By the time the seventies decade rolled around, the Eldorado was already well into and nearing the end of its eighth generation of production, with the 1970 model featuring Cadillac’s new 500 cubic-inch V8 under the hood for the first time. Barn Finds reader numskal spotted this one here on Craigslist and brought it to our attention, and we’d like to thank him for the great tip! If you’ve been in the market for an unrestored vintage personal luxury car, this one might tick a lot of the right boxes, so head on over to Van Nuys, California to check it out in person and bring along $13,999 if you anticipate driving the car home.
Even though Cadillac was offering an impressive array of color choices during this period, it’s hard to beat a black finish outside with a matching vinyl top and interior. The seller mentions that some of the paint is still original but doesn’t specify which areas, though he does state the car is rust-free and that the body panels remain straight. I’m sure the car draws plenty of attention during events on its own, but another fun conversation starter at auto shows is bringing up that the first owner was Fred Krone, stunt man for Steve McQueen, and fortunately, the car does not appear it was used for any hair-raising antics on sets.
While definitely not perfect, the inside seems in acceptable condition for a driver, with cracks in the dash and some wear in a few spots. But it’s got all the luxury you’d expect for a Cadillac of this vintage including power seats, power windows, cruise control, and a tilt steering column, all commodities found on most modern vehicles nowadays but not as much in 1970. One other feature not seen as often back then is the front-wheel-drive, which eliminated a driveshaft and provided more comfort for the center occupants both front and rear.
The 8.2-liter monster is the original motor, providing 400 horsepower from the factory to move the 4600-plus-pound Eldorado around nicely. The owner points out this was the largest engine ever built for passenger car production and says that the car still runs and drives great, with mileage listed at 73,662. This one seems like it’s an overall well-preserved example and it’ll probably find a new home fairly quickly, but I’m curious if our readers think one dollar shy of fourteen-grand is in the ballpark of a reasonable price to pay for what we’re seeing here?
these are great cars
This car is definitely worth 14000. 1970 is the culmination of the horsepower,size,and style race started in the 1920s. The gas crisis ended it in 1971 !! front wheel drive 400 hp tilt, telescopic , luxurious leather disc brakes. Cruise. Climate control good sound system L78 15 white wall tires
It was not just the 400 Horsies that made these engine’s special, it was the 550 lbs of Torque at under 2800 RPM made this engine pull 4600 pounds of Cadi around like it was nothing! NOTHING BUILT IN 1970 had that much Torque and I mean NOTHING, not even the Mighty Mopars Dual Quad 426 Hemi or the LS6 454 Chevelle!
The Gasoline Crisis Started In October Of 1973.
There was no gasoline shortage. It was total nonsense. If you look back at what was going on then the US market was getting flooded with 30 mpg rice burners that could run circles around big block V8s. That became a threat to not only the car industry but to the oil companies. So to offset their losses if you will gas prices quadrupled in price. And that’s the rest of the story.
Nice Caddy!
Front wheel drive and fave color!
This checks many boxes for me.
GLWS!
I had its baby brother, a “Write Me Up Red” 1970 Coupe Deville, w/472 cu engine we called Big Burthe.
Burthe drove smoothly at 75mph all day and could pass everything but a gas station. Also like the El Dorado has to have leaded gas.
I’d love to get this El Dorado, but its on the left coast and we live on the right coast.
Larry, in our neighborhood, it was “arrest me red”. These will always be the executive ride in my mind.
Back when a Cadillac was a CADILLAC!
I would like to add an 8th generation Eldo to my collection some day. It would have to be a ’67 or ’68 with the hide-away headlights. I feel the designers original look was spoiled in 1969 when the grill was redesigned without the hide-away headlights. The design change was apparently due to impending federal regs that would have required the hide-away system to be re-engineered to operate much faster. The feds wanted the lights on quickly when cars went into tunnels etc. The new boss at Cadillac decided it would be cheaper to just eliminate the hideaway headlights. This sort of thinking is part of why GM drifted into the malaise era.
My friend has this Identical car. His uncle was given the Eldorado as part of his inheritance from his Dad’s estate and then sold it to his nephew 2 years later, and he’s owned it ever since. These cars were POWERFUL! Back in the 80’s they’d blow any of the so called “Muscle Cars” off the road and give most of the late 60’s and early 70’s street iron a run for their money too! This was of course from a roll since they smoked the tires so bad it took them a few seconds to get moving. I personally thought they road kind of stiff compared to the DeVille but still were quite comfortable cars. $14k is a bit high for me but I think someone out there will gladly pay it considering just how rare these are starting to find in this condition with the original 1970 engine still in them.
I wonder what could have caused the rear seat to wear out before the front seats. ╞══╕☺
A very happy, smiling owner?
You can lay down, full length. Use your imagination.
My brother had a 1970 Eldo. Same car. I borrowed it once and could see the gas gauge move as I drove. I mean dang, it got about 10 mph.
For about the same $$ you could buy a 2013 Nissan Rogue or a 2015 Ford Escape.
Why would anybody do that when you could get this? It boggles the mind…
But it begs the question – what defines a “Personal Luxury Car”? As opposed to a “Public Luxury Car”?
I had a ‘67 Eldorado from new and drove it over 100,000 mostly trouble-free miles. Was white with a black top and had the “houndstooth” white and black cloth interior. Great sound system for the day and I loved the factory tinted windows. As the mileage approached 75,000 I began to experience high maintenance on hydraulic components, but with regular service and service loaners from the dealer I was pleased overall with the car. There was a squeak around the rear window that my dealer could never fix, which I guess was my only silly complaint.
Lovely! The black finish does it justice, and if the underside is rust-free, the price is reasonable. The interior could use frshening, but at this price it’s difficult to fault.
This is a type of car we shall never see the likes of again.
I owned a 1971 and a 1972 convertibles. 4 big guys could man spread very comfortably. I learned very quickly about the nature of locking up the brakes sliding on snow and ice. When you do this and turn the steering wheel the car will continue its forward path. When you release the brakes be prepared to be in the ditch or take out what ever is in the direction of your steering wheel.
“A/C all there needs charging”.
Sure, after “all there” has been repaired/replaced.
I owned a 1970 in 1979-81, in Santa Rosa, CA. Paid $800 it was in good running condition, a #2 car, just needed a tune up, etc. Drove it to Tahoe a few times and then once to Denver. Got pulled over 20 miles west of Salt Lake City doing over 100 mph…I came up on the patrol car so fast that as he tried to take my speed with a hand held radar gun I passed him as he was trying to aim his gun at me…I kinda felt bad for him…a little later I was pulled over by an unmarked car that had been notified by that other patrol car. I was not speeding then so he let me go. That car was so smooth and pulled from 50 to 100 in a split second. Luxury hotrod like no other!
To clear up a misconception regarding the “oil crisis” there was no shortage. In the early 70s the US market was getting flooded with Japanese cars that could run figure 8s around US cars while achieving high 20s-30 mpg. So in order to not upset the apple cart gas prices quadrupled to offset their foreseeable losses.
Now I beg someone for an answer to this question and I probably know the answer already how is it that a spacecraft can travel to another planet and back without refueling yet a car can’t travel from California to New York without refueling?
Ugh…. Gravity and no drag due to a vacuum environment,,
Spaceship 101
Why would you be driving over 100 MPH in a Cadillac ?
I thought the purpose of these cars was to take your sweet old time and savor each minute while driving them, being a flagship luxury brand that they are. What is this obsession with speed ?
I just don’t get it.
What is the obsession with speed? If you have to ask then you won’t understand.
However, the overall point of the story is that driving a car of that quality can easily put you in that high speed and you “forget” how fast you’re driving because compared to other cars at that time “you” didn’t feel like your driving that fast. So smooth and quiet, crossing the desert on the beautiful I-80 highway. I was 29 years old and behind the wheel of an Eldorado with 8.2 LITER, SAE 400 ponies. Today, with 450 hp I rarely exceed 80 mph. Is that ok?