Cowboy Tuxedo: 1968 Cadillac Eldomino

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The “Eldomino” name may not be the official nameplate for this unusual 1968 Cadillac Eldorado, but it is a real vehicle produced by a company called Caribou of Chatsworth, California with Cadillac’s blessing. Supposedly, only a handful of these pickup bed conversions were made – I saw a number of less than 50 produced – with all the luxuries a Cadillac of this era afforded and the added bonus of the extra storage provided out back (at the expense of being able to ferry backseat passengers). The Cadillac Eldomino or Eldorado-Domino is listed here on eBay with under 35,000 original miles and bidding is over $15,000 with no reserve.

I’m actually surprised there’s not a reserve still in place, as the caretakers of these unusual Eldorados usually think they’re worth $50K or more. They’re not, but generally speaking, limited production Cadillacs are seen as instant collector’s items. History is generally limited on these conversions, whether it is a pickup or a flower car conversion, but my favorite of the obscure Cadillac customs is the wagon-bodied Eldorado. This pickup configuration us quite unusual and looks surprisingly good, but if I’m driving a near one-off Eldorado, I want the wagon.

The thing that always strikes me is how well this generation of the Eldorado responds to these unusual configurations. Whether you’re hauling paint cans, flowers, or “associates” (the wagon was known to have been used by a union boss or two back in the day), the Eldorado just pulls it off. Despite this, all of these configurations were short-lived, making any one of them a rare find today. The seller claims he knows of only two in existence made by Caribou, with the other one located in France. The interior of this pickup-bed Eldorado is in seemingly just as nice of condition as the outside, with someone going all-in on the black/red color combination.

The seller reports there are no cracks in the dash, and it comes with air conditioning, leather, and power windows. No word on whether the paint job is original or if it’s been redone since being converted by Caribou, but the two-tone scheme is definitely a personal choice. I like the idea of one of these in a solid dark navy or deep cherry paint scheme with black leather. Still, for a vehicle as unusual as this, perhaps an off-the-wall paint scheme makes the most sense. Would you drive a pickup-bodied Cadillac Eldorado like this?

Auctions Ending Soon

Comments

  1. Slantasaurus
    • Allen L

      It’s deja vu all over again.

      Like 5
    • PRA4SNW

      It’s happened – we’ve arrived at the end of the Internet and are moving backwards.

      Like 6
  2. Ckortan

    The barn finds author must really have a thing for this Franken car. Third time they’ve posted it and wiping out all the comments. Could it be because it’s probably a one off custom with no connection to Cadillac or any notable custom house. The tailgate, bed and upper quarters appear to be from a much newer 1973-77 El Camino.

    Like 5
    • CCFisher

      Good eye. The bed and tailgate are definitely mid-70s El Camino items, which means that the seller’s story of the car’s origin is fiction. It may have been professionally converted, but it was well after the car was built, and Cadillac had nothing to do with it.

      Like 4
  3. Rodney - GSM

    This somehow ended up in the Barnfinds recycling bin.

    Like 8
  4. JimZMember

    Regardless of it’s heritage, this vehicle is a great example of automotive ingenuity! My ’74 “Eldo-Camino” was featured a while back. While it was 100% Cadillac, the lack of a folding tailgate was regrettable. I love the paint job and interior, would own this ’68 in a heartbeat!

    Like 5
  5. Abi

    I was already following this auction and what concerned me was the addition of those ugly trailer towing mirrors.

    Like 1
  6. jim bennett

    i worked for Caribou Motors in the mid eighties, in fact, besides Lou Schors the owner, I was the only employee. We modified coupe devilles at the time, and maintained the full Cadillac warranty

    Like 3
  7. t-bone BOB

    Ended:
    Jul 08, 2021
    Winning bid:
    US $19,903.00
    [ 41 bids ]

    Item location:
    Bellevue, Washington,

    Like 0

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