Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, 1955
XP-38, Eldorado Brougham (special order #2253)
Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, 1955
This dream car was first shown in New York to a discrete audience of
5100 people starting at 4 p.m. on 19 January 1955 (the public only got
to see the car next day in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf). It was
the center-piece of the GM Motorama in 1955. A publicity shot shows
Cadillac President and General-Manager Don Ahrens holding the door open
to a pretty model; it shows also the swiveling driver"s seat,
facilitating entry and egress; this interesting feature was not retained
for the production Eldorado Brougham two years later, but Chrysler
Corporation seized on the idea [or was it a Chrysler idea in the first
place ???] and incorporated it in all their production models for 1959.
The tail-fins and recessed tail-lights are in the purest Cadillac
tradition; this particular design was never used on any later production
models. Exhaust gasses were channeled through the ports in the rear
bumper; while this arrangement eliminated ugly exhaust pipes hanging
below car, it caused severe corrosion of the rear bumper ends in earlier
and later production cars that used that arrangement.
Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, 1955
The first Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was a one-off show car which made
its public debut at the 1955 GM Motorama. This car was the direct
predecessor of the ultra expensive, limited production Eldorado
Broughams, which was built in 1957 and 1958. A pillarless four-door
hardtop with center opening doors, and swiveling driver seat, the
experimental 1955 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham incorporated some of the
basic styling elements from the 1954 Park Avenue concept vehicle,
including large front wheel cutouts, a notched rear roofline and forward
swept tail fins.
Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, 1955
The Brougham concept had quad headlight units with an Autronic Eye,
brushed stainless steel roof, air suspension and was painted chameleon
green. Exhaust gases were channeled thru portin the rear bumper.
Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, 1955
Some of these car styling features were later seen on the production 1957 Cadillacs.
Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, 1955 - on display at the Waldorf Astoria
Note: Both front seats of the prototype Eldorado Brougham of 1955 were
of the swivel type. This is borne out by a period photo showing the
control knob located on the side of the passenger seat.
