Since the dawn of the automobile, the notion around being driven, rather than driving is one which piqued the interest of many, often wealthy individuals. While the motorcar was the perfect mode of transport, offering a quiet, comfortable, and secluded space to travel in, for the upper echelons of the world, many had no interest in discovering a car’s power delivery or steering feel, and were more concerned about what temperature the champagne chiller was set to.
By the 1950s, America was running on all eight cylinders, producing some of the most exuberant and stylish cars the world had ever seen, and GM’s Motorama was the place to show a new creation or concept to the world. After the success of the 1955 Eldorado Brougham dream car, Cadillac had some work to do for the fast-approaching 1956 Motorama, and to keep the public's appetite for the new model alive, a second Eldorado Brougham dream car was produced ready for the show, which focussed around “The Highway of Tomorrow.”
This 18.5ft long cruiser offers everything those upper-class individuals of yesteryear could have ever dreamt of and more, comprising of an open driver's compartment with sliding division window. The roof of the passenger compartment is covered in black leather, with the interior within trimmed in black and beige leather with a plethora of gold-plated hardware, as well as mouton carpeting, and polarized sun visors. To relax passengers further, the Town Car featured air conditioning, something of a rarity during the mid 1950s, as was an intercom for communicating with the driver. Just for an extra sprinkling of decadence, the Caddy had gold-plated vanity trays, six beverage tumblers, and even a cigar humidor, why would you ever need to leave?
Sadly, many of the cars showcased at GM’s Motorama shows were lost, dismantled or destroyed entirely, but this Eldorado managed to escape such a miserable fate, and was recommissioned to the highest possible standard before being acquired by the current owner, a dedicated enthusiast of post-war Cadillacs. One of just a handful of surviving GM Motorama show cars from the Harley Earl era, this Eldorado Brougham Town Car a genuine piece of history, and one that will undoubtably cause quite a stir as it goes under the hammer at Broad Arrow Group’s upcoming Monterey Sale on 17th August!
