Featured here is a beautiful 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz. The Cadillac Eldorado is a luxury automobile that was produced from 1952 to 2002. This encompassed twelve generations. The Eldorado name was used starting in 1952 to mark Cadillac’s Golden Anniversary.
From 1956 through 1960 Cadillac began using the names “Eldorado Seville” and “Eldorado Biarritz” to differentiate between the hardtop and convertible models. Seville being hardtop and the Biarritz being the convertible.
New to the 1957 Cadillac Biarritz
Cadillac’s were redesigned for 1957 and went through a complete retooling for the model year. The Eldorado Biarritz styling was inspired by Motorama show cars.
Innovations included an unusual tubular X-frame, without side rails. This new design gave the car greater rigidity and increased length and wheelbase. A curved wraparound windshield added style. .The body was three inches” lower to the ground but at the expense of side impact protection.
The optional air ride suspension gave the car a luxurious ride when it worked, which was at best sporadically. Most buyers did not take this option and many of those who didn’t chose to ultimately change to traditional springs. If not the car had the tendency to list, sag and drag. This suspension situation was certainly not up to the engineering standards Cadillac customers came to expect.
General Motors tail fin designs, and Cadillac was probably one of it’s best examples, can be attributed to one very well known automotive designer. Legendary General Motors head designer Harley Earl absolutely loved big tail fins.The inspiration for tail fins on automobiles came from the aircraft of the 1940’s.The story is that Earl was impressed with the Lockheed twin tail P-38 fighter from World War Two and the rest is history.
1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Specifications
the 1957 Biarritz sported the most potent V-8 engine offered by Cadillac. The over-square, bored-out 365 cubic inch V-8 with twin Carter four-barrel carburetors delivered 325 HP to the ‘Sabre Spoke’ aluminum wheels, This was enough power to give the automobile a top speed of about 120 MPH.
Transmission was a four speed automatic.
All 1957 Cadillacs were produced with Hydra-Matic automatic transmissions along with power brakes and power steering as standard equipment.
Dimensions included a wheelbase of 129.5 inches. Overall outside length 222.1 inches height 57.9 inches and width 80.0 inches. .Vehicle curb weight was 4,900 lbs.
Total 1957 Cadillac production was 146,800 vehicles. Only 1,800 Biarritz convertibles were produced for the 1957 model year and out of those only fifty with factory air conditioning. The new car price for the Cadillac Biarritz was about $7,700.
Related Auto Museum Online articles are found on the links below…
1958 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible
Reference material for this article and some good reads include…The Cadillac Story: The Post War Years by Thomas Bonsall…..Cadillac: A Century of Excellence by authors Robert Leicester Wagner…Cadillac: The Tailfin Years by Robert J. Headrick Jr.
The 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Collector Car
All 1957 Cadillac models are popular collector automobiles. It was a significant year for Cadillac with all new styling along with the powerful 365 cubic inch V-8.
One way that the 1957 Cadillac can be distinguished from any other model year is by looking at the front bumper and the tail fins. The bullet shaped bumper impact guards had black rubber conical tips.
Based on auctions and sales prices, currently excellent examples of the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz average above $100,000 and can be as high as $200,000.
(Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online)