One of the most fabulous cars ever offered by General Motors, the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was loaded to the roof rails with extravagant features. This fascinating period newsreel short details a few.
Announced in December 1956 and officially unveiled in March 1957, the Series 70 Eldorado Brougham was a flagship statement for GM and the Cadillac division. Along with its endless list of luxury features, the Brougham introduced a number of technical firsts for a GM production vehicle, including quad headlamps, air-spring suspension, distinctive forged aluminum wheels, and a one-piece roof panel of satin-brushed stainless steel. With its standard dual four-barrel carburetors and 10:1 compression ratio, the 365 CID V8 boasted 325 horsepower.
Sticker price for the “Cadillac of Cadillacs,” as it was dubbed, was more than $13,000, twice the price of a standard Eldorado and more expensive than a new Rolls-Royce at the time. “Our goal was to build the finest car possible,” said James Roche, the Cadillac general manager who eventually became GM chairman, in the original press release. It’s said that GM lost $10,000 on every Brougham the company produced. Some 400 units were sold in ’57, an impressive number given the king’s ransom pricing strategy.
This newsreel item from 1957 focuses on the Brougham’s lavish luxury and convenience appointments, with power-operated everything including windows, door locks, deck lid, and vent panes. There was even a ladies’ vanity set built into the rear seat armrest with a compact and a one-ounce atomizer bottle of exotic perfume, Arpege Extrait de Lanvin. The elegant backdrops include Manhattan, Central Park, and Tavern on the Green—it appears the item was filmed by Cadillac as B-roll for independent media outlets, with narration added by a local announcer. Video follows.
