1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz

The 1967 Eldorado was Cadillac's reinvention — a dramatic departure from the tailfin era into something sleeker and more modern. Built on the E-body platform shared with the Toronado, the Eldorado took front-wheel drive and wrapped it in crisp, Bill Mitchell styling that defined luxury for the late '60s. The hidden headlights, the knife-edge fenders, the frameless door glass — it was modern without being radical. This was the Eldorado that celebrities and executives chose, the car that proved personal luxury could have substance beneath the style.

The mid-70s Coupe DeVille represents peak American excess — a two-door coupe the size of a small apartment, powered by the largest V8 GM ever built, and appointed like a rolling living room. This was the car for people who'd made it and wanted everyone to know. The emissions-strangled 500 V8 made embarrassing horsepower for its size, but torque was always adequate. These cars floated over roads, isolated their occupants from the outside world, and announced arrival in no uncertain terms.

The 1971-1978 Eldorado represents Cadillac at maximum displacement: the 500 cubic inch V8 remains the largest engine GM ever put in a production car. By 1975, emissions regulations had sapped the power, but the torque remained — these cars still moved with authority. The 1976 Eldorado convertible was marketed as 'the last American convertible,' creating a speculative frenzy that proved premature but made those cars collectible regardless. These are full-size personal luxury coupes at their most excessive — massive, comfortable, and completely unconcerned with efficiency.