Fresh Metal: 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Seville

The Eldorado legend continues…

…the continuing saga of “As the Standard of the World Turns”

The 1959 model year was a dramatic advance into a new realm of luxury car motoring. Cadillac was the “Standard of the World” and once again the luxury leader. The 1959 Eldorado was the Flagship available as the Biarritz convertible, the Seville hardtop coupe, and the Brougham hardtop sedan. The Eldorado Seville was the most luxurious coupe in the Cadillac model hierarchy. It was the most luxurious coupe in the world. It possessed that poised dignity that was the hallmark of every Cadillac.

And of course, the major selling point was the fin…the world got weak at the knees behind those fins! A Cadillac Eldorado was a car of gracious distinction. The Eldorado Seville for 1959 boasted a 345 hp V8 engine making it as powerful as it was elegant. It showcased new grace and symmetry.

From the iconic tail fins through the sweep of the Vicodec covered hardtop, the Eldorado Seville was unmistakably Cadillac. It is also one of the rarest Cadillacs. The 1959 Eldorado Seville presents a dramatic encore performance…in the continuing saga of “As the Standard of the World Turns.”

The Eldorado Seville was the most exclusive hardtop coupe in the model line-up for 1959. Style code #6437 H Series 6400 Eldorado Seville hardtop coupe was base priced at $7,401. Only 975 were built making it a highly collectible Cadillac. The Seville hardtop coupe wore those fins well! The 1959 Eldorados were the pinnacle of American extravagance…we were living on “Fantasy Island.”

The 1959 Cadillacs featured all-new styling. Their silhouette was 5 ½ inches lower than the 1958 models. This was an all-new look. The 1959 models used Cadillac’s “Vista-Panoramic” windshield which provided unsurpassed visibility eliminating blind spots. The hood was lower and wider offsetting the new front end styling. The big news for the 1959 model year was the new rear quarter panel fins that rocked the world!

Those iconic tail fins symmetrically balanced the new tapered deck lid. Those towering tail fins were embellished with twin projectile-shaped tail light nacelles. The new rear bumper included back-up lamps and reflectors highlighted by a bold rear grille design that resembled the front grille.

The sculpted body panels were augmented by classic fender skirts for a custom finish to the architecture. The 1959 Cadillacs were nothing like the 1958 models…the ’59 was audacious, brazen, and NOTORIOUSLY LUXURIOUS. The 1959 Cadillacs squashed the competition like a grape in one svelte swoop…

 

1958 Eldorado Seville hardtop coupe

These are from Bob Adams Classic Cars

 

1959 Eldorado Biarritz

1959 Eldorado Brougham hardtop sedan

“As the Standard of the World Turns”

No other motorcar was as widely recognized as the 1959 Cadillacs. With their outrageous styling, this model year created quite a frenzy…those fins were the tallest in the industry. They are as popular today as they were back in 1959. The Eldorado Seville and Eldorado Biarritz were luxurious beyond belief.

Cadillac offered the finest selection of factory and dealer-installed accessories in the business…so typical for “The Standard of the World.” As owner of the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Seville, one enjoyed every conceivable motorcar convenience complimentary. The distinctive trim of the Eldorado Seville marked the owner as possession of the industry’s most magnificent limited production coupe.

The Eldorado Seville for 1959 was genuinely a new achievement in automotive excellence. Cadillac had never before created a motorcar so finely crafted, meticulously refined, and so progressively engineered. In every aspect of motorcar superiority, the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Seville was truly the masterwork of the motoring age. No car in all the world was so deeply admired for its magnificent motoring luxury than Cadillac.

Signature exterior features of the 1959 Eldorado Seville included the extensive use of chrome. A molding began below the front door window arching around the length of the car running down to the lower body sides finishing as rocker panels. The Eldorado Seville had a standard roof treatment covered in luxurious “Vicodec” and was available in five colors. Turbine vaned Sabre spoke chrome wheels added an elegant custom touch.

The Eldorado Seville was the ultra-exclusive spirit of Cadillac. With its impeccable Fleetwood coachcrafting, its rare beauty, and convenience of appointments, the 1959 Eldorado Seville was “The Standard of the World” in sheer magnificence. The Cadillac Eldorados were luxurious beyond description…there simply was no more elegant manner in which to travel than in the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Seville hardtop coupe.

The 1959 Eldorado Seville was one of the most lavishly bestowed motorcars in the world. Its interior cossets passengers first-class. It was upholstered in either luxurious cloth with leather or glove soft all leather. There was no other coupe in 1959 that could match the Eldorado Seville in glamour, lasting beauty, and in comfort/convenience.

Standard features included: front and rear center folding armrests, electric door locks, 6-way power front seat, electric clock, courtesy lighting, remote control trunk lock, power windows, power vent windows, fog lamps, heater/defroster (hard to imagine a car equipped without a heater in the 21st century), whitewall tires, remote control left-side outside rear view mirror, back-up lamps, E-Z Eye 3-way rear view inside mirror, power steering, power brakes, Hydra-Matic 4-speed transmission, deluxe wheel discs, shaded/tinted rear window, and air suspension.

The Eldorado Seville was for those who prefer luxury with the informality of a coupe. The Eldorado Seville was roomier than most sedans of other luxury brands. With its brilliant new styling, legendary Cadillac fit & finish, combined with its remarkable quiet operation and handling ease…the 1959 Eldorado Seville was truly a masterpiece.

The 1959 Eldorado Seville was powered by the Cadillac 390 CID 16-valve OHV V8 engine. It was equipped with three Rochester 2-bbl carburetors, mechanical fuel pump, dry-pack type air cleaner, intake silencer, and automatic choke. The engine used a cast iron block and cylinder heads, five main bearings, and hydraulic valve lifters.

This “Tri-Power” 390 CID V8 produced 345 hp @ 4,800 rpm with 590 Nm of peak torque @ 3,400 rpm. It was mated to GM’s Hydra-Matic (Jetaway, Flashaway) 4-speed automatic transmission. Performance was rated as 0-60 mph in 10.3 seconds, 0-100 mph in 27.7 seconds, with a top speed of 126 mph. It could do the ¼ mile @ 85 mph in 17.5 seconds.

New engine features included; higher compression ratio, intake manifold with larger passages, fuel filters, automatic choke control, automatic temperature compensation for improved idle operation, lower air cleaner, high capacity fuel pump, radiator and fan, tapered exhaust valves, lighter pistons and con rods, and crankshaft.

The 1959 Eldorado Seville was built as body on frame construction. Its design permitted lower body mounts for improved appearance and greater stability. The front suspension used upper and lower control arms, spherical joints, independent helical coil springs, and a front stabilizer torsion rod. The rear suspension was the Cadillac four-link drive system with helical coil springs. Standard was Cadillac Air Suspension leveling and height control…that was so unreliable most owners converted to regular shocks and springs.

The new Cadillac chassis featured; new “X-frame” with increased rigidity, new shock absorbers, quieter rear axle gear-tooth design, lower rear axle ratios, direct-acting power brake booster, new power steering pump with increased capacity, newly refined Hydra-Matic for greater efficiency, more efficient transmission cooler, new propeller shaft center-bearing, and modifications to the air suspension (that didn’t help).

The 1959 Eldorado Seville was equipped with a hypoid-type rear axle with offset differential to facilitate “Straight-line Drive.” This remarkable system isolated and cancelled road noise and vibration before it reached the interior. The new Cadillac chassis also included; improved braking, steering, driving ease and riding comfort. The Cadillac Eldorado Seville rode upon a long 130” wheelbase, had the luxury length of 225”, and was 80.3” wide. It was an extremely large front engine rear drive luxury coupe. The Eldorado Seville was “The Standard of the World” in performance.

The spirited 1959 Eldorado Seville stood out as the “Cadillac of Cadillacs” even among other Cadillac models. The Eldorado Seville spoke so eloquently of the owner’s good taste. It was immediately identified at any gathering of fine automobiles. Only from the grand tradition of Cadillac could there be a motorcar as distinctive as the 1959 Eldorado Seville.

It offered a powerful 345 hp V8 engine, signature Seville features, and impeccable coachcrafting by Fleetwood. The 1959 Eldorado Seville was the quintessential status symbol. There was no more magnificent way to view the world than from behind the wheel of the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Seville. With a mere 975 built, the ’59 Seville is the perfect investment as a collectible car, it appreciates annually. This future museum masterpiece is another dramatic encore performance in the Eldorado legend…in the continuing saga of “As the Standard of the World Turns.”