By Tara Hurlin
All photos courtesy of Morgan Murphy
All photos courtesy of Morgan Murphy
Gorgeous beyond belief, it’s quite literally the Cadillac of Cadillacs. The 1957-‘58 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham coupe was designed to be the ultimate dream car, and dream I will, because only 704 examples were made.
It was modeled for comfort, safety and convenience and featured a slick stainless steel roof, eye-dazzling wide-white tires and awe-inspiring chrome. This high-class car came with every feature imaginable and was the subject for state-of-the-art technology: it was the first vehicle to use air spring suspension and memory-featured seats. And get this: it also had a record player and a perfume atomizer, but I would rather go with the natural “old car” scent, thank you very much.
According to an early-1957 Cadillac Motor Division press release, James M Roche, Cadillac’s General Manager at the time, said the goal was to build the finest car possible. “It was a success,” he said. “The Brougham has been proven in tests in our engineering laboratories, at our proving grounds, on the highways of America and before the discerning eye of the automobile public from coast to coast.”
The most extravagant car of its day came with a cost, of course. The Eldorado Brougham was ticketed at $13,074, making it more expensive than a new two-door Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. Today, it is valued at an average of $89,900 on up.
In 2009, television personality Morgan Murphy, one of the culinary world’s best-selling food critics and a Cadillac fanatic, drove his #702 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham through all 48 contiguous states to bring attention to another passion of his — vintage cars. He couldn’t have selected a better car for the job. “The great thing about this car is the dual quads which allow it to keep up with traffic. It reaches 70 miles per hour, no problem, and it’s a smooth ride.”
The six-liter V-8 engine offered up to 325 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. torque, which was plenty of power to propel the hefty 5,315-pound, 18-foot land yacht forward. It was one of the last completely hand-crafted Cadillacs designed for the most discerning, luxury-oriented customers. The interior is elegant to the third degree, and around 45 trim and color combinations were available.
If I had my pick, I would go for a deep ebony exterior and black leather interior combination, and my life would be spent not just driving it, but waxing every curve and polishing every chrome bit obsessively, and I would love every second. Hey, a girl can dream!
It was modeled for comfort, safety and convenience and featured a slick stainless steel roof, eye-dazzling wide-white tires and awe-inspiring chrome. This high-class car came with every feature imaginable and was the subject for state-of-the-art technology: it was the first vehicle to use air spring suspension and memory-featured seats. And get this: it also had a record player and a perfume atomizer, but I would rather go with the natural “old car” scent, thank you very much.
According to an early-1957 Cadillac Motor Division press release, James M Roche, Cadillac’s General Manager at the time, said the goal was to build the finest car possible. “It was a success,” he said. “The Brougham has been proven in tests in our engineering laboratories, at our proving grounds, on the highways of America and before the discerning eye of the automobile public from coast to coast.”
The most extravagant car of its day came with a cost, of course. The Eldorado Brougham was ticketed at $13,074, making it more expensive than a new two-door Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. Today, it is valued at an average of $89,900 on up.
In 2009, television personality Morgan Murphy, one of the culinary world’s best-selling food critics and a Cadillac fanatic, drove his #702 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham through all 48 contiguous states to bring attention to another passion of his — vintage cars. He couldn’t have selected a better car for the job. “The great thing about this car is the dual quads which allow it to keep up with traffic. It reaches 70 miles per hour, no problem, and it’s a smooth ride.”
The six-liter V-8 engine offered up to 325 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. torque, which was plenty of power to propel the hefty 5,315-pound, 18-foot land yacht forward. It was one of the last completely hand-crafted Cadillacs designed for the most discerning, luxury-oriented customers. The interior is elegant to the third degree, and around 45 trim and color combinations were available.
If I had my pick, I would go for a deep ebony exterior and black leather interior combination, and my life would be spent not just driving it, but waxing every curve and polishing every chrome bit obsessively, and I would love every second. Hey, a girl can dream!
