Cadillac’s Eldorado was introduced in 1953 as part of GM’s famed Motorama shows, and it quickly established itself as the last word in American automotive luxury at the time. The Eldorado was Cadillac’s flagship, and Cadillac sat atop GM’s family of brands, making the Eldorado the pinnacle of automotive achievement and the aspirational dream of every GM car buyer. Only the most successful of individuals could afford the pricey $7,286 price tag, and ownership of one was akin to driving a trophy that proclaimed your professional success.

Even though the hardtop Eldorado Seville and the equivalent convertible Eldorado Biarritz first went on sale in 1956, 1957 brought about several important updates, both mechanically and cosmetically. New for that year was Cadillac’s X-frame construction, which brought increased structural rigidity and helped to make the Eldorado’s ride even more sublime. Under the hood lay Cadillac’s 365-cubic inch V-8, which was topped with twin four-barrel carburetors and could produced 325 brake horsepower, which was 20 brake horsepower more than the standard Cadillac engines.

The 1957 Eldorados also received a complete restyling to go along with its new mechanical components; it was inspired by Cadillac’s Eldorado Brougham and Park Avenue show cars. The aforementioned new chassis also allowed the body to sit lower than it did on earlier cars, reducing overall height and improving the overall visual impression on the road. The car was given a distinctive tail treatment, with rounded flanks and each bearing a single shark-like fin. Only 1,800 Biarritz Convertibles were produced that year, which accounted for a very small percentage of total production.

This particular Eldorado Biarritz was repainted in its original color of Cadillac’s Arctic White, and the interior was redone in the original shade of red leather. As a result, the car looks just as good as it did when it left the factory in 1957. This example was ordered with a vast array of options, including power steering, power windows, power brakes, a power convertible top, a power trunk, the “Autronic Eye” headlight dimmer, and a power antenna. Only adding to this car’s spectacular list of credentials is its mileage, which totals just under 28,000 miles from new, and the car has only accumulated test miles since the completion of its restoration in June 2012.

Upon its unveiling, Cadillac’s 1957 Eldorado Biarritz symbolized both personal economic success and the post-war economic upswing of 1950s America. Arriving in a Biarritz shows that you have “arrived,” in more ways than one. The Eldorado Biarritz on sale today is certainly no exception. It is finished in a beautiful color scheme and in spectacular, freshly restored condition, and it is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner.