Full-Sized Front Drive: 1967 Cadillac Eldorado

Does it really matter which wheels drive your car forward? That’s a question someone is going to have to answer for him- or herself before plunking down anywhere near the asking price of the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado seen here on ebay. Do you think $38,000 is a lot for a luxury car driven by the front wheels? I do, but we’ll see who is right in five days, or before, if someone bids the opening number of $32,000 or goes straight to the full asking price, named above. Thanks go to Curvette, who has produced yet another fascinating tip on this enormous black beauty, which, by the way, is located in Stuart, Florida.

The car is handily described as being “absolutely stunning,” and indeed that’s true, because it features a well-achieved balance of factory styling and strong restoration condition. The square and flat planes of the body style work for me one-hundred percent. Add to that the vestigial fins and acres of black punctuated by white-and-black seat fabric, and this car is cosmetically amazing. Just looking under the hood should indicate the meticulous detail applied to the restoration, as the snake-like tangle of wires is spotless in every inch. (The leading edge of the radiator, however, needs some cosmetic attention.)

So what’s to argue with? Two things. First, the car is priced over the market. Would the number be easier to take if this Eldo were more an original than what is described as a complete restoration? If so, you’d be in the “go find another” territory. As it is, there are others in the market that are restored as tidily but that are in the high-$20K starting price range, meaning that maybe mid-$20K is a more reasonable expectation. Second, it’s always felt kind of out of phase to have a 1960s car in FWD livery. It’s an oddball, in some ways, though there is historical precedent in the 1929-32 Cord L-29.

Witness this from contemporary times: after featuring front-wheel drive cars for many years, Cadillac itself has gone back to rear-wheel drive set-ups, and all-wheel drive. The 1967 Eldorado was the Caddy that started the front-driver trend, with the idea being to set the luxury marque above its competitors and to utilize more interior space due to the lack of the transmission hump. They were also hoping for better traction and drivability. But given that the 1960s were the years of thumping American V8s driving the rear wheels, somehow a car that pulls from the front axle seems subtly off. Do you agree, in which case a collectible Caddy for you might be more like a DeVille or Fleetwood? Or are you seduced by acres of smooth black sheet metal and 429 cubic inches of engine, no matter how the power goes to the ground?

Historic FWD luxury cars