Some classic cars are designed to blend seamlessly into the background like an automotive chameleon. Then there is the 1959 Cadillac. This is a car that owes nothing to subtlety, and spotless examples will turn heads wherever they go. That is the story with this beautifully preserved Convertible, which offers the perfect blend of luxury with a carefree wind in the hair motoring experience. The owner, who appears to be a fan of the ’59, has decided to part with this classic, so he has listed it for sale here on eBay. It is located in Riverton, Utah, and while frantic bidding has pushed the price to $80,600, the reserve is yet to be met.
It seems that this Wood Rose Convertible isn’t the only ’59 Cadillac to call this house its home because we get glimpses of another one in some of the supplied photos. Some cars become instantly identifiable, and the huge fins and bullet taillights leave people in no doubt about what they are looking at in this case. These could never be classed as a small car, and the lack of a roof seems to accentuate the size of the fins and the vehicle’s overall length. The owner is an enthusiast who seems to take great pride in his classics, and this is apparent when you look at the Convertible’s overall condition. The paint shines beautifully, with no evidence of chips, scratches, or flaws. The panels are as straight as an arrow, with no dings or dents and no signs of any rust problems. I have sifted through the photos, and I can’t even spot surface corrosion, suggesting that this car is structurally sound. The chrome sparkles magnificently in the sunlight, while the glass appears to be perfect.
One thing that I find attractive about this Cadillac is its overall consistency. The exterior appears to be close to perfect, and the interior continues that theme. The seats are upholstered in leather that shows no signs of wrinkles or wear, while the remaining upholstered surfaces are equally impressive. The dash top has avoided the worst of the wrinkling issues that can plague these vehicles, while the dash itself is in as-new condition. There is no visible wear on the wheel, and the carpet is free from marks and stains. Luxury appointments include air conditioning, a power top, power windows, power vent windows, a 2-way power front seat, an Autronic eye, and a pushbutton AM radio. I don’t think that it is equipped with cruise control, but it would still feel pretty comfy on the move.
At 5,030lbs, the 1959 Cadillac Convertible could never be accused of being a lightweight. That means that it needs something special under the hood if its progress is to be beyond glacial. The company came to the party with a 390ci V8 that produced 325hp. In keeping with its luxury credentials, shifting duties were tackled by a 4-speed Hydramatic transmission, while power steering and power brakes were standard features. It might be heavy, but this Convertible is anything but slow. Point it at a ¼ mile, and the journey would be over in 17.7 seconds. That figure might not sound that impressive today, but it still seems pretty remarkable when you consider when the car was built and what it weighs. The engine bay looks pretty tidy for a survivor of this vintage, and this is a case where the looks aren’t deceptive. The owner says that the Convertible runs and drives exceptionally well, which means that the buyer will be ready to hit the road once they’ve handed their money to the owner.
The 1959 Cadillac Convertible made a statement when it was new, and it continues to make one today. If you were seen behind the wheel of one of these in 1959, the world could assume that you were a success and that you weren’t afraid to let people know it. Many larger cars from this era have faded into obscurity, but that fate hasn’t befallen the Cadillac. They are probably more popular today than they were when they were new, which means that values continue to climb. It isn’t unusual to see spotless examples of the Convertible dive into six-figure territory, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this car manages to achieve that. There have already been 110 bids submitted, which is a firm indication that many people would love to park this classic in their garage. If you love this car, would that be enough to tempt you to join the bidding party?
If it had Dagmars I would buy it. HA!
From the eBay description:
Ask your wife for permission to buy this car.
How’d he know? 🤣🤣🤣
Obviously not his first rodeo :)
“Uh-huh”,,didn’t Elvis have a hankerin’ for pink Cadillacs? Bruce Springsteen sure made a great song from one.Like Elvis, it didn’t get any more outlandish, than this. As far as automotive history, it seemed, after these creations, the auto industry settled in to more mundane offerings, but make no mistake, this, for an American car, was the absolute top of the line. Not any schmoe drove one, it was for the elite, unlike today, where a signature gets you any car you want,,,,for a while, anyway. As magnificent a car as it is, quite frankly, I’d be afraid to drive it today and to keep it behind a velvet rope, doesn’t do it justice either. “yes, children, your great grandfathers drove cars like this, when bigger meant safer”. Beautiful, simply beautiful. Funny how as a younger man, cars like this I had no interest in, so I can’t really blame the youngun’s, but as an old man, I can see the attraction now.
One correction: No power vent wings. Those buttons should be on the door panels up towards the front edge under the vents. There aren’t any. Also, the door panels were reupholstered, adding white vinyl along the bottom edge above the arm rests where it doesn’t belong.
If the vent windows aren’t power operated, where is the crank for them?
Phil,
I’ve owned and/or restored 4 1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille and Eldorado convertibles. Will Fox is correct, the power vent switches should be located below the vent windows. As should the crank if the vent windows are manual.
Sumtin’s missin’ there!
The entire interior has been re-done ]not restored to original], and not very well done. I doubt it’s even leather. The padded dash has been recovered incorrectly, and it’s a horrible repair. Those dash pad units were a molded 1-piece part, without a cover stretched over it. I hope the people bidding $80k or more have taken a good look at this in person, or they might be in for a shock.
Years ago I restored a 59 62 series sedan. I don’t follow the prices anymore but this is high for a car that has a incorrectly done interior. There would of been a crank / power switches for the vent wings. I can’t even imagine restoring one of these now but, this car although complete isn’t going to win any awards for its authenticity.
Even with its issues, I would love to own this car. But we have other priorities. Best of luck to the seller and new owner, if the reserve is met.
With the lack of chrome doo-dads and what-nots, this Caddy almost looks simple and dignified…ALMOST.
My wife sells Mary Kay Cosmetics and is urging me to buy this little palace on wheels.
We did a ’59 Biarritz convert once and even the horn ring was an option!!! That was when you could order a car just about any way you wanted it!
That is completely false. There was NO optional horn ring on a 59 Cad. Most are missing/broken, like the one on this car. 60s didn’t have the ring.
Lowell,
All 1959 Cadillacs came with a full 360 degree horn ring. Problem was, drivers using the horn were really rough on the ring area, breaking them off. The last time I restored a ’59 [over 35 years ago], perfect original & straight horn rings, when they could be found, were selling for at least $250.
Today, they are made of unobtanium. I see cars today with the 2 horn “arms”, but no outer rings, and some have had the broken arm edges smoothed down and then rechromed. So to the untrained eye, it may look like the ring style was an option. It was not.
HA! The broken horn ring,( and the sharp edges they left) by gar, that takes me back. Back then, the horn was almost more important than good brakes or tires. It was the only outlet for frustration. I heard George Carlin do a bit on car horns. There was the little “toot”, as a friendly gesture, and then the person that “lays on the horn”, usually followed by a hand gesture of some sort. My old man was the kind of driver to “lay on the horn”, and broke several horn rings on various cars. He never liked the “rim blow” ones, it didn’t have the zing of a horn ring.
No crank, no power vent switches…I guess the vent windows are inoperable.
Did no one else notice that there were no pix of the left side of the car? NOT only is it missing any way to operate the vent windows, the LH remote mirror is not there, and of course the control on the driver’s door panel has also gone away. The door panels are entirely incorrectly done. Looks good until you start to look at all the small stuff which separates the ‘boys from the men’ on a “restored” 59 Cad. The taillite pods are also chromed. Wrong, but it looks good that way.
Chuck,
You are correct, the “lesser” ’59 Cadillacs did not get chrome taillight pods as standard equipment. The Eldorado DID come from the factory with chromed pods, as did the 60 Special sedan.
There is some debate on if the chrome pods were a factory upgrade [optional] in the Series 62 and Coupe DeVille cars. I’ve seen photos of brand new 1959 Cadillac Sedan Deville and Coupe DeVille cars at the Cadillac dealerships, with the chrome pods. Some people say the dealerships added them to make more $. I doubt we will ever know the facts.
I had a chance to buy one of these in the early 80’s for 10k… I kick myself on a regular basis…
JC,
in the early 1980s, at a very large home on MacArthur Boulevard in Washington DC, parked side by side in front of the garage, was a 1959 Eldorado Biarritz convertible, and a 1960 Eldorado Biarritz convertible, both that disgusting metallic lime green.
I left a note on one of the cars, saying I was interested in them. About a year later I got a call from an attorney who was settling the estate, and he said the cars were $1,200 each. I bought the 1959, but decided not to go for broke & get both.
Months later I found out that inside the 2 car garage was a 1953 Eldorado and a 1956 Packard Caribbean Convertible. Ever since then, I’ve always asked what was in the garage! At that time I also discovered the owner of the cars was a DuPont family member, and the 1959 I bought was actually the first 1959 Eldorado Biarritz body to come down the assembly line, and it was serial number 4 for all ’59 Cadillacs.
The car still exists, the guy who bought it stuck it in a barn and never touched it again. I saw it about 15 years ago, still not for sale.
That’s awesome Bill.
I bought one in 1980 for $600. Sold it for $4000. Thought I had made a killing. So wish I still had it.
Aren’t those the window controls just forward of the vent window, partially hidden by the steering wheel?
Kenn,
It’s hard to see in the photo, but the upper section of the chrome panel holds the 4 main power window switches, and the lower section is where the windshield wiper/washer switch is located. The power vent window switches were located on the door, just under the vent window.
One of the reasons GM put the 4 main switches in that location was so it wasn’t necessary to have about a dozen separate electrical wires going from the door post into the driver’s door. But that only lasted another year, by 1961 the new windshield post location eliminated that possibility.
!959 was the first year for GM power vent windows, and I suspect they were a last-minute addition, hence the awkward switch location, using the standard GM double power window switch assembly [usually reserved for Cadillac hearse and ambulance vehicles, that only used power windows on the front doors].
My 59 has the power vent windows and the power locks. The lock switch is in the center of the driver’s door, level with the vent switches.
Bob McK,
I’ve never owned or worked on a 4-door ’59 Cadillac, and I don’t remember seeing any power door locks on a 2-door ’59. Were they only available on the sedans? My Eldos and Coupe DeVilles were “every option possible” cars, but had no power locks. That’s why I ask.
A replacement horn ring will cost at least $1200. I just bought one for my 59.
I could not afford it then (I was a HS senior) and I can’t afford it now. It was called a Nike Zeus by my car friends back then (which in case you are too young to know, was THE rocket of the time).
Bill McCaskill. I don’t really know. I have seen a 59 Convertible with power locks. I assume they were stock. My car has every option offered in 59. I think that is why the previous owner put it away for 30 years.
eBay shows bid to $95,000 but listing ended with reserve not met.
WOW!
This is a study in multiple cases of delusion.
To place bids above $50,000 for this car requires a high level of delusion.
Not accepting any of those bids is also delusional!