Minneapolis Street Sighting: Cadillac Eldorado convertible

I know I keep saying I don't shoot Cadillacs much anymore-- but I used, to; quite a bit in fact. I used to shoot more Cadillacs than any other make, and I am not ashamed to admit it; they're everywhere here, for what it's worth. There's no other two-door nameplate that screams "Cadillac" like Eldorado does. In the 1950s, until until the mid 1960s, the Eldorado was a trim package on full-size Cadillacs. In 1967, the Eldorado branched out into its own model lineup, complete with several more luxurious (and somewhat tacky) trim packages.

This generation of Eldorado really has appeal to me--and I have no idea quite why it does. I normally don't like many Cadillacs from this era; the sedans and coupes look a bit weird, but for some reason I like the mid-to-late 1970s Eldorados, especially in convertible form.

I know this is likely not the correct year, but I remember some of these being used on the show, "Dukes of Hazzard" as Boss Hogg's Cadillac; I bet that's why I'm drawn to these--childhood memories in abundance.


 

Upon first inspection, this Eldorado convertible is pretty clean--and initial looks do not deceive. It really is a clean car; while the white paint cannot be overly shiny, it's in very good nick. No rut or crash damage plagues this big Caddy; and.. no bling ether--which is quite a rare sight here. About the only thing that bugs me with the exterior is the black hubcaps; I feel that the caps should be white or red to match the interior.

The interior is clean, too, and in just as well preserved as the exterior; the read suits this clean vert very well, though I'm not too keen on the wood trim. I suppose the interior would look better in a solid red color.  The bit in the center of the steering wheel looks overly tacky, but then again, this was the 1970s--tackiness excused.

This car represents an era when Cadillac was striving to find a styling theme-- but somehow it works on this Eldorado, especially this particular car. I had fun shooting this car, and I hope to find others of this generation-- perhaps in other colors besides white with a red interior.