Legacy Metrics

1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible

59E017880roadUnited States
Engine
6.4L (390 cu in) OHV V8, three two-barrel carburetors, 345 bhp at 4,800 rpm
Colour
Argyle Blue over white

The 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible (chassis 59E017880) is one of just 1,320 produced and represents the pinnacle of late-1950s American automotive excess. Finished in its original Argyle Blue over white leather with a matching top, the car retains its factory tri-carburetor V8, Hydra-Matic transmission, and period options including air conditioning and Autronic Eye. Originally delivered new to Chicago, it underwent a restoration in the 1980s that included an engine rebuild, and has remained in careful private hands since.

Ownership

  1. 2025-08-15Auction sale
    Sold US$145,000

    Bonhams catalogue lot →

  2. → 2021
    Previous owners (held approximately 40 years prior to 2021)
    partial documentation

    Reportedly kept the vehicle for roughly four decades; car underwent a restoration during the 1980s including an engine rebuild, though supporting documentation for that work is absent.

  3. 2021 →Private sale
    Current consignor
    partial documentation

    Acquired from the long-term prior owners in 2021 and maintained the car during their ownership period.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

  1. —
    Modification

    Factory air suspension was replaced with conventional coil springs to improve day-to-day reliability and usability — a widely practised conversion on these cars.

  2. —
    Restoration

    A full restoration was carried out during the 1980s, during which the engine was reportedly rebuilt; no documentary evidence of the rebuild survives.

    Work attributed to the 1980s based on owner report; no supporting paperwork available.

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How this record is sourced

Each chassis record is compiled from public auction archives and links to its source material. Ownership, competition and maintenance entries are extracted from those catalogue listings by an LLM, which can make mistakes — please contact us with any corrections. The summary is Legacy Metrics’ own writing; we do not reproduce catalogue text.

“Full” and “partial” documentation labels indicate how well each entry is corroborated in the underlying sources, not an audit of the car’s physical paperwork. Names of recent or living owners are withheld for privacy.