1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham
Priced at over $13,000, this four-door hardtop sedan cost more than a contemporary Ferrari or Rolls-Royce when new.
Cadillac’s response to Ford’s Continental Mark II arrived for 1957 with features so ambitious that the manufacturer reportedly lost about $10,000 on each example built, contributing to its brief two-year production run of just 704 cars (400 in 1957 and 304 in 1958).
The Eldorado Brougham distinguished itself with quad headlights, rear-hinged rear doors reminiscent of prewar coachwork, and side windows that retracted completely into the body (frames included).
A broad expanse of brushed stainless steel covered the roof, while forged aluminum wheels marked a production-car first in the American market.
Inside, the luxury continued with air conditioning, a power-operated trunk lid with automatic pull-down, and doors that locked automatically when the transmission was placed in gear. The memory front seat, another industry first, allowed drivers to save their preferred position.
This short-lived model represented Cadillac’s most expensive and exclusive offering of the decade.
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