|
2002 First Editions™ #23
`57 Cadillac® Eldorado™ Brougham
Cadillac’s mid-20th
century re-entry into the ultra-luxury car market has finally been immortalized as a Hot Wheels
vehicle.
The 1957 Eldorado Brougham was derived from the concept car displayed during the GM Motorama in
1955. It was designed to compete with top-of-the-line models from Lincoln, Bentley and
Rolls-Royce, and greatly featured many technological innovations that were fresh during this
time. The chassis was a tubular-center X-frame design that rode on a self-leveling air
suspension system for a smooth ride. The body was designed to resemble a fighter aircraft,
with bullet-like extensions on the front fenders and prominent tail fins over the rear fenders.
Suicide-type half-length rear doors were behind the large front doors, enabling ease of entry
to the rear bench seat. This car was the first vehicle ever to feature a side pillar-less
roof, which greatly added to the long sleek look. The stainless steel and chrome were
prominent on the vehicle. The lower rocker panels where chrome from nose to tail, and the
roof on all versions of the vehicle was brushed stainless steel, which gave it a satin shimmer
finish. Luxury niceties in the interior included polarized sun visors, deep-cushioned leather
seats, plush mouton sheepskin carpet and vanity storage compartments. Everything was electric,
including the seats, windows, door and trunk locks, and side mirrors. Two interesting features
were the electric self-starter and a light sensor on the dashboard, which detected the high beams of
oncoming traffic and electronically lowered the headlights. The powerhouse of the Brougham was
a 335-horsepower 365 cubic inch fuel-injected V8 with twin four-barrel carburetors and dual exhaust
– powerful enough to spin the wheels on quick acceleration under this 2½-ton vehicle. The
price for the Brougham was $13,500, the most-expensive vehicle of its time by far. Even more
incredible is that it cost Cadillac $23,000 to build each one, resulting in nearly a $10,000 loss
per vehicle built! Fortunately for General Motors, only 704 Broughams were produced over a
two-year period.
When I compared the First Editions Caddy to pictures of the real car, I was amazed at how accurate
the model is. Not only do the dimensions appear to be accurate, but also the car sits at the
proper scale height above the ground. The diecast body is painted gloss black enamel, and
features excellent surface detail. The headlight area, side air vents and rear end are well
represented. The roof is beautifully masked in silver enamel to represent the brushed stainless
steel, and neatly includes the windshield and rear window trim. The chassis is chrome plated
plastic, and includes the front grill, bumpers and lower rocker panels of the sides. This
model features the best application of a chrome chassis, as the visible portions beautifully represent
corresponding sections on the full sized vehicle. The underbody relief on the chassis includes
the twin mufflers and exhaust.
The interior is molded in light tan plastic and features a fold-up moderately detailed dashboard
section and seat cushions, with a solid face steering wheel. The glass is clear plastic and simulates
all of the side windows rolled down and the front vent windows closed. A rather large flame logo
is tamped on the trunk lid in silver enamel. The front axle of the Brougham is solidly mounted
while the rear axle has some float, giving excellent three-point stability. Although the model is a
little light for its size, it rolls very smoothly with no wobble of any kind. The car rides on
chrome lace wheels, the most appropriate style from the current assortment, and is manufactured in Malaysia.
The Caddy Eldorado Brougham is a real nice model - a standout in what has been an average First Editions
year at best. Looks for this beauty to be issued as a Treasure Hunt and a number of limited
editions in the future, as it would look especially sharp with a metallic coat of paint and Real Rider
wheels.
Home
Last Review
Next Review
|
