interested to hear from anyone Most curious is that neither Harley Earl nor Bill Mitchell are present. The Cadillac emblems used on these cars is pictured on the dash where it says Brougham, there was also a Cadillac crest in the steering wheel center. 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham purchased new by Grace Kelly as a gift for her father. Home Team American Beauty 1boblog American Classic Cars American Vintage Vw T4 Lead Sled Down South Car Girl '60 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham (#86 of 101) by Pinin Farina) & Baby J Marie S Sands Autoliterature Eldorado Brougham Cimarron Morbid Fleetwood Seville According to a Pininfarina The assembled operational chassis and internal body structure shared with the standard 1959-60 Cadillac along with ancillary components were crated then shipped to Pinin Farina. previous model were one and the same car. I quite like this model better than the 59 a friend has that everyone raves about, GM toned down the fins quite well for 1960 and the twin afterburner tail lights look good to me anyway YMMV. When I corresponded with Fredy Valentini of PF's Hemmings Motor News has been serving the classic car hobby since 1954. They drank petrol as a sponge absorbs liquid but who cared when the price per gallon was under $.50! he is of French origin; his father operated a print shop in Senlis, south of Paris). 133, Loyal Friendship = FREE Car: 1927 Chrysler 60 and a Jaguar E-Type | Barn Find Hunter Ep. Not all 1959 Cadillacs had bullet taillights. The only hand fabricated part was huge one piece front clip witch was made up of numerous small parts supplied from Cadillac, including half front guards, head lights support panels and a section of front guard panel above the headlights. Or just coincidence? This was the standard 1959 Series 62 hardtop sedan, Special thanks to Daniel Schmitt Classic Cars: http://www.schmitt.com, and Bob Adams Classic cars: http://www.arizonacollectorcars.com, "As the Standard of the World Turns", Cadillac, Cadillac Historical, 1959 & 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, Cadillac, Eldorado, Eldorado Brougham, NotoriousLuxury. I did everything in my power to avoid such disasters.. Two of the 18 words in this Cadillacs description are new interior, and it appears to be well-done. Heres the most important line from that page: The Italian Cadillacs were individually built and assembled on a stationary production line. Roger, of course the cowl and firewall came from the US, as it undoubtedly was the exact same unit used in regular Cadillacs. I wonder if this is one of them. original, they were turned up at the extremity; in the ad photo, however, they appear to Consider Cadillac, which at one time offered mass-market eight- and 12-cylinder models, along with rarefied V-16s cloaked in custom tailoring. well-known French carrossier (coachbuilder), Henri Chapron [above] They [even impossible] that the latter could have been mounted on the 1959 Eldorado built on a 1959 Eldorado Brougham chassis [possibly because of those unmistakable For 1959, Cadillac turned to Pinin Farina to produce the Eldorado Brougham. two-door Indeed they are very much alike, except Just 704 first generation Broughams were built. The Rajs choice of Pinin Farina was unusual, as 1931 was the high point of such French custom coachbuilders Chapron, Franay, and Figoni et Falaschi. between September 1959 and April 1968. The cars body was virtually seamless and crafted by hand hammering it into shape. This is true whether the fashion hangs in your closet or sits in your garage. Congratulations. In those days, 100,000 miles was viewed as the expected useful life of a car by most people. And the style, detail etc. Yes, Cadillac had Pininfarina do the coachwork for these for the 1959-60 Eldorado Broughams, which is why these hand made bodies were loaded with lead filler. These, however, didnt sell as well as the 1957-1958 Detroit built Broughams. Though somewhat obscure, these cars are truly spectacular, especially when placed beside any of the other 1960 Cadillac offerings. It was one of their selling points, often referenced in the print advertisements. Cadillac built 100 top of the line 1959 Eldorado Fleetwood Broughams in conjunction with Italian carrozzeria Pinin Farina. Whereas the early Broughams (1957-1958) used a chassis of their own, the 1959-1960 models used the stock Cadillac, 130 wheel base chassis, including most of the stock Cadillacs mechanical components. who attended both these shows or who actually saw photos of the two Skylight The tiny skeg fins premiered those on the standard 61 and 62 designs. Eldorado Brougham 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Additional Info: No we didn't make a mistake, this really is a 1959 model. Not surprisingly, that seemed to be the case with some early replies here. The 1959 & 1960 Eldorado Broughams were the more sedate Cadillacs. on 1958 PF coupe and convertible by C. Delaisse ]. There appears to be a slight difference in the shape of the tail fins. What do you all mean by hand made? It clearly enumerates those panels and parts that were shared with the regular Cadillac, and that the rest were built by PF in Italy, and then assembled there. Did folks who bought a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud in 1960 were concerned about its future depreciation? So was this intentionally styled to look like the upcoming 61 models, or was it the other way around, with the 61s designed to look like the 59 Brougham? Saw that open below the dash Todd. [5] [6] Contents 1 Name 2 First generation (1953) 3 Second generation (1954-1956) When the interior was redone on this car, the ribbed pattern on the Brougham seats went the wayside for this biscuit pattern, which is incorrect for these. But it was Battistas relationship with Earl that produced something truly special: the 195960 Eldorado Brougham. Also, I have it from Pininfarina that Jacqueline Perhaps some Italian aficionados might be able to help put these interesting However, the Italian coach builder asserted that the Skylight coupe had been Both 101 were built in 1960 and this is # 16. Join millions of people using Oodle to find unique used cars for sale, certified pre-owned car listings, and new car classifieds. But still; its a beautiful car, extremely rare and there is even a registry for `59-`60 Eldorado Brougham owners, since these unique cars are so scarce. When not used, the panels can be stored behind the parcel shelf. in 1970 for $5,500; will it ever show up again? Ha! The pillarless hardtop was designed at Cadillac by Chuck Jordan and David Holls, and reworked in Italy. The latter featured a single-piece curved Plexiglass roof with four articulated metal panels. Have a look at Acura TL ads. I would say that the 59 Brougham had more impact, as it was a bit more advanced in comparison to the production 59s than the 60 Brougham was to the 60s. rsmodell 1959. These were built by Pininfarina, but (from what Ive read) were an in-house Cadillac design. A full description of this exceptional automobile may be found in But maybe that was why the 59-60 sold at a rate only about 1/3 the original. with deep pockets appears to have come along with a very thick wad of $100 bills; he was Described as a great runner, the sumptuous super-tanker looks largely (but not completely) original and shines inside and out. "facts". With a price tag of $13,074 ($117,000 today), the hardtop sedan featured rear-hinged doors, a stainless steel roof, power memory seats, and air suspension. convertible, shown at the Paris salon in October 1958, is in my The depreciation figures for the regular 1960 Cadillacs have to be considered in the context of their time. The 1959 & 1960 Eldorado Brougham was the last hand-crafted Cadillac. The answer at that a tubular structure. The irony is so money spent for exclusivity, and the result was that except for real enthusiasts most wouldnt recognize it as anything special. On the 1959 CADILLAC ELDORADO BROUGHAM FOUR DOOR Sold for USD$6,500 2001 Kruse Auction - Scottsdale Arizona : Cadillac . Some time after I had inquired about this car from PF, in 1976, an enthusiast How about a link? It is improbable Cadillac shipped the chassis to Italy and Pinin Farina would install bodies, something Cadillac would repeat decades later with the Allante, another Pininfarina design. of Couturier, from Paris, in July/August 2001; he has a droll sense of humor; his tone Four years later, Cadillac introduced the Eldorado Brougham to compete with Lincoln Continental Mark II. It was fitted with a Rochester triple deuce (3 2-bbl carburetors). Learn how your comment data is processed. time in its life and carried a regular '59 engine with one single, 4-barrel carb - no 69 chassis (Eldorado Brougham). Cadillac had launched the Eldorado in 1953 at a price of $7750or about $72,000 adjusted for inflation. A motorized Jacqueline at the Concorso It was only after Better proportions than the 59 but with worst build quality, from the Italians. The REAL owner was Alain-Dominique Perrin. Production was farmed out to Italy to be more cost efficient. Youre making assumptions that arent relevant. Now owned by the Lee Automotive Collection of Reno, Nevada, it was commissioned by the Maharaja of Orchha. Some three decades before the appearance of the Allant, Cadillac had been very much on the minds of the designers in Italy. The was later repainted company name was changed to Pininfarina (in one word) in 1961 - drew great nameplate may be clearly seen. Quite the contrary. . [ B&W photo (above): The Autocar, week ending 21 March 1958, Many are junk cars. The writer of the CA article asserted: To pique carefully avoided acknowledging or denying the rumor. The Sheet metal was cut and formed on male wooden forms then welded together. John, I didnt say it was exact, but you can see the influence in the 61 model. able to walk off with the engineless pushmobile. In fact, like their 1960 hat, I doubt they still had the same car by 61. They look just like the standard 1960 Cadillacs. Sketch #5319 features two traditional Rolls Royce front fenders, bumpers andimpact Owing to an 11th hour styling modification, involving the grille blade spacing, car #1 of the 1959 production made its first public appearance at the 1959 Chicago Auto Show, some four months after the first stock 1959 Cadillac models. In 1976 I had inquired if it might be for sale. What the company wanted was a car that represented Pinin Farinas vision for the 1960s. Actually, the fins on the `59 version of this `60 Brougham were those used on production 1960 model Cadillacsjust a year early is all. to the original coupe style and a broad hood scoop was added To the average used car buyer, this $13,075 Brougham was probably just considered another used Cadillac model, and worth $2500 at most. While I do agree that the roof line of the 61 was styled after the Italian Brougham design, it is significantly different. The hood, trunk and doors all fit perfectly and tolerances along the panel edges do not vary a fraction of an inch. The heavily raked Pininfarina roofline REQUIRED the vent windows to roll back for entry and exit to the rear seat. Pininfarina Heres the text that goes along with that photo: The Cadillac chassis and other usable hardware [crated separately] were shipped to Genoa, Italy (located about 100 miles west of Turin). Out of curiosity, I surveyed big-city papers when some (non-1960) Broughams were just a couple years old. You think PF couldnt make a quarter panel? These special luxury sedans were hand-crafted by Pinin Farina (Pininfarina in 1960) of Italy. This is visually similar to the standard models. Required fields are marked *. When panels are hand beaten over wooden bucks, the bucks (or forms) are invariably male, for obvious reasons. Should dogs put their heads out car windows? For with these great motor cars, Cadillac introduced an entirely new dimension of automotive excellence.new in the way it looked, new in the way it rode and drove, and new in the satisfaction it rendered its owners. These were the last custom-crafted Cadillacs. above PF One is produced in enormous quantities for the mass market; the other is handmade, practically custom. the black coupe with white roof and no air scoop on the hood, Here is the second set of photos, obtained straight GM Archives Cadillac had launched the Eldorado in 1953 at a price of $7750or about $72,000 adjusted for inflation. The design styling was done by Chuck Jordan and Dave Holls in Michigan at the General Motors Technical Center. I am looking at a photo of a front clip with hardly any paint on it , and it clearly shows where where the lead was on the front guards which proves my theory how the front clip was made is correct. At least with the 57-58 Eldoradio Broughams there was more standardization and higher production numbers. Its not obvious with a casual glance at the pictures but these didnt have front parts in common with a regular 60 Cad. to me that their Cadillac Jacqueline model had been mounted originally on a Brougham Another money looser for the company. If you can cite a credible source that supports your assertion, please provide it. This would be my ultimate unicorn find. In his recollections about the 1959 Brougham, Pierre Ollier, who was closely associated with its design [and who owned two 59 Broughams in 1978], mentioned how it had taken three weeks of negotiation with the Italian customs before the Brougham clay models could enter the country; at that time, a law prohibited the import of plaster objects, to protect Italys statue industry. Cadillac farmed out assembly of the hand-finished Brougham to Design House and Coach Builder Pininfarina in Torino, Italy during model years 1959 and 1960. courtesy Revue Automobile, 1958-59), Image from Pinin Farina ad in (new)Cadillac Database, "facts" from different sources A good one is still $10,000 after ten years. I saw an in-progress project 20 odd years ago, if I recall correctly, procuring a windshield was in the thousands. Building the 1957 and '58 Broughams on the same line as regular Cadillacs resulted in costly assembly-line slow-downs due to the time-consuming bespoke work lavished on each Brougham. That car was completed in 1954. He quickly established a reputation as one of Europes leading stylists, one who would change the look of automotive design through such breakthroughs as the 1935 Alfa Romeo 6C, 1947 Cisitalia 202, and the 1951 Ferrari 212. Their production was farmed out to Pinin Farina of Italy for bodywork attached to rolling chassis pre-shipped to them by Detroit. Have a look at this: https://usedfirst.com/cars/mercedes-benz/s-class/https://usedfirst.com/cars/mercedes-benz/s-class/. Required fields are marked *. for that year. Benot was "absolutely convinced" that there were These were really spirited vehicles. The forward-opening hood was an exclusive design; it was only 45 wide compared to the hood of the stock Cadillac models that stretched to 61 inches. These were just about the most expensive cars you could buy then. Modell Eldorado. B&W photos supplied by Pininfarina's customer relations What beautiful sled with a fantastic choice of colors. That means copy the url (web address) and paste it here. for the Turin in May, 1959 (? The price started out at $89,000.00 when first advertised in Hemmings, which is getting annoying with its redesign of its website, the pictures are terrible, and the car is magnificent. salon in March 1958, The Pininfarina Skylight Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. A 4 speed automatic transmission delivered the power to the road. chassis. They developed a lifelong friendship and working relationship, albeit one that didnt go beyond a few one-offs for Hollywood magnates and movie stars until 1954, when Pinin Farina produced the Cabriolet Speciale, a lightweight roadster. Willems later bought out his at the Paris Salon in 1961 was NOT white and referred me to a photo in a book on Cadillac Their styling predicted future model designs. of Orccha. There are protective splash pans and flanges under the car to prevent the rocker panel from scraping on steep driveways. The most exclusive features of this automobile are almost unrecognizable given the blurry cell phone pictures. Trivia: Sad that it took just nine years to cheapen the product to a point when the Chevy Caprice did the same thing For thousands less. Custom 1959 Eldorado Brougham It was fitted with a Rochester triple deuce (3 2-bbl carburetors). 83rd Street, New York, NY 10008. Copycat Brougham ? At a whopping $13,075, it was three times the price of the average Cadillac. The 57-58 was unmistakable with the stainless roof and the suicide doors. In fact, the car was a pushmobile, from 1961 "headliner" consisting of four articulated metal panels which, when not in use, And STILL they show crazy, silly cars everyone sees, can buy locally..amazing. for her. Same with the 59; it previewed 60 styling one year early too. As these versions of the 1959 & 1960 Eldorado Brougham aged, the lead they used as filler cracked. While Fleetwood is the coachbuilding name most associated with Cadillac and General Motors, it is GM Designs long association with Pininfarina that has had the larger influence. It raised costs to the point that really cut into the profit margins. there was only a SINGLE chassis on which were mounted, successively, front and rear fenders and bumpers Left: Look at that windshield ! The Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham was a luxury car manufactured by Cadillac from 1977 through 1986. This ), Designer's frawing of rear ensemble Beautiful car! I wish that Cadillac would have produced something like the Jacqueline, also a Pininfarina design. I was absolutely smitten, but couldnt even begin to give it the attention that it needed. By their own admission, GM design chiefs Bill Mitchell and Chuck Jordan continued to be fascinated by with Italian design, visiting Turin often as an unofficial think tank. Battista didnt take on a Detroit production car until the early 1950s, when Farina teamed with Nash to produce the Nash-Healey sports car. '57 Cadillac chassis. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It Italy, This convertible is now believed to be the B&W coupe ( first shown at The Seller needs to get educated. I wasnt clear on that, I was speaking relevant to the previous usual Eldorados which of course used common car fronts with unique Eldorado bodies. featuresfront fender and bumper that are also reminiscent of that Cadillac model. Is it still around? Or subscribe without commenting. As I have stated The panel flips open, The first sunscreen panel slides forward At least they didnt take pics at night with a flash. Back in 1985 I was at a Cadillac car show with a friend. The 390 produced 345 hp @ 4,800 rpm with 590 Nm of peak torque @ 3,400 rpm. Hi Will Fox and thanks for your comments. Makes me think the whole exercise came from above them. October, 1959. Excessive, or in-your-face badging was not deemed necessary. 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham Pininfarina dared to tamp down the excesses of late-'50s General Motors, and the Cadillac Eldorado fared better for it. This was the last custom hand-crafted body. above, the transformation was done by Frank Tetro, in California. As Paul mentioned, every single part, with the exception of the driveline was completely unique and basically hand made to fit this car, with many items such as the motors that retracted the rear window glass in the door upon entry. Check it out! This unique car was built on the rare sixteen-cylinder chassis of the Cadillac Series Unless you can show me a credible source, I will continue to stand by my assertion that the body parts that were unique to the Brougham, which includes its roof, were created in Italy by PF, and assembled along with those certain inner body panels that could be shared with the regular Cadillac, and were sent along with the chassis to Italy. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. of) the coupe(s). Pinninfarina did several Cadillac based concepts around this time period also, in an effort to encourage Cadillac into giving them more business. Geneva in 1958), with the hard-top removed Can you imagine the depreciation hit the new car buyer took on one of these? And that undoubtedly goes for any other inner body stampings that could be used in the Brougham. Where exactly? When he found it the car was green on green. It was implied, that this car was Mouton or nylon carpet could also be ordered. with bright red upholstery. There, the bodies were hand-built and mounted in the new Via Lesna industrial complex covering about fifteen acres. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. For all we know if the Broughams had never been produced, the wrap around might have gone on for a few more years, like they did on the professional cars. Needs a few coats of black lacquer paint, but other than that, Im sold. Twice the money for a crest on the hood. Regular Cadillacs were noted for their low depreciation rates in those days. A good read on the brougham of that era for those like me that were a bit uneducated. In 1953, Luigi Chinetti, the well-known New York Ferrari importer, commissioned This pictures does not prove your assertion that the Broughams unique outer body panels were made in the US. universe size comparison zoom out website, mike davis city of quartz summary,