When this car debuted in the fall of 1966, many Cadillac loyalists were no doubt puzzled. Not only was it the sportiest Cadillac in many a year, it was also the division's most technically daring effort in recent memory, featuring that most unusual feature: front-wheel drive.

This week, we look at the origins of that remarkable Cadillac, the 1967 Eldorado.

THE SLEEPING GIANT

NEVER SAY DIE

Bill Mitchell, who became GM's vice president of Design in the fall of 1958, never forgot that he started his long GM career at Cadillac back in 1935. Mitchell's first triumph was the 1938 Cadillac Sixty Special, a flashy, stylish fashion leader, which the division's managers had originally worried would be too radical for their customers. Once he became head of design in 1958, Mitchell immediately began thinking about new "personal" Cadillacs. His first attempt, a design by stylist Ned Nickles, code-named XP-715, was intended as a revival of LaSalle, Cadillac's stylish companion make of the twenties and thirties. Mitchell pitched idea to Harold Warner, but Warner was not interested. After a lot of convoluted internal politicking, the XP-715 became the 1963 Buick Riviera.

Even as the XP-715 was emerging, the Cadillac design studio, then led by Chuck Jordan and Dave Holls, was starting work on yet another Cadillac personal car. In October 1959, not long after the cancellation of the Eldorado Brougham, Jordan's Cadillac Advanced design studio started work on a new "sporty-elegant" Cadillac, code-named XP-727. This made no more headway with Cadillac management than the XP-715 had, but Jordan's people continued to work on it. By August 1961, it had evolved into the XP-727-2, and the following year, the four-door XP-727-3. These also failed to move Harold Warner, who still saw no need for such a car.

A much more elaborate and ambitious concept was a proposed revival of Cadillac's legendary V-16. Stanley Parker, who took over the Cadillac design studio after Jordan was promoted to design director in August 1962, led the development of a series of long-nosed coupe studies. GM's Engineering Staff (not Cadillac's) also cobbled together a prototype V-16 from two V8s, although it was never seriously intended for production.

(The V-16 may have been purely hypothetical, but during this period, Cadillac engineering was working on a new V-12, a 90-degree overhead-cam engine. Rumors of its development persisted through at least the fall of 1965, but it never came to fruition.)


The 1967 Eldorado was designed for concealed headlamps, which blend neatly into the characteristic Cadillac eggcrate grille. For the 1969 model year, Cadillac design chief Stan Parker decided that hidden headlamps were passé, so the doors were removed and the grille slightly restyled; we think exposed headlights made the front end look somewhat unfinished. (Photo © 2009 abumatic; used by permission)

THE FLAME RED CAR

While the Cadillac studio was struggling to sell Harold Warner on a personal Cadillac, Bill Mitchell was busy with another selling job: Oldsmobile stylist Dave North's "Flame Red Car." North's design study, a sleek personal-luxury coupe inspired by the 1936 Cord 810, was created for an internal contest, but both Mitchell and North's boss, Stan Wilen, loved it. A few weeks later, GM group vice president Ed Cole ordered Oldsmobile general manager Jack Wolfram to develop a personal luxury car sharing the E-body shell of the 1966 Buick Riviera. Mitchell suggested used North's design, which Wolfram and Cole immediately liked. The Olds studio developed the design, now designated XP-784, as a full-size clay model. It was finished in February 1963 and received management approval in April. It was eventually named Toronado.

At the same time the Olds studio started work on the XP-784, Ed Cole ordered Cadillac to develop its own E-body model. The ostensible reason was the corporation's desire to share costs as much as possible, but we suspect that Mitchell and Chuck Jordan succeeded in selling Cole on the idea of a personal Cadillac in a way they were not able to sell Harold Warner. The division still wasn't interested; the one who really wanted it was Bill Mitchell.

By September 1963, the Cadillac studio had developed a new full-sized model, the XP-820, which was refined that fall into the XP-825. Both used some of the themes of the earlier XP-727-3 and V-16 studies, but they were scaled to fit the same "package" as the Olds Toronado.

The final XP-825 model was shown to management in May 1964. Ed Cole had already seen and loved the design, and he deliberately rushed it past GM president Jack Gordon, fearing that if Gordon looked at it too closely, he might not like it.


The 1968 Eldorado retained its hidden headlights, but the body-colored panels at the leading edges of the fenders were replaced by parking lamps; we can't help feeling that they spoiled the purity of the bladed fenders. Note the apparent absence of windshield wipers; they're actually concealed behind the rear edge of the hood. (Photo © 2009 Sam Vacheret; used by permission)

FRONTAL ASSAULT

The most complex part of the Toronado "package" was its front-wheel drive. As we discussed in our article on the Toronado, GM's corporate Engineering Staff had developed a unique front-wheel-drive package in the mid-fifties, first seen on the 1955 La Salle II show car. Known as the Unitized Power Package (UPP), it allowed engine, transmission, and differential to be combined into a unit not much bigger than the engine itself, utilizing many existing components. John Beltz and Andrew Watt, Oldsmobile's assistant chief engineer and head of advanced engineering, were very enthusiastic about the UPP idea, which they had been testing since early 1960.

Cadillac had first explored the UPP concept in 1959, when assistant chief engineer Don Adams and staff engineer Lester Milliken developed a front-drive test mule. Cadillac apparently considered mating the UPP with the mooted V-12 engine to create a new prestige Cadillac to replace the Eldorado Brougham, although it never got much beyond the concept stage. By the time Harold Warner became general manager in June 1960, replacing the Brougham was no longer seriously contemplated. Nothing came of the idea, and Cadillac's interest in front-wheel-drive soon languished.

Although the corporation felt front-wheel drive was too expensive for mass-market cars, Oldsmobile management had talked to Ed Cole about offering FWD on the Olds E-car. Cole, who had shepherded the development of the air-cooled, rear-engined Corvair, was receptive, but the executive committee was still wary. Frederic Donner, GM's chairman, allowed development to proceed, but withheld final approval of the FWD package until the spring of 1964, after Oldsmobile had demonstrated a working prototype.

Corporate management initially wanted all three E-body cars to be front-wheel drive, but Buick general manager Ed Rollert balked. In the event, the 1966 Riviera shared only its basic body shell with its Olds cousin, with its own, unique drivetrain and chassis. Cadillac, however, would use the Olds FWD package, although they adapted their own engine to fit to UPP.

The front-wheel-drive Cadillac E-body, dubbed Eldorado, debuted in October 1966, a year after the Toronado and second-generation Riviera. Some sources assert that the delay was because Cadillac wanted an additional year of development time for the mechanical package, but we aren't sure that's true, particularly since Cadillac had actually developed its first UPP prototypes a year before Olds did. In 1998, Chuck Jordan told Special Interest Autos writer John Katz that the delay was caused by having to follow Oldsmobile's lead, exacerbated by the fact that the Toronado didn't receive full design approval until a  year after the styling approval. Furthermore, other than the use of Cadillac's V8 engine, the Eldorado's drivetrain was almost identical to that of the Toronado, although it had fewer teething problems than the early Toro.


The Eldorado's prominent knife-blade fenders owe something to the 1961 Lincoln Continental, although with its massive W-shaped nose and eggcrate grille, it looks very little like a Lincoln. Note the prominent fender flares and the beltline kickup just aft of the doors.

THE ROAD TO ELDORADO

By the time the FWD Eldorado bowed in 1966, Cadillac had been using the Eldorado name for almost 14 years. The first Eldorado, launched in 1953, was a heavily customized Cadillac convertible, a "factory custom" like the contemporary Buick Skylark. Very stylish and very expensive, it sold only 532 copies. It returned for 1954, less distinctive but cheaper, and subsequently became a regular part of the Cadillac lineup. In 1956, the convertible was renamed Eldorado Biarritz and joined by a new hardtop coupe, the Eldorado Seville. From 1957 to 1960, there was also the aforementioned Eldorado Brougham sedan. Both the Brougham and Seville were dropped for 1961, but the Biarritz convertible survived through 1966. By then, it was no longer particularly special -- just a slightly glitzier convertible de Ville. It accounted for less than 2,500 sales a year, less even than the big Fleetwood limousine.

Mechanically and stylistically, the 1967 Eldorado was a significant departure from its predecessors. Not only was it noticeably smaller, with its knife-blade fenders and long-hood/short-deck proportions, it was a great deal more rakish than its brethren. Nevertheless, it was immediately recognizable as a Cadillac from every angle. More remarkably, it bore little resemblance to the Toronado or Riviera, despite sharing their inner body structure, cowl, and windshield.


Believe it or not, this was the smallest Cadillac of its era. The 1967-70 Eldorado's 120-inch (3,048-mm) wheelbase was 9.5 inches (241 mm) shorter than the 1966 Eldorado Biarritz, although it was only 3.5 inches (89 mm) shorter overall. With a curb weight of around 4,800 lb (2,177 kg), it was not any lighter; it was about 160 lb (73 kg) heavier than a Toronado.

It didn't feel like a Toronado, either. Although the Toronado and Eldorado shared the same semi-unitized structure (essentially a unit body up to the cowl, but with the powertrain carried on a long bolt-on subframe, like the old Citroën Traction Avant) and the same suspension, the Eldo had a softer ride, rear load-leveling dampers, and a new variable-ratio power steering system. It was not as sporty as the Toronado or Riviera, but it was firm for a Cadillac, with much less float and wallow than a big Cadillac sedan.

The Eldorado shared the same engine as other Cadillacs, with its oil pan modified to fit the Unitized Power Package. A 429 cu. in. (7.0 L) V8 with an advertised 340 hp (254 kW), this was the final iteration of Cadillac's original 1949 OHV V8, which had begun at 331 cu. in. (5.4 L) and a mere 160 gross hp (119 kW). Like the Toronado, it was mated to a split, chain-driven Turbo Hydramatic transmission. Despite its prodigious weight, it had brisk performance: 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) took around 9 seconds, and top speed was at least 120 mph (193 kph).

Like the Toronado, the Eldorado was largely free of torque steer, normally the bête noire of powerful FWD cars. Heavy understeer prevailed if it was pressed at all, but by American luxury-car standards, it was reasonably nimble. Wet-weather handling was also much better than many contemporaries. Where both the Eldorado and Toronado fell on their faces was braking. Although both Cadillac and Olds used finned drums in front, with slotted wheels for better cooling, their standard brakes were still totally inadequate for their weight. One hard stop from highway speed would result in lengthy stopping distances, heavy fade, and erratic directional control. Front discs, optional on both cars, helped somewhat, but they were still marginal.

While the Oldsmobile's interior had a futuristic flair, the interior of the Eldorado was much like any other Cadillac, save for its flat floor. (Since they shared the same bulky E-body as the rear-drive, cruciform-frame Riviera, this was the FWD cars' sole packaging advantage.) Rear legroom was a little tight, but the Eldorado could still accommodate six passengers in a pinch, just like a Coupe de Ville.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the '67 Eldorado is that it was actually $354 cheaper than the mechanically undistinguished '66 Eldorado Biarritz. At $6,277, though, it was still one of the most expensive Cadillac models, and nearly $2,000 more than a Toronado. Most Eldorado were also sold fully loaded, which took the bottom line to a formidable $9,000 -- enough to buy a house in most parts of the U.S. at that time.


Like other '68 Cadillacs, the 1968 Eldorado got a new 472 cu. in. (7.7 L) engine with 375 gross horsepower (280 kW), trimming about half a second off its 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) acceleration times. It carried over unchanged for 1969, but for 1970, it was stroked to 500 cu. in. (8.2 L), the largest passenger-car engine of the postwar era. Cadillac claimed 400 horsepower (298 kW) and 550 lb-ft (746 N-m) of torque, although its as-installed net horsepower was less impressive -- perhaps 275 hp (205 kW). It was an Eldorado exclusive through 1974, and was dropped after the 1976 model year.

JEWELS IN THE CROWN

Cadillac sold 17,930 Eldorados in 1967. That was 20% more than Cadillac's initial projections, but it still left dealers with two-month waiting lists. Although Calvin Werner had replaced Harold Warner as general manager in 1967, he and general sales manager Fred Hopkins still upheld Warner's philosophy of limiting total production to maintain demand. For 1968, they expanded production to 24,528, enough to reduce the waiting lists, but not enough to keep dealers from selling every Eldorado they could get for full sticker price. Sales for 1969 and 1970 were nearly as good, at 23,333 and 23,842 respectively, despite a base price 10% higher than in 1967. Resale values were similarly strong.


Cadillac and its ad agency, McManus, John & Adams, opted for a low-key marketing approach for the Eldorado, mentioning but not emphasizing its front-wheel drive. This is an early ad for the '67 Eldorado. (source)

The demand for the Eldorado had less to do with its intrinsic worth; it reflected the model's position as the most distinctive and stylish Cadillac. As with other Cadillac models, the Eldorado's appeal was not limited to the rich. In 1968, one Los Angeles dealer told Road Test magazine that he had placed eight Eldorados in the same block of a local working-class neighborhood. That reality was underscored by a disgruntled Eldorado owner from Texas, who complained in a 1969 Popular Car owner survey that the Eldorado wasn't expensive enough to keep the hoi polloi from buying it.

Interestingly, despite the Eldorado's popularity, its effect on Cadillac sales was very small. Although Cadillac's 1967 volume hit 200,000 units, a new record, it was up only 3,315 units from 1966. The Calais and Sedan de Ville were down 17,558 units from the year before, suggesting that the Eldorado may have simply snared customers who would otherwise have bought another Cadillac model. (In those days, many Cadillac buyers traded in every year, so the comparison is perhaps more valid than it might be for other makes.)


Like the Toronado, the Cadillac's rear suspension is a simple beam axle, carried on single leaf springs. It has four rear shock absorbers; two are horizontal, allowing them to act as trailing links for axle location, and two are vertical. The vertical shocks are hydropneumatic, pressurized by an engine-operated air compressor for automatic load leveling. Although the Eldorado got standard front discs in 1968, the rear brakes remained drums until 1976; considering its weight, it really should have had big four-wheel vented discs from the beginning.

The Eldorado's unique engineering didn't seem to make much impression on Cadillac buyers, either. Since Cadillac didn't go out of its way to promote the Eldorado's front-wheel drive, it's likely that a fair number of owners didn't know which wheels were being driven. (As long as the Eldorado wasn't pushed hard in fast turns, it was not readily apparent from the driver's seat, either.) Mostly, owners complained that the ride was not as cloud-like as other Cadillacs, although they generally appreciated its handling and wet-weather composure. Since customers were buying the Eldorado primarily for its styling and badge, it would probably have sold just as well with rear-wheel drive.

If the Eldorado didn't help sales volume and its engineering didn't impress anyone, what was the point? It was more expensive than a Calais or De Ville, but it cost more to build, too, so we're not sure it was any more profitable. On the other hand, it helped to keep the attention of style-conscious buyers like Hollywood celebrities, who embraced the Eldorado enthusiastically. It also appealed to slightly younger buyers; the average Eldorado customer was 48, compared to 53 for other Cadillacs.

The real justification for the Eldorado's existence came not from Cadillac, but from Lincoln, which introduced its Lincoln Continental Mark III in the spring of 1968. The Mark III was a little smaller than an Eldorado, but its starting price was within $20 of the Cadillac's, and it was clearly targeted at the same audience. The Mark III was conceived in September 1965, after the Eldorado's development was already well under way -- for once, GM had led, rather than following. That was fortunate, for if the Eldorado hadn't already existed, the Mark III would have forced Cadillac to invent it.


The creased rear window was a design feature that dated back to the early XP-727 design studies. The crease is visible from inside the car, and does odd things to the rear view. Rear visibility is not a strong point of these cars. This car is somewhat unusual in having an uncovered roof; the $157.90 padded vinyl top was very common by 1969.

JONAH AND THE WHALE

SUMMING UP

Alas, like the library of Alexandria, these pieces of wisdom have been lost to the ages. To us, that -- and their sharp-edged styling -- makes these Eldorados something to cherish.

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