Thanks to Hollywood, we often think of pilots as being risk-takers. Sometimes young and wild yet at the same time trained and disciplined. This 1969 Cadillac Eldorado has a similar m.o. This wild yet disciplined car is listed on eBay with a $10,500 buy it now price or you can make an offer. The seller has the location listed as being, believe it or not, El Dorado, California but they say that they can deliver it to the Port of Oakland, CA. Let’s check this thing out.
The front-wheel drive Eldorado was Cadillac’s response to Buick’s Riviera and Oldsmobile’s Toronado and in 1967 they introduced this legendary model. The company made Eldorados way back to the early-1950s but most of us know the Eldorado name from it’s first front-wheel drive configuration, the sixth-generation cars from 1967 to 1970. This car looks great but you can see a shade difference on the passenger door and there are a couple of areas that need work such as a small dent shown here. They say that it has a “straight body with a few minor dings, although the 50 year old paint is thinning in places, it’s almost too good to paint the entire car. If anything, as a survivor should be spot painted with lacquer after fixing the few dings to retain originality IMO.”
The seller says that this “was an airplane mechanic / pilot owned car that has been garaged all it’s life when parked. Bought new in Hayward California and has remained in the area since.” This car is priced in-between Hagerty’s #3 good condition and #4 fair condition values.
That isn’t a color shift in the photo, these leather seats really are a mauve color. I know, most of us were expecting to see black leather but I like it, it’s even more unusual to go with the rest of the unusual car. This Eldorado is just “out of storage since 1995 from an airplane hanger.” I can picture a pilot owning a car like this Eldorado, can’t you?
I cringe every time I see a big two-door American luxury car like this after my 1966 Lincoln experience, but I’m guessing that this car is in much nicer condition than mine was. The engine is a 472 cubic-inch V8 with 375 hp and it helped scoot this 747-sized car from 0-60 in just under 9-seconds which isn’t bad at all for a car that weighs well over two tons. This car “Starts, runs and drives good after setting the points, cleaning out the fuel lines, filter etc. Should double check all belts, hoses before any long distance trips. A/C needs a charge.” Have any of you owned a sixth-generation Eldorado?
I have had a few 1967 models and I like the ’67 and the ’68s.
I do not like the ’69 or the ’70 model.
I always seemed to have more problems with the ’69 and ’70s.
Don’t even try to tow a ’69 or ’70 from the front. The rear drags and there is nothing that can be done about that, if the car is not running.
For God’s sake, man. You get a flatbed. No one in his right mind tows one of these.
I have Hagerty insurance and they’ve always sent a flatbed when I needed a tow.
Wow! What a land yacht! Beautiful. Since the engine bay is clean and was parked in hanger for “ever”, I can only guess that the underside is close to the same. Always wanted one. But, being on a fixed income and gas prices soaring, AGAIN, it is out of my reach. Best wishes to the new owner.
“There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots”
They do a sequel to “A Bronx Tale” and you’re golden.
Wow, that’s a lotta automobile. That 472 must put out gobs of torque tho.
You are correct Sir. To the tune of 500 lb ft of torque on this gorgeous front wheel drive beast. Absolutely gorgeous car and did anyone else notice the condition of that black vinyl top? Exquisite. Engine bay looks good, remember this car is still “all original”, a very rare commodity these days. The price is right seeing the condition of this Eldo, and compared to the ’84 that was on here a week or two ago, THIS is what Caddy’s were all about “back in the day”, not the HT4100 piece of garbage engine that was in the mid eighties models. By about 1990 I believe they had sorted that engine out, but the early ones were rubbish. The 472 was a great engine the entire time it was used as I had 4-5 Caddy’s with that motor and had zero complaints. It is a land yacht, that’s a very apt description. Coasting down the freeway, 85 feels like 55, and you simply do not feel bumps in these autos. Cars is too simple a word for this beauty. These are Automobiles, or just Eldos. Some lucky person (or couple) is going to rip this beauty. I would do my best to get them to take a couple hundred off the price (ask for $500, and take whatever they give you close to it) so you can properly go through this beauty and after you clear inspection, this baby needs to stretch her legs. I suggest a ride up or down the coast. Up, go into Canada and maybe check out Whistler Ski Resort.
Down, I would go to at least
Ensenada for some Coastal Lobster, and if you really want to enjoy a proper vacation, keep going until you hit Cabo San Lucas. Just make sure you park where you can see her down there.
I have an 84 Seville with a 4100 and have had no problems with it other than it being very sloooooow.
what a nice color combo. love the deep burgundy leather. cruise in style.
I really like this one and while I appreciate it’s survivor status, I think it deserves a repaint. Silver is hard to match, as evidenced by the passenger door. A car this honest should be properly prepped and painted, then driven and enjoyed. Of course I would drive it for a while as is.
My favorite year Eldo. Love this!
A 2018 Lexus LC500H lists for $101,445, and you may get a whopping 28.7 mpg. The front of the Lexus looks like it was styled by the only kid who managed to fail art class in 4th grade.
For $10,500 you can have a rolling work of art and also have $90,955 to spend on gasoline. Even at 12 mpg going downhill with a tailwind you’d be ahead.
And when you’re dead and gone your heirs will have a car worth more than the Lexus will be in 20 years.
This is from an era where artists designed cars instead of wind tunnels and computers
“The front of the Lexus looks like it was styled by the only kid who managed to fail art class in 4th grade.”
So true it made me actually snort out my coffee.
Classy. Best Caddie design of that era. On a par with the Kennedy Lincoln. Love it.
You NAILED it Friend ! (I was wondering who was responsible for that fugly front end, poor kid)
Always loved this body style and agree it must be a rare color combination. A minor nitpick is the added standup hood ornament when there is already a crest on the front of the hood. Makes me wonder what other minor “improvements” were done over the years.
Hangar. Not hanger…
Maybe it was hung on a hanger in a hangar….
In Germany, they call the interior color Aubergine (eggplant).
Although I have no respect for today’s GM, I have much respect for yesterday’s GM! Beautiful car!
This was my Dad’s last car. His was sliver with red leather. It was a barge. His favorite comment was that it could pass anything but a gas station. He bought it after having owned a succession of lesser Mercedes. He always said the car made him miss the 180D. The trunk was roughly the size of Connecticut. If anything rolled to the front of the trunk, you had to climb in to retrieve it. It represents an era of automotive excess that will never be replicated. Hopefully.
My Dad had a 69 that he let me drive when I was 18. What a blast to smoke the tires and see all that smoke coming off the front tires. Average 10 mpg, not worth $10K. I think he paid $2500 for the car in 1974 and sold it for $3,000 in 1975.
When I was selling Chevrolets back in ’72, we had the option of temporarily turning in our demos to the dealership to loan to good customers who were having their cars repaired. In return, we could choose anything we wanted off the used car lot. I forget what I was driving when we took in a pristine, pale blue metallic ’67 Eldorado on a new ‘Vette, but I remember tossing my keys on the sales manager’s desk. The Eldo was my ride until we sold it. It needed tires, so we put a set of high-line radials on it and it handled great for such a big FWD car. I hate to admit it now, but I really flogged that Caddy over some of the twisty roads in this area. I remember one friendly encounter with me chasing a buddy’s 428 SCJ Mach 1. It got so heated that I hit one crest much too fast and managed to get air under all four of the Eldo’s tires!
To this day, I love these cars dearly. IMHO, the guy who bought the ‘Vette got the short end of the stick…
The first 1967 Eldo I ever saw, the first in our neighborhood belonged not to a pilot of aircraft, but to a pilot of supercharged dragsters, “TV Tommy”Ivo!
Me and my father owned five of these in the 80’s. Four were 1970’s, first year of the 500cid and last year of this body style. The 70’s had the thin tail light lens. The ’67 my father owned only had 20k miles. Bought from a Palm Beach mansion one street over from Worth Avenue. The color was a dark purplish/burgundy with a pale pinkish interior. I’ve never seen another color like that car. Would love to know where it is today……if it’s out there.
ben here in fl hada few 67s and68 a69 I liked the 67 but the 69 was more dependable I think I paid 150 for the 67 and like 300 for the 69 great cars wish I still had them but as for myself I buy to sell have a blessed evening ben ps 85 here today and the same tommrow
I thought this year came with the 500 ci motor or was that in 1970??
The 500cid started in 1970