Featured is a large luxury automobile, the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible.
The Eldorado name was first proposed for the company’s 1952 Cadillac Golden Anniversary show car. The car premiered as a limited edition convertible.
There were a total of twelve generations for the Cadillac Eldorado. The Cadillac Eldorado’s ninth generation ran from 1971 to 1978. The year 2002 represented the 50th year for the Eldorado and that was the models last production year.
Last Year For Convertibles
Of special note regarding the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado, that happened to be the last year for Eldorado Convertibles.
It wasn’t only Cadillac that decided to exit the open air automobile market. Sales were slumping at that time and convertible cars were being discontinued among other automakers.
One reason was that the automakers believed there would be stiffer safety regulations at any time but in reality those regulations never materialized. As a result of all this Cadillac ended up selling about 14,000 Cadillac’s in 1976 as opposed to about 8,900 in 1975. Of special note is that the last 200 1976 convertibles were painted white with blue and red pin stripes.
It’s been said that Cadillac could have sold even more convertibles in 1976 had they been able to obtain enough folding top hardware. Suppliers knew that the convertible models would be generally phased out and cut production of the hardware. For the record of course, the decision to stop producing convertibles was eventually reversed.
1976 Cadillac Eldorado Styling
The Cadillac Eldorado had a major restyling in 1975. As a result the 1976 model received only minor styling changes. Like previous models, the 1976 Eldorado was still using the same basic body shell as the 1971 however it was updated i n 1975. The automobile now had rectangular headlamps and a new front bumper and grille. The rear had already been restyled with the 1974 model years porting a new tail lamp design.
1976 Cadillac Eldorado Specifications
The 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible offered two available engines. Both 500 cubic inch V-8’s, one delivered 190 HP and the other 215 HP. When the 500 cubic inch V-8 debuted in 1970, the engine delivered up to 400 HP. Federal emission control standards whittled the HP all the way down to 190.
Transmission for these front wheel drive automobiles was a three speed Hydra-Matic automatic.
Brakes were front disc with rear hydraulic drums.
Dimensions for the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado featured a 126.3 inch wheelbase, overall length of 224.1 inches, 79.8 inch width and 54.1 inch height. Weight totaled 5,075 lbs. New car price averaged about $10,800.
Total 1976 Cadillac production was 309,100 vehicles. Total Eldorado production was 49,190. The Eldorado Hardtop Coupe accounted for 35,190 vehicles. Cadillac Eldorado Convertibles totaled 14,000.
Related Auto Museum Online articles are found on the links below…
1958 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible
1960 Cadillac Biarritz Convertible
Reference material for this article includes..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…Complete Book of Collectible Cars by the Editors of Consumers Guide.
The 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Collector Car
The 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible is a very large classic car. It’s symbolic of the era that Cadillac designed very large automobiles. The Cadillac’s of the mid 1970’s are representative of what a luxury car should look like. In addition to that the Cadillac’s of that time were built with a big 500 cubic inch V-8.
The top model for 1976 were those convertibles which Cadillac management said would be discontinued after that model year.
Current prices for these collector cars are in a wide range due to age and degree of restoration, originality, mileage, mechanics and general condition. Excellent examples of 1976 Hardtop Coupes can be found in the $25,000 to $30,000 range. Convertible examples in like condition could be in a range of about $35,000 to $60,000.
(Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online)