Parking a Convertible in their garage doesn’t necessarily mean that an enthusiast must forego the finer things in life. This 1984 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz is shining proof of that, perfectly combining luxury with a wind-in-the-hair motoring experience. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J. for spotting this classic listed here on Craigslist in Huntington Beach, California. The seller set their price at $15,900 OBO for a Caddy that appears to need very little.
Cadillac continued the prevailing industry trend towards downsizing when it introduced its Tenth Generation Eldorado range in 1979. These cars remained available until 1985, with our feature car rolling off the line in 1984. The first thing to note is that it is a dry-climate survivor, allowing it to remain rust-free and as solid as the day it left the showroom floor. The first owner elected to have the car finished in Autumn Maple Firemist, one of the premium shades available to buyers. They teamed this with a White power top to create a genuinely eye-catching vehicle. The seller has been the Caddy’s custodian for four years and hasn’t been afraid to splash their cash to ensure it remains in excellent condition. They fitted a new top with a correct glass rear window, and since these aren’t cheap, it indicates their desire to keep this classic spot-on. The paint shines deeply, the panels are as straight as an arrow, and with the trim and glass both spotless, this Biarritz has no cosmetic needs.
New to the Tenth Generation Eldorado range was the HT-4100 V8, which the company introduced in 1982. It develops 135hp and 200 ft/lbs of torque, which feeds to the road via a four-speed automatic transmission. It is unsurprising that a car of this type benefits from power assistance for the steering and brakes. Performance could best be described as relatively sedate by modern standards, although this Biarritz should be equally comfortable cruising on the open road at freeway speed, or crawling along a beachside boulevard as its occupants bask in the warmth of the sun. The seller didn’t restrict their spending to a new top, fitting this Biarritz with new shocks, Vogue Gold Stripe tires, and a battery, and treated the power steering system to a rebuild. The seller uses the Caddy for car shows, weekend outings, club runs, and other relaxing activities. It is a turnkey proposition that is ready for the road with its new owner behind the wheel.
While many enthusiasts focus on Triple-Black paint and trim combinations, few are more classy than a rich Burgundy contrasted by White leather. That is what the new owner receives with this Biarritz, and its condition should be considered more serviceable than showroom fresh. The leather exhibits deterioration and wear on some of the edge piping. However, it still looks supple and inviting, while the carpet is in good condition for its age. The seller replaced the upper dash panel, and center dash radio panel, and installed a more modern stereo. The new owner also receives air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power seats, cruise control, and a tilt wheel.
Cadillac sold 77,806 examples of the Eldorado in 1984, but with a tally of 3,300 cars, the Biarritz Convertible is a fairly rare beast. Recent successful sales results confirm that values often vary widely, meaning that for both the buyer and seller, being in the right place at the right time is often crucial in achieving the best result. The seller’s price appears realistic, and I won’t be surprised if it finds a new owner fairly quickly. Do you agree?
Seasons Greetings Clarkey 🍻
Does anyone know the story why the General released such a poor motor🤔
Obviously they have a team of good engineers on staff. Was it lack of sufficient testing of this 4100 or …. ?
I’m guessing they needed a small V8 to satisfy buyers. The 305 or even the mediocre 307 would’ve been a better choice.
This is one of my absolute favorite color combinations inside and out. This Eldorado looks rich. I always liked this generation better than the previous one. I always thought Cadillac brought the Eldorado more back to the very first generation in a sense, which is my absolute favorite. Except you didnt have a 472 V8 to shred the tires.
To go with what Stan said above, I always thought they had good ideas but just rushed them to production too quickly without enough R&D. GM definitely had some blunders like putting the THM 200 which was fine for a Chevette, into full size Impalas and 88s, and the Olds diesel which eventually did become a decent motor once they got the kinks out. Cadillac did use the Olds 307 in some Fleetwoods which was better than the HT 4100. Everyone was shooting for the moon with improving gas mileage during those years.
Great wrie up Adam, and a great find!!! You can tell the owner really cared about this Caddy.
It has one minor cosmetic need that brings out my OCD: The Biarritz emblem on the trunk lid is incorrectly and oddly positioned, not in the center, not on the edge, not at the top, not at the bottom. Somebody just slapped it on, and somebody needs to move it to the lower right corner of the trunk lid, where it belongs.
@Stan – The HT4100 was derived from an aluminum V-12 that was in development at Cadillac. The V-12 was for the big Cadillacs, while the V-8 was intended for an upcoming line of smaller, front wheel drive Cadillacs. The V-12 was supposed to be the first engine to use cylinder deactivation. That technology was rushed into production in 1981 due to the energy crisis of 1979. The energy crisis also led to the cancellation of the V-12, since the big Cadillacs were not expected to make it to 1985. The V864 was a disaster, and with the V-12 cancelled, Cadillac rushed the V-8 into production, with similarly disastrous results. The smaller Cadillacs came to market in mid-1984, and were criticized for their stubby appearance. The early 1980s were not good times for Cadillac, but it was mostly their own doing.
Thanks CC. Some wild ideas floating around the Cadillac division back then.
On top of that, division management fought for the Cimarron over corporate’s better judgement – a small Caddy wasn’t that bad an idea but the 14th Floor wanted to put it off until 1984 when the V6 J-car or even the ’85 N platform and give Cadillac’s design and engineering teams time to make a real Caddy of it, but the Cadillac Division execs wanted their 3er-size car for 1982 despite jumping on the J-body at the last minute and having to rush to even make a minimum acceptable product which, for the price, was more “minimum” than “acceptable”.
GM’s corporate leadership advised Cadillac leadership against rushing the Cimarron into production, but I guess the divisions had quite a bit of autonomy, since Cadillac forged ahead with a very bad idea.
I had a ’79 Biarritz with the 350 Olds engine (?). It was midnight blue with baby blue leather seats. The car was just fantastic, even pulling a Uhaul, when I relocated to South Florida, from WI., in the early 80s after watching the movie Scarface (’83) one too many times. I ended up trading it in for a used ’82 280zx, as it died in the dealership parking lot. The 4100 engine was the death of these beautiful cars!
NONE of the Eldorado convertibles were “factory built” by Cadillac. All of them were farmed out to aftermarket builders, but you could order them from any Cadillac dealer and the cars would be covered by a factory warranty. I was a Sales Manager in a large Milwaukee area Cadillac dealer at the time and we ordered and sold several of them.
The ’83 and ’84 models were built by Hess & Eisenhart, a very high-end coachbuilder.
The 1985’s were sent to ASC (American Sunroof Company) for the conversion. The Biarritz trim was used on all of them. all 3 years.
I traded in my executive stretch Caddy limo (silver over black w/red leather) to CREST Cadillac in Brookfield (Milw suburb) for my ’79 Biarritz + cash (mentioned earlier), 83/84?!
I knew all the guys at Crest. I was at Nodell Cadillac in Glendale. Good friendly competitors.
Back around 2001 I needed to make a choice. Buy a 1985 Cadillac Eldorado convertible in relatively good condition or buy a 1975 Cadillac Eldorado convertible in need of restoration.
I chose the 1975. $4000 and 5 months later it was roadworthy and a drivable restore as you go.
I think I made the right decision.
Nice car. You noted the mayo and mustard but didn’t see them in the pics. Due to it having a 4100 engine and not having the elegant silver exterior….it’s a pass for me. Yet I would offer 4,000 for it. I can see it swanging down the H-Town streets.
My parents bought one in 84 & I begged them too either get the Riveria conv or this conv, not to be, they ended up with the stainless-steel top, then my dad passed in 85 & my mom continued to drive it until she was no longer fit to drive, I wanted it bad, but my older sister sold it behind my back & I was not happy to say the least, man I loved that car.
My eye went to the Ford out in the street lol