1985 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible
Words: Mike Ryan
Photos: Courtesy of Paul Blank Classic Car Broker
From 1953 to 2002, the Eldorado was a stalwart in Cadillac’s lineup. The tenth generation Eldorado, launched for the 1979 model year and offered through to 1985, would be the most successful across the model’s 50-year history. For many, it’s also the last “real” Eldorado. More than 450,000 Eldorados were built in that seven-year period, but less than 2 per cent of that total were convertibles.
First used in 1952 on a concept created to celebrate Cadillac’s 50th Anniversary, the Eldorado nameplate became a production model from 1953. Only available as a convertible initially, the first-year Eldorado was defined against other Cadillacs by a cut-down wraparound windshield, special exterior garnish and unique interior trim. At US$7,750 when new, the Eldorado was almost double the price of the Series 62 convertible it was based on and more than three and a half times the price of a Chevrolet Bel Air convertible from the same year.
Limited to just 352 units for 1953, Eldorado production increased from 1954, despite its premium pricing. A 2-door hardtop – the Eldorado Seville – was added in 1956, with led to the convertible being rebadged as the ‘Eldorado Biarritz’. In 1957, an Eldorado Brougham hardtop sedan was added, which led to the Eldorado becoming its own model line (as opposed to a variant of the Series 62 range) in 1959. The hardtop bodies would be dropped for 1961, but it took another four years for the Eldorado convertible to lose the Biarritz suffix.
Eldorado constants during this time included a V8, automatic transmission, an abundance of power-assisted features and a high price, with the Eldorado second only to the big Series 75 limousines in terms of cost.
Moving Forward
The first instance of a “modern” Eldorado was seen for the 1967 model year, when front-wheel drive was adopted. Although based on engineering in the Oldsmobile Toronado that had launched a year earlier, the FWD Eldorado had been in development since 1962, with styling studies going back even further.
The shift to front-wheel drive and all-new styling for 1967 saw a 2-door hardtop replace the convertible as the sole body offering, which allowed for special features like rear side windows that retracted horizontally into the C pillar.
As the Eldorado grew larger and heavier during this period, engine capacity increased to suit, peaking with a 500 cubic inch (8.2-litre) V8 that was introduced for the eighth-generation version in 1970 and would continue for the ninth generation that launched as a 1971 model.
Ragtop Finale
The last of the really big Eldorados, the ninth generation saw a convertible body re-introduced for the first time since 1966, despite waning popularity of the body style across the industry.
Better (and more affordable) air conditioning systems throughout the 1960s were key to the gradual decline in convertible popularity, while sunroofs and targa tops offered some of the same feeling as a convertible, without the leaks, draughts, rattles and security issues.
Industry concerns over potential federal legislation that would mandate rollover bars and other safety features for ragtops in the future was another factor, although these measures never eventuated.
The slow demise of the American convertible started with Lincoln in 1967, while Imperial and American Motors built their last convertibles a year later. The last Chrysler convertibles were built in 1970, followed by the final Dodge and Plymouth ragtops in 1971. All GM brands except Cadillac built their last convertibles in 1975. That left the Eldorado as the last American production convertible for the 1976 model year.
Cadillac trumpeted this, announcing the “final American convertible” had been built in April, 1976. The last unit was also the last in a 200-unit run that came to be known as the ‘Bicentennial’ edition celebrating the USA’s 200 years of independence. Finished in white with white convertible hoods, white wheel covers and white leather interiors, the final 200 also featured red and blue striping outside, with red carpets and red dash trim inside.
Word of convertible production coming to an end had got out well ahead of Cadillac’s official announcement in April, so demand that had kept production around the 8,000 mark for the previous few years spiked to 14,000 for 1976, including the final 200. It was only the lack of convertible hood mechanisms from OEM suppliers that stopped Cadillac producing more.
Rightly thought of as a collector’s item, the last Cadillac convertibles changed hands for well above the list price when new, with most that managed to secure one hoarding them as investments.
Cadillac would attempt to offset the convertible’s loss with the introduction of a ‘Custom Biarritz’ option package for the ’76 Eldorado hardtop. This would be the second revival of the Biarritz name, which after its initial deletion in 1961, had returned as a trim level from 1964 to 1966.
In this latest iteration, the Biarritz added a padded partial vinyl roof, chrome body trim and a colour-co-ordinated interior with ‘tufted’ seat cushioning that looked like a Chesterfield lounge with its abundant buttoning.
This option package continued to be offered in 1977 and ’78, which was the final year for the ninth generation Eldorado
Smaller, but Bigger
For 1979, the all-new, tenth-generation Eldorado was introduced. Applying GM’s downsizing mantra that had shrunk the DeVille and 75 Series two years earlier, the Eldorado wheelbase was cut by more than 12 inches (30cm), overall length by 20 inches (50.8cm), and width by 8 inches (20cm). Despite this, interior room and luggage space were the same or better than the car it replaced.
Cutting so much size from the Eldorado reduced weight by 1,150 pounds (521kg), meaning the 350ci (5.7-litre) V8 that was now the standard engine had a lot less metal to move. Addressing concerns over fuel economy that had been triggered by the first Arab oil embargo saw a 350ci diesel V8 available as an Eldorado option for the first time.
The Eldorado’s automatic transmission, front-wheel drive and four-wheel disc brakes remained, but a new addition was independent rear suspension – a rare feature at the time and virtually non-existent on American cars.
In terms of styling, the tenth-gen Eldorado’s grille and quad headlight front end was familiar, as were the vertical tail lights. Overall, the design was sharper and squarer, though, with an almost vertical back window and thick C-pillar that provided some degree of privacy for back-seat passengers.
The Biarritz option returned for the new generation Eldorado, adding a padded vinyl roof section as before, but introducing a stainless-steel main roof panel that harked back to the Eldorado Brougham from 1957-60. This, along with specific exterior accents and interior trim, added to the Biarritz’s exclusivity – and price – being around 16 per cent dearer.
Such a radical change for 1979 meant there were few major changes to the Eldorado for 1980, although a 368ci (6.0-litre) V8 was introduced and two-tone paint options offered. For 1981, the big news was the ‘V8-6-4’ engine which could deactivate up to half of the 368ci V8’s cylinders when not under load, thus saving fuel. In practise, electronics that controlled the V8-6-4 were problematic, leading to the engine being replaced by the ‘HT-4100’ during 1982. This was a 4.1-litre V8 with “High Technology” in the form of digital fuel injection and on-board diagnostics that allowed problems to be identified. Those problems included gasket failure between the aluminium block and cast iron heads that wouldn’t be truly rectified until the 1984-85 models.
Eldorado styling from 1979 to 1983 remained largely unchanged, aside from grille treatments and detailing. Joining the base Eldorado and Eldorado Biarritz hardtops in 1983 was the ‘Eldorado Touring Coupe,’ which featured stiffer suspension to improve handling, making the Eldorado more of a “driver’s car” than a boulevard cruiser. These three variants continued into the 1984 model year, when a body style thought to be gone forever made its return.
Ragtop Return
Following the last Eldorado convertible in 1976, demand for open-air motoring on new Cadillacs had been satisfied by the aftermarket. These conversions – on other models, not just Eldorados – varied in terms of quality, but two of the better convertibles were produced by Hess & Eisenhardt and American Sunroof Corporation (ASC). Both had history with Cadillac; the former producing hearses, ambulances and stretch limousines on Cadillac chassis; with the latter offering sunroofs, t-tops and a range of garish cosmetic parts. ASC sunroof kits were fitted to other manufacturers' vehicles, and they also produced small numbers of station wagon conversions on the big Cadillacs.
With the recession of the early 1980s severely impacting ASC’s business, they looked for areas that weren’t being filled by the Big Three manufacturers (Ford, GM and Chrysler) and found it in convertible conversions. ASC sunroof kits had been supplied to the main manufacturers for factory fitment, but with convertibles being so niche, they believed they could do the entire operation in-house, thus increasing their profits.
Buick would be the first to take up ASC’s well-designed and well-engineered convertible conversions, adding a Riviera convertible in 1982. Demand saw the planned 500-unit run extend to 1,248 for the year, with production continuing through to 1985. Chevrolet, Pontiac and Ford offered ASC-built convertibles in 1983, all of which found buyers, despite significantly higher pricing compared to the fixed-roof models they were based on.
In the case of Cadillac, an ASC-built Eldorado convertible was introduced for the 1984 model year and limited to the upmarket Biarritz. The conversion required reinforcement and bracing throughout the chassis and body to provide the required strength, with the beefier suspension from the Eldorado Touring Coupe fitted, too.
Fixed rear side windows on the hardtop were converted to power operation for the convertible, requiring additional work to accommodate these and relocate the mounting points for the front seat belts. The side glass could be opened and closed individually by the rear seat occupants, or from switchgear on the driver’s side door. The power-operated hood, controlled by a switch on the dash, was only available in white, regardless of body colour.
In 1985, the Eldorado Biarritz convertible returned, with the only difference being the option of a demister on the glass rear window, but when the Eldorado shifted to a new (and even smaller) platform for 1986, the convertible was discontinued.
Across the two years it was offered, Eldorado Biarritz convertible production reached just 5,500 (3,300 in 1984 and 2,200 in 1985), while more than 148,000 hardtops were built in the same period.
Augusta Open
Currently consigned with Western Australia-based classic car broker, Paul Blank, this 1985 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible was sold new by Johnson Motor Company in Augusta, Georgia. The original owner selected the optional digital dash display, along with the Delco-GM/Bose ‘Symphony Sound’ stereo-cassette system that had first been offered in 1983.
In the case of the car featured, the standard white hood is a good match to the Medium Blue Firemist paint and white leather interior trim. The latter has the tufted button finish that’s described as being extremely comfortable, aided by abundant front seat legroom that the Eldorado’s FWD layout allows.
Faux timber trim on the dash and doorcards keeps the luxury theme going. Blue carpeting and floormats match the paint, as does the vinyl cover for the hood when it’s stowed.
The tenth-generation Eldorado looks particularly good as a convertible, with this example enhanced by factory wire-spoke wheels and whitewall tyres.
After 25 years in the US, this convertible was imported to Australia in 2010, spending the subsequent 15 years with a succession of owners in WA. Two of those have been members of the WA chapter of the Cadillac LaSalle Club of Australia, so have looked after the car.
The current owner completed some restorative work that included a new radiator and hoses, new engine mounts and suspension bushes, and a new air conditioning compressor.
Inside, a new floor mat has been fitted, but the rest of the interior is original. There’s some wear on the driver’s seat, which is to be expected, but it still presents well, as does the rest of the interior.
A Caddy with a Difference
With the vast majority of Cadillacs in Australia being from the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, one from the '80s is rare and makes a nice change.
The car featured is said to be in very good condition overall, with the paint exceptional. The digital instrument layout betrays this car’s 1985 origins, but importantly, it works, as do all the powered features, according to the seller.
Caddy Eldorados from the tailfin era command big dollars these days, but this newer Eldorado offers a similar luxury experience in a much more usable – and affordable - package. A 1984 Eldorado Biarritz convertible recently sold for a staggering US$57,500 in the US, making the $27,500 for this one seem very reasonable.
For Sale
This 1985 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible presents exceptionally well outside, with a very good interior, too. As offered, the car’s odometer reads 78,000 miles, with some recent refurbishment done to the cooling system, suspension and air conditioning. The digital gauges, stereo cassette sound system and all the power features are said to be in working condition.
Asking price is $27,500, with the ‘Caddy 1’ personalised plates included for a WA buyer. Contact Paul Blank on 0407 097 911 for more details.
See the advert online at www.justcars.com.au with the ad code JCMD5337778.
