Cadillac Eldorado (Generation 1 - The Original)

The Cadillac Eldorado first appeared in 1953 following the 1952 concept car, the El Dorado "Golden Anniversary".

The first iteration of the El Dorado was a low volume convertible only model, available in four unique colors - Aztec Red, Alpine White, Azure Blue and Artisan Ochre. Convertible tops were available in either black or white Orlon.

There was no special badging on the car, other than the "Eldorado" nameplate, in gold, in the center of the dash. A hard tonneau cover, flush with the rear deck, hid the top in the open car version.

Although it was based on the regular Series 62 convertible and shared its engine, it was nearly twice as expensive at US$7,750. This car was 221 inches (5,600 mm) long and 79 inches (2,000 mm) wide.

This first Eldorado had a wraparound windshield and a cut-down beltline, the latter signifying a dip in the sheetmetal at the bottom of the side windows. These two touches were especially beloved by General Motors Styling Chief Harley Earl and subsequently were widely copied by other marques.

In fact, throughout 1950s, Eldorado was General Motors' styling leader, and since GM led the industry, where the Eldorado went, everyone else would tend to follow.

In 1954, Eldorado lost its unique sheet metal, sharing its basic body shell with standard Cadillacs. Distinguished now mainly by trim pieces, this allowed GM to lower the price and they were rewarded with a substantial jump in sales.