In the luxury car firmament of 1958, one star shone brighter than all the others: the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham.
Neither Elvis, Frank Sinatra nor Bob Hope could resist what was then the most expensive car in the world. Now, Bilweb Auctions is pleased to offer a very fine example of this extremely rare Cadillac.
The Eldorado Brougham was created because Cadillac’s top management was furious. In 1956, Lincoln had introduced its Continental Mk II, which topped the exclusivity and price lists in the United States. Cadillac was determined to push Lincoln off the throne – regardless of the cost.
Just a year later, as a 1957 model, the Eldorado Brougham arrived – a hand-built car unlike anything seen at the time. Every technological innovation available then was included as standard equipment; there was no options list. Air suspension, power seats, air conditioning, power-operated hood, automatic headlight dimming – the list goes on.
The design was spectacular, not least the brushed aluminum roof, which reflected the light like a spacecraft.
And it was expensive. A Brougham cost just over $13,000 – more than any other car at the time and twice as much as a “regular” Cadillac Eldorado. In fact, Cadillac reportedly lost between $1,000 and $2,000 on every Brougham sold.
It was that important to outperform Lincoln, and it was seen as an investment in the brand.
In 1958, this particular Brougham was produced in Ebony Black with a light leather interior at Cadillac’s Clark Street factory in Detroit. It was number 634 since production began the previous year – and only 70 more would follow. The car was sold to its first owner in Peoria, Illinois, and appears to have lived a comfortable life until it was imported to Sweden in 2003 and registered the following year.
In 2006, the car came into the possession of its current owner, a well-known Cadillac enthusiast in Sweden who keeps several other models in his garages. He has now decided to let his Brougham – one of the rarest Cadillac models ever produced – pass on to a new owner via Bilweb Auctions.
The estimated price range is SEK 900,000 to SEK 1,000,000.
The auction ends March 18.
You can read more about the car here: https://bilwebauctions.se/en/marsauktion-3-2026/cadillac-eldorado-brougham-365-v8-54676
And by the way: when you look through the photos, consider playing “Cadillac Assembly Line” by blues master Melvin Taylor – just to get in the right mood.
