1967 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado

This was the world’s finest Personal Luxury Car in 1967

Cadillac had once again shaken up the automotive world. Enthusiasts and journalists world-wide witnessed the introduction of the next generation of the Cadillac Eldorado. This historic model was the 1967 front-wheel drive Fleetwood Eldorado. Unlike any luxury car offering in the world, it combined the excellent traction of front-wheel drive, the perfect balance of automatic level control, and the ease of variable ratio power steering. The “Standard of the World” was once again at the helm of the luxury car segment with an entirely new class: the Personal Luxury Car. Cadillac was the leader world-wide in technological advancements.

Before Cadillac would dare to offer an option, or even a new model, they carefully scrutinized its development. In the 1950s, Cadillac had the “mink coat test” where a model wearing, you guessed it…and she would simply slide on and off fabric as she would entering and exiting the car. If the fabric left the coat unscathed, it was chosen. The Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight/Ninety-Eight series was always utilized by Cadillac for options, comfort and convenience features. If it passed the Olds test, it came into Cadillac. The 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado had such a highly successful introduction: then, enter stage right…the 1967 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado. It was an entirely new class of luxury car.

It was such a sensation that it sold 17,930 vehicles with a waiting list at dealerships the first year. With its sharp knife-blade fenders that ran from the nose fading into the body, then continuing beneath the side “C” pillar back to the chiseled rear deck, this Cadillac was dramatically bold and extremely beautiful. Its bold egg crate grille and hide away head lamps were a refreshing view of the formidable Fleetwood Eldorado. The side panels were swept clean of excessive chrome and unnecessary baubles left over from the early 1960s. That car was an absolute knock-out in certain colors.

The unique rear end design used the sharp fin-like end caps running into the sculpted bumper. The tail lamps peeked through the highly polished chrome tips of the fenders and the chiseled deck lid swept gently into the bumper. The entire car from every angle was excellently proportioned. Its long hood, formal roof line with a bowed glass rear window, and short rear deck were unique design cues predicting the styling for the 1969 & 1970 Cadillac Calais, DeVille, and Fleetwood models. The Eldorado became the styling predictor for Cadillac for many years to come. The “Gilded One” was the leader in the industry. The 1967 Fleetwood Eldorado was one of Bill Mitchell’s top designs.

The 1967 Fleetwood Eldorado used a modified Toronado platform with similar underpinnings. The torsion bars, A-arms, and telescopic shocks made up the front suspension while the rear was fitted with a beam axle on semi-elliptic leaf springs and four shock absorbers – two horizontal and two vertical. This new Eldorado was the perfect overall size, and with its new technology made it world-class. No one else offered anything close. It was the envy of European auto manufactures. America was the purveyor of the luxury automobile.

The 1967 Fleetwood Eldorado used the Cadillac 429 CID V8 with a Rochester 4-bbl down-draft quadrajet carburetor. It produced 340 hp @ 4,400 rpm with 606 Nm of peak torque @ 2,800 rpm. The engine was mated to a GM Turbo Hydra-Matic THM 425 3-speed automatic transmission. It sprinted from 0-60 mph in 9.2 seconds, 0-100 mph in 28.1 seconds, and had a top speed of 120 mph. It could do the ¼ mile @ 83 mph in 16.8 seconds. It weighed a whopping 4,590 pounds. The balanced weight, front wheel drive, automatic level control, and variable ratio power steering gave this car the patented Cadillac Magic Carpet Ride. The 1967 Fleetwood Eldorado was lighter on its feet than the previous models it replaced.

Inside the 1967 Fleetwood Eldorado was a special world. A luxuriously new Personal Luxury ambience like never before. 18 Interior selections were available in tweed and another in an understated broadcloth, and all leather upholstered. Standard features included; power windows & seats, power brakes, Automatic Level Control, variable ratio power steering, and Turbo-Hydra Matic automatic transmission. Flat floors made the interior extra spacious especially in the front seating area devoid of the traditional transmission hump. The newly designed Strato-bench front seat with its folding center arm rest were the styling cues for the 1969-1970 notchback front seating design. The Eldorado ushered in the Personal Luxury Car segment in the 1960s, there was no other car like it.

The 1967 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado introduced a whole new luxury car concept – it combined the spirited performance of a sporting nature with the five passenger comfort and spaciousness of a true luxury car. Cadillac created the Personal Luxury Car niche. This entirely new Cadillac had to be seen to be believed….driven to be appreciated….and owned to be fully enjoyed. The 1967 Fleetwood Eldorado exhibited that poised dignity that was the hallmark of every Cadillac. It was indeed the world’s finest Personal Luxury Car. The 1967 Fleetwood Eldorado was a dramatic departure from the previous generation of the Cadillac Eldorado.

Click on the photos to enlarge for detail….these cars are very rare.