Rare Rides Icons: The Cadillac Eldorado, Distinctly Luxurious (Part LXVII)

In the subsequent years following the tenth generation Cadillac Eldorado’s debut in 1979, GM’s engineers and emissions regulations joined forces to mandate updates to the brand’s expensive coupe. Advancements like electronic fuel injection and more modern digital displays that were a plus balanced against negatives like a V6 engine, a diesel, the V8-6-4 failure, and 6.0-liter V8 engines that produced just 145 horsepower. The Eldorado kept selling meanwhile, and Eldorado’s adjustments through the end of its run shifted more towards trim and the illusion of “sportiness” the affluent luxury car buyer of the Eighties desired so much.

There was a shift in what was considered the company’s flagship at the time, too. As the original rear-drive Seville was replaced by the front-drive bustleback and the Eldorado proved itself a sales success, Eldorado once again took pride of place in the marketing materials. It was shown in the brochures before the Seville, and when the Eldorado and Seville were mentioned together, the Eldorado came first.

Beginning in 1982, Cadillac introduced a new Touring trim, and the Eldorado was the first to wear it. Intended to transform a regular American luxury car into a European-style luxury-sports one, Cadillac would persist with Touring branded coupes and sedans in the Eighties and Nineties. Subsequently the Touring was shortened to the letter T. 

Eventually Touring expanded into wagons, SUVs, and convertibles too. In fact, most of today’s Cadillac models aside from Escalade and EV offerings are Touring, as that’s what the T in their name means. And that lineage began in 1982 with the Eldorado Touring Coupe. 

Marketed specifically as a car “Created for the person who loves to drive,” the Eldorado Touring Coupe reintroduced bucket seats missing since the Sixties, and included a center console for additional sportiness. The Touring Coupe rode on wider tires sans whitewalls, for a more serious look. There was also an aluminum turbine wheel unique to the trim. 

Other visual edits included removal of the chrome trim spear along either side, and likewise removal of the chrome lower rocker trim that ran the length of the car. The trim was replaced with a ribbed panel that was sometimes a dark gray, and sometimes black. In its debut year it was advertised only in silver, but it seems a few limited color options were available. Taillamp and headlamp bezels were body colored on all Eldorado Tourings.

Cadillac’s new Touring Suspension was reserved especially for the Eldorado and Seville with Touring package. With an aim for increasing road feel, the package included P225/70R15 “large” tires, larger stabilizer bars affront and rear, and heavier power steering feel. Spring rates were stiffer at the rear as well. 

Shocks were adjusted to react faster at all corners. The suspension design was the same torsion bars at the front and semi-trailing arms at the back. Electronic level control (standard on all Eldorados) ensured a level ride with passengers or luggage onboard.

Perhaps most surprisingly, the special Eldorado Touring did not wear the upright Cadillac crest. In a first for the brand, the most expensive model wore a flat badge on the hood of the cloisonné variety. It was joined by matching badges on the B-pillar, but the Touring wore a standard crest and wreath on the trunk (forced, as it had to conceal the trunk’s lock cylinder). Touring’s paint was decorated with red and black twin pinstriping. All Eldorado Touring Coupes were fitted only with the company’s most advanced engine, the HT4100.

An exciting new model was added to Eldorado in 1984, after an eight-year absence: a convertible! Cadillac returned with an exciting new droptop, built only on the Eldorado Biarritz trim. Though it was an official production vehicle from Cadillac, General Motors didn’t create the convertible itself.

Instead it farmed the work out to American Sunroof Corporation (ASC) (1965-2017). Intended as a highline and limited-production model, there were less than 6,000 convertibles produced in total between 1984 and 1985 when the tenth generation Eldorado ended production. The convertible option added a notable 200 pounds to the car, putting more strain on the HT4100.

For the Eldorado’s final year before more intensive downsizing, there was a little-known run of special edition coupes to conclude 1985. Cadillac created a Commemorative Edition Eldorado to send the model out with a bang. Less than 200 were created, and specially provided to select high-volume dealerships.

Exterior colors were limited to Cotillion White or Commodore Blue, with either a navy, white, or two-tone navy and white interior. Most of the exterior edits focused on gold Commemorative Edition badges, as well as some interior badging. Exterior Cadillac crests and badging were all gold plated. Notably, the taillamps received trim in riveted chrome, unlike any other Eldorado model. 

For high quality pictures and an extremely 1990s Angelfire website experience, visit here to learn more about the Commemorative Edition. And though it was tacky, the end of the 1985 Eldorado was indeed a moment to commemorate. The rest of Cadillac’s models were fully downsized a second time for 1985, many became front-wheel drive, and the brand was diluted to the point where Cadillacs (save Fleetwood Brougham) were basically additional trim on an Oldsmobile.

GM’s analysts misread the tea leaves earlier in the decade, and in ‘85 launched a downsized lineup across the company. The management expected fuel prices to skyrocket and make them look like wise men, but it just didn’t materialize. Lincoln made fun of the cookie cutter GM luxury offerings while it sold its full-size Town Car and Continental with ease. 

And so it was that 1985 became the end of a successful Eldorado, and began a decade of intense struggle for Cadillac to find its footing and its place in the market. But it was good while it lasted, right? We’ll discuss the sales and pricing of the Cadillac line from 1979 to 1985 in our next installment.

[Images: GM, seller]

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