In 1959 Cadillac pulled out all the stops when it created the Eldorado Biarritz convertible. One of these cars was painstakingly customized as a tribute to the King of rock and roll, Elvis Presley.
Back when the space race was starting to heat up, the design of automobiles in America was in no small way inspired by this competition. Combined with the post-war prosperity experienced by many, car manufacturers determined it was the ideal time for cars to be big, adventurous, and full of glitzy features. Cadillac did not shy away from this phenomenon. As a matter of fact, they did precisely the opposite, leading the way with the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible.
The decision to customize the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz as a tribute to Elvis was probably not a difficult one, due to the outstanding, off the assembly line looks of the automobile, as well as all the standard features. This car provided the perfect building blocks for what is known as 'Elvis II'. The first car, 'Elvis I', was a customized 1959 Eldorado Seville Cabriolet. It sold for $302,000 in 2008. 'Elvis I' is rumored to have cost over one million dollars to customize, but based upon the 2008 sales price, the modification amount is somewhat questionable.
Inspiration For Such A Beast
The goal was to customize the Biarritz convertible into a palace of a car that Elvis Presley would be turned on by. With this in mind, a phone and a fancy ashtray were added to the front seat. The backseat included a bottle for holding liqueur and two glasses. Folks must have really liked to smoke in the late 1950s, as there were already four ashtrays in the vehicle. The blue upholstery gave it somewhat of a hotel vibe. Overall, it was simply a party on wheels. Make no mistake, Elvis liked to have a good time.
Then there are the cool, sleek looking fins. It would almost be like having your own personal plane. It must have been great to be a car designer at the time, not having to be overly concerned with environmental and safety issues.
What Made This Vehicle So Remarkable
Cadillac really outdid itself with the Eldorado Biarritz convertible. Longer than a 2020 Cadillac Escalade and almost as heavy, it was quite a beast. Still, it had some power under the hood as it sported a 6.4 liter V-8 engine that could crank out 345 HP. Of course, there are the less obvious details that made this vehicle so expensive at the time, in addition to the manufacturing of only 1320 of these beauties.
First off, it had a trunk that could close on its own, as well as electric windows and doors, power steering, power brakes and optional cruise control. Keep in mind this was over sixty years ago, which is quite remarkable!
Then there are the super cool features such as duel headlights and duel fog lights, which are almost as big as the headlights. Imagine seeing this car cruising your way late at night, with all those lights glaring straight ahead.
We Won't See The Likes Of This Ever Again
Unfortunately, the era of being able to produce a vehicle that is first and foremost a work of art, is no more. Getting from point A to point B in style has taken a backseat to being more efficient and effective. There are still some hot looking vehicles being produced today, but due to numerous governmental rules and guidelines, manufactures simply cannot be so liberal in their designing of grandiose land yachts.
Still, Elvis would have undoubtedly enjoyed cruising around in this wonderfully enhanced Cadillac party on wheels. John D'Agostino got it right with 'Elvis II'. Thank goodness for creative minds such as his.