Hard to Find: The 1953 Eldorado
Cadillac month continues and this week, we profile one of the more rare Cadillacs: the 1953 Eldorado:
The car that started the Eldorado dynasty is one of the most sought-after mainstream post-war American cars. Built for just one year, only 532 examples left the Cadillac factory in Michigan, making it extremely rare today.
This beauty was not built for the masses, as it carried a sticker of $7,750. Twice the price of a Cadillac 62 Convertible and several times the price of the average family car at the time, Cadillac justified the cost by standardizing all of the options of their other models and added a cut-down "Panorama" windshield and metal top cover.
Overall, the 1953 Eldorado gets four out of four stars across the board for reliability, maintenance costs, parts/support and market appeal. Prices for recently sold examples range from $104,000 to $495,000, though the most common prices are under $200,000. A reasonable benchmark is the Aztec Red model sold by RM Auctions last summer for $148,500. Many buyers are trying to complete a so-called "American Triple Crown" collection that also includes a '53 Buick Skylark and the '53 Oldsmobile Fiesta. A private sale is probably a better bet for bargain-hunters, but the best examples will likely be found at one of the premier auctions. We're trying to locate a 1953 Eldorado for sale and will have more to report on this rare model later this week.
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(Car summary courtesy of Sports Car Market magazine)
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