Eldorado Brougham Cadillac History 1957

Asit had in the Thirties, Cadillac plunged into the super-luxury market with the new Eldorado Brougham, a virtually hand-built hardtop sedan on a more compact 3200mm wheelbase. Conceived largely in response to the Continental Mark II from Ford Motor Company, it came with every extra in the Cadillac accessory book — plus a few brand-new exclusives — but was no more successful. Price was a formidable $13,074, for which you could very nearly buy both a Biarritz and a Seville. Demand was predictably limited, and just 400 were built for the model year, all in Cadillac’s own plant, by the way.

Announced in December, 1956 and released around March, 1957, the Eldorado Brougham was a hand-built, limited-edition four-door hardtop sedan derived from the Park Avenue and Orleans show cars of 1953-1954. Designed by Ed Glowacke, the Brougham featured America’s first completely pillarless four-door body styling. The ventipanes were electrically controlled. The Brougham was further distinguished by a brushed stainless steel roof, the first appearance of quad headlights and totally unique trim. The exterior ornamentation included wide, ribbed lower rear quarter beauty panels (extending along the full rocker sills) and a rectangularly sculptured side body “cove” highlighted with five horizontal windsplits on the rear doors. Tail styling treatments followed the Eldorado theme and “suicide” type hanging was used for the rear doors. Standard equipment included all possible accessories such as

• a dual four-barrel V-8
• air-suspension
• low-profile tires with thin whitewalls
• automatic trunk lid opener
• automatic “memory” seat
• Cruise Control
• high-pressure cooling system
• polarized sun visors
• Signal-Seeking twin speaker radio
• electric antenna
• automatic-release parking brake
• electric door locks
• dual heating system
• stainless steel (with a silver finish) magnetized glove box drink tumblers
• cigarette and tissue dispensers
• lipstick (cologne was mentioned in the dealer Data Book, but was not actually offered)
• ladies’ compact with powder puff, comb, and mirror
• leather notebook
• STEP atomizer with 1 oz. bottle of “Arpege” perfume extract made by Lanvin, Paris.
• automatic starter (with re-start function)
• Autronic-Eye
• drum-type electric clock
• power windows
• forged aluminum wheels
• air conditioning

Buyers of Broughams had a choice of 44 full leather interior trim combinations and could select such items as Mouton (French for lambskin) and Karakul carpeting.