The fabulous Eldorado Biarritz brought the glamour and zest of open car motoring to heights of comfort, convenience and luxury never before attained when released in 1959. It affords unique motoring enjoyment in a setting unmatched for lasting luxury, power and beauty.

Cadillac’s 1959 models grew in length and width, and while overall the cars were lower, the hallmark tailfins reached new heights, their tips 45-inches above ground level. The wheelbase is 130-inches and the car measures an impressive 225-inches in overall length. Since 1955, the Eldorado had had its own distinctive fins, but anything larger than the standard ’59 fin would have been unpractical. Instead, a unique trim scheme was adopted, less extravagant and thus more refined than the basic Series 62. In fact, a whole Eldorado series, designated 64, was created for the Biarritz convertible coupe and Seville two-door hardtop. A broad molding at the rocker panel left the body sides plain and distinguished, while a jeweled grille motif was adopted at the rear.

Cadillac sales improved in 1959, after the disappointing recession year that preceded it. Still, Eldorado Biarritz production remained modest, with 1,320 built, barely 10-percent of the Series 62 soft-top. No doubt this reflected the $7,401 price tag, which was exceeded only by those of the Series 75 cars and the ultra-luxury Eldorado Brougham.

By the late 1950s, Cadillac reigned supreme over the full-sized luxury car market in North America with exciting products that featured advanced engineering and the leading-edge styling of Harley Earl. While the 1959 Eldorado was controversial and misunderstood in its heyday, the collectors and critics of today agree that it possesses an unmatched combination of power, presence and extravagance.

In 1959, the Eldorado sub-series included the Seville hardtop and the Biarritz convertible, along with the Brougham four-door hardtop. Standard Eldorado features included all the items available on the Series 62 DeVille line and beyond, including a heater, foglamps, air suspension, AM radio with rear-mounted speaker, power windows, a six-way power seat (only fore-and-aft motion when bucket seats were ordered, like this car), electric door locks, automatc trunk release, steel wheels that display full “turbine vane” or “fluted” wheel covers, plus whitewall tires and rear fender skirts.

Only four options were available and this exceptional Cadillac has two of them; the optional Autronic-Eye automatic headlight-dimming device and the very desirable air conditioning. To further distinguish this example, it also has the quite uncommon no-cost bucket seat option that Cadillac made available for the Biarritz. It is reported that only 99 Eldorado's from 1959 had this similar feature.

The Eldorado featured the ultimate Cadillac engine for 1959, the enlarged Q-code 390 cubic inch V-8, which was topped by three two-barrel Rochester carburetors. This powerplant produced 345 horsepower, and was mated to a three-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission as standard equipment. The standard rear end gear ratio was a relatively tall 2.94:1.

The 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz being offered is richly presented in what is reported as “Desert Rose;" the Cadillac is complemented by a power-operated convertible top and a body-color fiberglass parade boot. This is highlighted by its lush White leather interior, which is supplemented by an abundance of brushed aluminum trim and prominent upholstery patterns. Underhood, the engine bay appears to be period correct in presentation; the 390 cubic inch V-8 is correctly finished in Cadillac blue, and topped by a gold-finished air cleaner.

No other car of the era, or since, can surpass the timeless style, beauty and refinement of the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz. This iconic convertible is the one to own, show and drive. It is a design that will stop traffic wherever is shows up. Even one hundred years from now, people will look at this model of car in a museum and know it was originally made for those of prominence.