1976 Cadillac Eldorado Spotlight

In a US market dominated by fears of another energy crisis and increasing Government regulations over safety and emissions, there was little scope for style and flair, let alone opulence. Additionally, model ranges were being slimmed down as market tastes changed. One of the victims of this was the American convertible. The increasing popularity and affordability of air conditioning in the 1960s, combined with safety concerns over softops meant that most domestic manufacturers were phasing out their convertibles by the end of the decade. Smaller manufacturers were the first, with the big three following at the start of the 1970s. In 1975, Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac and Oldsmobile produced their last convertibles, and later in the same year, Cadillac announced that they would drop their softop - on the Eldorado model - after 1976.

Just as 1976 saw the end of the softop Eldorado (which was Cadillac's only convertible for the 1970s), it also marked the last year for Cadillac's behemoth 500 cubic inch (8.2 litre) V8 engine. The big V8 had been increasingly strangled by emissions regulations since its debut as an Eldorado-only engine in 1970. Initially offering 400bhp, catalytic converters and other anti-pollution measures had dropped this to a meagre 190bhp by 1976. Optional fuel injection added a little more grunt, but it was still poor. However, as no-one was buying an Eldorado expecting a performance car, it wasn't really an issue. Like the engine, GM's Turbo Hydra-Matic 3-speed auto was carried over from 1975, with the only mechanical addition of note being four-wheel disc brakes, which became standard on all Eldorados for 1976.

Cadillac's entire range had undergone a redesign for 1975, which included square headlights, an eggcrate-style grille, removing the rear wheel spats and opening up the wheelarch. With much of Cadillac's focus on the new Seville, only minor styling changes were made to the Eldorado for '76. A slight change to the grille design (fewer vertical bars) and repositioning the 'Cadillac' script from the top of the grille to the bonnet's leading edge were the only front end changes of note. The 'Eldorado' script badge sat on the rear quarters and bootlid, as per 1975. At the rear, the tail lights were virtually identical, but didn't feature the Cadillac crest in the centre. These were positioned below the bootlid's bottom edge, with the chrome bumper extensions at the rear only fitted with red reflectors. 1976 Eldorado hubcaps featured a black-painted centre section with a Cadillac crest in the middle.

Paint colours for the Eldorado covered 20 different options, including regular metallic and 'Firemist' (which started as an exclusive Cadillac paint finish) fine pearlescent metallic colours. 12 of these were new for 1976. Eight different accent stripe (thin coachlines on the bonnet) colours were also available, as well as eleven different shades for the vinyl 'half roof' on the Eldorado coupe. Convertible tops could be had in seven colours. The late-1976 'Custom Biarritz' coupe featured a unique coachline design, in addition to its other differences.

Inside, there was abundant room front and rear, thanks in part to the space freed up by the Eldorado's front wheel drive layout introduced in 1967. Power-operated everything and a long list of standard features set the Eldorado apart from even the other Cadillacs in the '76 lineup. Leather seats were standard on the convertible, with 'Mansion Knit' cloth seats being standard fitment on the coupes, but leather or garish 'Metmora Cloth' plaid seats were optional. For all its luxury, the wood trim on the dash and door trims was fake, but there were some neat features, like the optional Illuminated Entry System, which lit up the door lock when the doorhandle button was pressed.

While well-equipped in standard spec, the Eldorado could be optioned up substantially, too, with everything from an 'Astroroof' power sunroof to a trailer towing package. With so many features introduced in 1975, there wasn't much that was new on the options list for '76, but things like automatic door locks, a six-way power adjustable front passenger's seat, manually-adjustable driver's seat, and 'Weather Band' operation (which broadcast continuous local and emergency weather reports) for the stereo radio were new for 1976.

Of course, regardless of what was new or old, what most people were interested in with the '76 Eldorado were the "last" convertibles - and how to get hold of one. For Cadillac, the decision to drop the convertible was as much economic as anything else. Since the early 1970s, Eldorado coupes outsold convertibles by an average of 4 to 1. The irony was that once the announcement came that convertible production would cease, sales increased. From an average of 8,100 through the first half of the 1970s, production almost doubled to 14,000 for 1976. Reportedly, Cadillac could have sold even more, but the supply of convertible top mechanisms was no longer available.

With genuine fears that this would be the last American factory produced convertible ever, demand soon outstripped supply. With enthusiasts willing to pay well over showroom price for, this led to speculators getting in on the action. Prices as high as US$20,000 were reportedly being paid for a new '76 Eldorado convertible at the peak of demand. To put that in context, the original price was 'only' US$11,046, but even this was double the price of a well-equipped Chevy Impala/Caprice, or Ford LTD. Demand for Cadillac's last convertible off the line ultimately led GM to release 200 'last convertibles', which were all painted identically and marketed as "Bicentennial" editions. 199 of these were released to the public, while GM kept the actual last convertible, built on April 21, 1976, for its archive collection. For all the panic over convertible availability, the irony was there was a softop back in the Cadillac lineup less than a decade later.

Today, the "last" American convertibles are still popular, and reasonably affordable, too. For the same price as a much later model luxury sedan, the '76 Eldorado offers a lot more style and - on the convertibles - the fun of open air motoring, too. Parking compromises and woeful fuel economy come with ownership of cars like this, but as most are only "weekenders", it shouldn't be a big drain on the wallet. Mechanicals are generally trouble-free, but CV joints and timing chains need to be checked and the latter replaced regularly. Fuel injection-equipped versions may need closer attention, too. With power-operated everything, you need to make sure the electrics are up to scratch on any vehicle you're looking at. Rust gets into the usual areas on the sills, lower door and front guard sections, and particularly around the padded vinyl roof on the coupes.

Ultimately, a well-cared for or restored Eldorado can make for a cool, head-turning cruiser that's oh-so-smooth to drive and pampers the driver and passengers. It could also be a promotional vehicle with a difference. With the 1976 model Eldorado convertible in particular, you get a little bit of history as well as a lot of car!



SPECIFICATIONS: 1976 Cadillac Eldorado

Engine: 500ci OHV V8
Bore/Stroke: 4.30-inch x 4.304-inch
Compression: 8.5:1
Power/torque: 190bhp @ 3600rpm (215bhp w/fuel injection) / 360lb/ft @ 2000rpm
Fuel system: Rochester 4bbl carburettor, optional fuel injection
Cooling system: Liquid
Electrics: 12 Volt
Transmission: 3-speed automatic
Front Suspension: Independent - shock absorbers, torsion bar & stabilisers
Rear Suspension: Four link - coil over shock absorbers & stabilisers w/automatic level control
Steering: Recirculating ball, power assisted
Front brakes: Ventilated disc, power assisted
Rear brakes: Ventilated disc, power assisted
Wheels: 15 inch Fr/Rr
Tyres: LR78 x 15B Fr/Rr
Wheelbase: 126.3 inch (3208 mm)
Length: 224.1 inch (5692 mm)
Width: 79.8 inch (2027 mm)
Weight: 5,085 pounds (2306 kg) - coupe, 5,153 pounds (2337 kg) - convertible
0-100 kph: 11 seconds - approx.
Top Speed: N/A