1975 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

The 1959 Cadillac is the zenith of American automotive excess — the highest tailfins ever fitted to a production car, the most chrome Cadillac would ever apply, the ultimate expression of postwar optimism before JFK and Vietnam changed the national mood. The Eldorado Biarritz convertible was the flagship: air suspension, power everything, and styling that defined an era. These are the cars in vintage photographs of Las Vegas, Miami, and Hollywood. Love them or hate them, the '59 Cadillac is America in sheet metal — confident, oversized, and completely unapologetic.

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 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.