I guess that everyone is allowed to have an off day. Well, except for surgeons. Designer George Barris was renowned for some of the most iconic vehicles to grace both the silver screen and the small screen, but this car typifies one of those moments when he should have put down the crayons and walked away from the drawing board. Mr. Barris is responsible for the design of the Eldorado del Cavallero, and while there were 13 built, only 2 were built with the “Super Fly” front end. Therefore, if you really like to stand out in a crowd, this rarity might be just the car for you. Located in Prior Lake, Minnesota, it is listed for sale here on eBay.
As a man who counts among his most recognized designs the original Batmobile and several vehicles from the TV series The Munsters, Barris was definitely capable of producing cars that made a statement. This car does that, but it isn’t just the front that gets the Barris treatment. The whole car is covered with his signature design tweaks. These include custom touches like landau bars on the padded top, a trunk-mounted spare tire, a custom grille, distinctive tail-light treatment, and a multitude of additional lights in numerous locations on the vehicle. There is no way that this Cadillac could ever be described as subtle, but it certainly is distinctive. It is also in good condition. All of the custom touches look solid, with no issues to report, while the body appears to be rust-free, and the paint looks good. There are also a number of photos of the underside of the car, and they also look clean.
Mechanically the Eldorado remains standard, with the engine bay being crammed full of 500ci of V8. Power is then fed via the THM-425 transmission to the front wheels. Power steering is also featured, while 1970 was only the third year where disc brakes were standard on the Eldorado. While we don’t get a huge amount of information on the mechanical condition of the car, if the owner’s claim that it has only covered 33,500 genuine miles is true, then it would hardly be worn-out. He does say that the engine has a nice gurgle to the exhaust that sounds like a Power Boat. Hmmm.
The interior of the Cadillac looks to be in good condition, with the Barris touches seemingly limited to the green head-rests and the wooden wheel. Otherwise, the white leather upholstery looks to be in good condition, as does the rest of the interior trim. Of course, the car comes loaded with all or the luxury touches that you would expect, such as power windows, power locks, power seats, and air conditioning.
The new owner of this del Cavallero will receive a letter from the George Barris Museum which verifies the authenticity and rarity of this car. They will also receive a distinctive vehicle which, while it isn’t to everyone’s taste, is a part of a special era in car customization. At the time of writing, bidding has reached $8,100, but it is not surprising that the reserve has not been met. There is also a BIN option of $22,000, which, regardless of whether you love or hate the car, does seem quite low for a car with this background. A bit of research revealed that this car was previously for sale around 6-months-ago with a price of $25,000, so it will be interesting to see if the owner has better luck landing a sale this time around.
I know they are tacky, but I love the Superfly eyes.
My wardrobe just doesn’t contain enough velvet for me to drive this car.
or polyester. Mas atrocious. I’d rather drive the Munstermobile.
Wardrobes can be updated. Think Thrift Store or Consignment Shoppe and embrace the new you! Changing your name to Superfly would undoubtedly be a hassle and probably not required… I bought a 1974 Olds 98 and on the way home stopped to buy curb feelers. I was surprised that they actually performed as advertised! Sold the car to a guy with a big yacht and he used it to solve his “drifting issues… JK…
I don’t know if I should admit this, but my wardrobe does!
Eye of the beholder but this aint no beauty
As my father always said….”beauty is skin deep, but ugly is to the bone”
I dig the Super Fly Era decked out Cadillacs, Oldsmobile 98s, Buick 225s and the Lincolns. This Eldorado looks alot like the Isaac Hayes blue and gold Eldorado. Go look it up. The Super Super Fly of Cadillacs.
And the LORD said ” Let there be UGLY.” And there it was.
Diamond in the back…
Sunroof top….
Diggin’ the scene with a gangsta lean….
Thats a bad to the bone MOFO!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVANQheoRUw
👍
My oh my.
Geez, I had Zappa’s “Willie the Pimp” playing when this came up. Coincidence? I think not.
Easy to understand the low mileage, who would wanna drive the thang & risk being seen?
Just add a New Set Of 24″ and A BOOM BOX in the trunk and you should be able to get a Cool 1/4 Million ……..
We miss you George, but at least we have your cars to make us smile.
I know who owned the other one. It was white. Grew up across the street from them. We always called it the pimp mobile.
Gangsta Whitewalls, TV A -Tennas in the back…
You may not have a car at all…
But remember brothers and sisters…
You can still stand tall…
Just be thankful for what you got…
Just be thankful, you don’t have this FUGLY Caddy, to try and sell. George how could you?
Are those hamster wheels in front of the headlights?
Actually the 3 legged star I think you are noticing is intended to mimic Lucas headlights of the 20’s and 30’s. For those Lucas lights that device holds a reflector right in front of the headlight bulb intended to help focus the light down the road. On this Eldorado they are for looks only.
If you do a Google image search of “Lucas headlights Rolls Royce” you should get some examples.
https://st.motortrend.com/uploads/sites/11/2017/06/1936-Rolls-Royce-Phantom-III-Montgomery-Front-Detail.jpg
Thanks for the info, but I know what the headlight trim is attempting to emulate. In the head-on image, you can see that there are slots cut into the top of the god-awful add-ons. Lucas didn’t make ’em like that. Hamster wheels.
Like it…made me think of other great pimpmobiles from Live and Let Die, Dirty Harry, Car Wash, Austin Powers…
A little known made up fact is that Barris was an apprentice for the JC Whitney catalog.
Now what was that hit tune by the Del Cavalleros again?
So unconventional that it’s kinda cool.
Cool and kooky, but ain’t that an HEI we see there?
Is the bordello included?
I’ll pay 22000 right now… if there’s guaranteed to be 21500 in glove box
It needs the obligatory swan hood ornament with the light- up wings. Maybe, blue or red.
The green wings would be the only choice.
Wasn’t this one on counts customs ? If it isn’t he has #2
It’s ugliness is almost attractive? Automotive history no matter what you think.
I woukd like to own it but a lot of cars i would like to own more first.
I’m thinking this may have emerged as a result of something acidic the night or 2 before. Or perhaps Liberace May have commissioned it, in which case it shall be a mystery.
Car looks like it drove straight out of this video!
https://youtu.be/lo7XLNsxn68
I’d have to get a stable of hookers if I bought this.
I’d drive this through the ‘hood, blasting a Merle Haggard 8-track. Think about it.
There is a very similar Eldorado that shows up in the HBO show “The Deuce”, and, yes, it is driven by a pimp. Google it. I wonder if that car is also a Barris car.
I immediately thought the same thing. If you Google images of C.C.’s Cadillac, you can immediately spot the differences between the Barris car and the HBO car, which looks like a cheap knock-off.
So ugly it’s ugly IMO.
You guys remember one of the Dirty Harry movies and there was a pimp driving one of these monstrosities and he tried to bribe the bad cop who then put him to sleep! That was many yrs ago and the car has not gotten any better!
be a great pimp mobile
If I had the money I would buy both of them and crush them…
Remember this my friends…..if you’re not the handsomest guy at the party, stand next to the guys who are uglier than you, and you’ll look better. If this Caddy didn’t exist, my 82 Imperial would get a lot more hate than it already does.
Hideous
Pimpmobile!
I take offence, there is nothing wrong with a Pimpmobile.
Back in the day, all the Ladies loved riding in one!
Currently Neiman Marcus has velvet suits on sale starting at $595.00
http://tinyurl.com/ydbjbwhq
Some threads never go out of style.
I believe that one can be extravagant without being too hideous. And while most Cadillac Eldorados of this generation I’ve seen have looked extravagant, this looks hideous!
I can’t help but think of this song when I see this car…..
https://youtu.be/KDTXljIqxRE
I usually try and see beauty in a car, but I just can’t see it with this one! This is one ugly car. I will leave it at that!
Dear old GB was never renowned for style! His brother Sam was the complete designer and builder, however George always knew how to promote hisself to others with more money than grey matter. The bat-mobile when he bought it wasn’t that different to what it ended up as after he waved his poop paddle over it! He bought is as an old custom car off the backlot for something like $20 or so. I actually cannot even think of a tasteful job he ever did.
Not my taste, At. All. But, I can appreciate the awesomeness of it nonetheless!
“Pimp Daddy Long”
Sorry, tacky & trashy…burn it clean
These were such sharp looking cars from the factory, I don’t know why anyone would want to ruin it with all that crap they added on to it. These come up for sale all the time without the awful headlight treatment so I think they ruined a few more than 13 of them. I know of 3 for sale now.