Saturday Free For All: Unrestored ’59 Eldorado Biarritz

This was a car photographed by a friend of mine in Sweden some time ago. At the time she posted the pics, I went nuts. An unrestored Eldorado Biarritz? A blue chip collector car, one of 1,320 built, worth a ton? Just simply driven and enjoyed?

Photo credit: Billie Biscayne

Yep. As she told me, when I inquired: “No this guy has been driving around with this one like this for the better part of a decade, he likes it like this! I think he has another 3-4 Biarritzes!”

Photo credit: Billie Biscayne

Awesome. I love Cadillacs. You all know it. It isn’t a shock. But what a cool way to enjoy your car. Screw Barrett Jackson and 100%, better than new restorations. The car is what it is. Hop in, enjoy topless motoring with no worries about dings or scratches or really anything. Simply enjoy your car.

Photo credit: Billie Biscayne

A great mentality, in this day and age. Well, that’s pretty much it. I’ve expounded on Cadillacs many, many times before. And I need to make a new vodka tonic. So just enjoy the pics and the rest of your Saturday!

Photo credit: Billie Biscayne

11 Replies to “Saturday Free For All: Unrestored ’59 Eldorado Biarritz”

  1. John C.

    I suppose I should be annoyed imagining some Swede stoner driving this around ironically like Nick Nolte on a 48 hour bender or to where Swaze could find a roadhouse to perform his balet moves after the apocolypse. I wonder though if Chuck Jordan, with his Euro sensibilities, designed the car exactly for that taking the styling trends so over the top for 1959 so to cause a correction to something he would find less embarrassing.

    Reply
    • Ronnie Schreiber

      I’d say it was more the influence of Harley Earl, who liked over the top styling and lots of chrome. The ’59 Cadillac was the last Caddy to be designed under his direction and you can be sure that Chuck Jordan didn’t do anything on the car that was not approved by Earl. Earl retired in late 1958, after the ’59s were already on sale. Because of lead times I suppose the 1960 models were also mostly designed under Earl’s tenure but you can already see Bill Mitchell’s influence. Changes in 1960 were constrained by the use of the same basic body, so Mitchell’s penchant for clean lines and sharp creases didn’t really show up till the ’61 model year.

      Reply
      • John C.

        All these cars are contrained by Earl’s body/frame, but I don’t think Rybickie’s 59 Olds required quite the level of “chicken plucking for 1960” as Jordan’s 59 Caddys.Yet 10-15 years later, it was Jordan leading the charge to dump mini Detroit styling at Opel. Seems a dicotomy if both reflected his best.

        Reply
  2. CJinSD

    The Magic-Mirror Acrylic Lacquer has seen better days. I don’t remember the last time I saw a nice authentic 1959 Cadillac convertible, not even a Series 62. It seemed like they were everywhere in the ’80s.

    Reply
  3. goose

    That’s a nice car. I’d be tempted to get it cleaned up, but it has appeal as-is.

    I could see Neil Young driving around in something like that.

    Reply
  4. -Nate

    Jeezo – Peezo .

    In the mid 1970’s I had one with every option, it was white with a black top and the radiator went bad, I set it out for L.A.P.D. to tow away on street sweeping day .

    These things were BEASTS .

    Nice beasts but….

    Mine didn’t look like this, it had decent factory white paint .

    -Nate

    Reply
  5. April Chadwick

    Earl was on a business trip (farewell tour) of Europe, the 59s were completely redesigned in his absence.
    Originally the 59 were going to be warmed over 58s…until GM design staff peaked through the fence at the “Suddely its 60” all new Chrysler designs for the 57 model year.

    To his great credit Earl approved the new more modern designs across the board.

    Reply

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