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WW2 years

Late extra(10/2000): The compiler of The (new) Cadillac Database© admits to being less familiar with Cadillac models from 1970 and later. Many of you have asked for more information and photos regarding these later models.  I am pleased to inform you that there are other sites on the Web devoted also to Cadillac history and particularly to what I call "modern" Cadillacs, i.e. those built after 1970.  So, for additional, pertinent information about Cadillacs from 1970 and later, please visit these excellent, informative sites:

John Barach's excellent Cadillac history pages.

 

1977

Grandeur Motor Car Co. (USA) - or possibly American Custom Coachworks (ACC) - made this Cadillac Seville Opera coupe conversion.  The cutting and the photos below were supplied kindly by Terry Ferron of Illinois, the current owner [2009] who inherited it from his grandfather. It is a low-mileage original.

    
Illustration at right is from product information sheet by Grandeur Motor Car Corp., in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

         

 

Baker, Dick and Tony (USA): [see "Custom Coach", below]

Caribou Motor Company (Grover City, CA, USA) According to one of its own advertising flyers, in 1986, this company built Cadillac pickups since 1954, combining the luxury of a regular automobile in a pickup. The designer and engineer behind most Caribou pickups is Lou Schorsch. A power operated tail gate was a first on the 1986 version. These conversions were available through Cadillac dealers or directly from the Caribou Motor Company, on Coupe de Ville models from 1974 to 1986. The company boasted in 1978:  Every Caribou is a show car that stands out for years to come as one of America's truly practical automobiles. The Caribou is the ultimate passenger car pick-up. Cadillac standards are used throughout the construction of your Caribou, along with numerous inspections, to maintain  the highest quality possible. To order your Caribou, you must use your [own] automobile. Select the finest car you can find. Try to avoid using a wrecked or damaged car. It's best to start with the best. Orders were taken with a 50% deposit, the balance being due on delivery. The advertised costs in 1986 were as follows: conversion from a 1974-76 Cadillac Coupe deVille, $10,500, from a 1977-79 Coupe deVille, $12,500, and from a 1980-86 Coupe de Ville, $14,500.r

Caruna  (Switzerland): Seville convertible proposal from this little known, Swiss coachbuilder from Spreitenbach (near Zurich?). It is not known if any were built. Illustrations are from the firms orange fold-out that I picked up at the Geneva Motor Show that year.

Coach Builders Limited (Pompano Beach, FL, USA): Custom Se Lina convertible, based on the regular Coupe de Ville. The prototype below, in different shades of brown and tan, was on display at the New York show in 1977.  At $21,000 per car (twice the price of the regular coupe), the company hoped to sell around 50 units per annum. I've never seen one up close and personal !

    

 

Coach Design Group (California, USA)  A Database user asked in January 2005:  Anyone have any info or literature on 1977-78 Eldorado "Majorica" [Mallorca ?] edition with T-Tops and filled in Quarter windows? I am told that approximately 40 were built by the Coach Design Group of California, makers of the Seville San Remo. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Jim Jordan .  Well, Jim, here's one that turned up on EBay in May 2007.  Features include chrome grille cap and trim,  solid metal T-Tops, filled-in quarter windows, absence of vinyl roof covering and "Majorica" name engraved on trim spear. (Westlake Village, California, USA)  More than a year later, Jim wrote again to say that a friend of his had a yellow 1977 that came from Scottsdale, AZ originally and that he [Jim] had just acquired a red one from 1976 that came from Los Angeles. He said the conversion was unusual and very well done. The cars feature large, solid metal T-Tops (not the small glass Hurst units) that are cut to the contours of the windshield frame.  The rear quarter windows are filled in solid, yet the cars do not have vinyl roofs.  They feature a chrome band over the top that runs out to the front of the hood, similar to Biarritz trim, and the word "Majorca" is engraved on this trim, above each door handle. Both the '76 and '77 cars feature heavy, chrome grille caps; the '76 has aluminum turbine wheels and the '77 has custom wire covers over chrome wheel discs. Jim listed the '77 on EBay, for a friend, in spring, 2007. It was sold for a "modest" $3450. He said: I have looked at unknown numbers of Cadillacs over the last 20 years and have seen only two of this type (I bought the other in L.A. and still have it). The '77 (shown below) is finished in a cameo yellow with matching yellow Biarritz soft pillowed leather interior. Etymological note:  although pronounced "Majorca" by Anglo-Saxons, the correct spelling of the Mediterranean island located  off the Spanish coast is in fact "Mallorca".

         

The car was acquired in 2007 by my Dutch friend, Koen Onkiehong

         

  

    
[9/2005] These photos are said to depict a San Remo conversion from a 1976 Cadillac Seville
[Photos:  Internet, May 2007 ]

 

Continental Coach Builders [North Miami, FL] Eldorado Egidi "Roadster Sportsmobile" and "Roadster Convertible" pick up wagons and T-Tops (SS 5/94, p.21).  These cost $25,900.  In the company's promotional literature we read: They're elegant, they're different, they're an exciting new experience ... and fun to drive.  Designed by Egidi.  The Roadster Sportsmobile is the epitome of elegance and sophistication. Each luxury custom Eldorado is hand-crafted. Thus we have created a spectacular, sleek, limited-edition Eldorado. A Roadster Convertible with convertible see-through I-Tops" that store neatly in he luggage compartment beneath the rich teak-wood rear deck. Once out, you now have a convertible. Turbine wheels, an improved stereo system, 24-Karat gold plating on emblems and some moldings surely make this numbered, limited edition a work of are. A useful collector's item to compliment [complement?] any setting whether you are Mining or Dining. The car was distributed in the NY area by Jack Wishnick's Roaring 20s Autos in Wall, NJ.  Cadillac enthusiast, John Moon, has one. He was told that only 25 units were built. He has #23. Another enthusiast had #16.

    

      
The three color photos are from a product brochure issued by the customizer

    

         

         
This one was for sale on eBay in December, 2006. The vendor said  it was #16 of the alleged 25 units built. Painted two-tone metallic blue and tan
with a tan vinyl top. It had tan leather interior, power windows and seats, built in CB (Egidi badge has number 16 at bottom, RH side).

 

Convertibles, Inc. [Dick and Tony Baker, Lima, OH, USA]: [see "Custom Coach", below]

Custom Coach, Inc. [Dick and Tony Baker, Lima, OH, USA]: Various conversions from 1977 Eldorado coupes to convertibles. There was an article about the Baker conversions in Detroit Free Press for November 29, 1976. It read: The Soft-Top Survives as a Custom Job:  It's one of those things that seemed certain to happen. Mini-entrepreneur Dick Baker of Lima, Ohio, has stepped into the auto market void left when Cadillac dropped the last U.S.-built convertible last spring at the end of its 1976 model run. "Convertibles, Inc." as Baker calls his newest venture into custom automotive conversions, is now offering the only 1977 model Cadillac Eldorado soft tops. They are the handiwork of Baker, his son and a trimmer, who transform a 1977 Eldorado two-door coupe, priced at $12,000 and up,  into a $20,000 convertible that looks as though it had just rolled off Cadillac's Clark Street assembly line. "Convertibles, Inc." won't be making any waves in the automobile market, of course. But Baker, a bubbly 40ish individual, thinks there's a market out there for 25 to 30 units a year. "Anytime there's something you can't buy, a guy's just got to have one," Baker says confidently. "The minute you stop building any automobile, somebody wants one. It's always been that way." Two of the convertible have been sold to Cadillac dealers - one of them a retired Cadillac Division assistant general sales manager - who are displaying them in their showrooms to build traffic and later will sell them. According to Baker, the next four to be built have already been spoken for. "There's this man in Providence, Rhode Island, who says he wants one because it'll be something his neighbor doesn't have," he said.  "He likes the idea of being able to show it off around the Boston area, before anybody else has one. At $20,000 it's a helluva deal. It's something that will hold its value for many years, like the classic cars of the silent screen film stars." The $20,000 price is what Baker charges when he purchases the two-door coupe for the customer from a dealer and then converts it. The customer who already has such a car pays $6,500 to have it converted. From the time that Cadillac announced in early 1975 that its 1976 convertible would be its last one [except they went and built a new one in 1984!], Baker has been busily cornering the market for components which are essential to the convertible, such as canvas tops, power roof lift mechanisms and windshield pillars. Among his sources, he said, were the auto maker's former suppliers. "All the components we use are genuine Cadillac parts, and we now have enough on hand to build 18 more cars," he said. "After these are exhausted, we'll find a way somehow to get more." He suggested that if the demand for the converted convertible warrants it, a nearby shop in Lima will be tooled up to produce some parts. The coupe-to-convertible transformation is a 15-day job in about a dozen steps for the three-man crew, involving cutting, welding, electrical work and painting. "To test our procedure, I went downtown and bought a 1977 two-door coupe from the dealer, and after we had converted it, we drove it 2,000 miles to see if there were any leaks, squeaks or other problems that would have to be remedied, "he said. "But there weren't.   Everything came out right on the first car, the first time around." Car conversion is just one phase of the operation of Baker's 25-year-old company, located on a 10-acre spread. Others include custom chrome-plating, the sale and leasing of late-model wrecked cars purchased form insurance companies and then repaired, and a mini-museum of ancient convertibles dating back to a 1921 Model T roadster. 

Image:  Detroit Free Press, 11/29/76 ]

In the all-important Business Week for January 17, 1977, there was another write up for the Baker conversions. It read: Convertibles disappeared from the new-car lineup in the U.S. with the 1976 model Cadillac, but 1977 ragtops are still a available at a hefty premium. Convertibles, Inc., in Lima, Ohio, is now modifying 1977 Cadillac Eldorado hardtops into convertibles.  Since the new models came out, Richard Baker, owner of Convertibles, has modified four new Cadillacs for a fee of $6,500 each. Baker, who also runs a wrecking yard and a chrome-plating operation began buying component parts for convertible tops last year. When those parts run out he will make his own replacements.

On Sunday July 17, 1977 The Gazette, from Cedar Rapids, also had a short write-up about the Baker conversions; it was entitled, "He Takes Can Opener to New Model Autos."

A further article was published in Auto Trim News in July, 1977; it tells how customizers like Dick (father) and Tony (son) Baker got into the business of converting coupes to convertibles. It reads:  Ragtops Bring Riches – Customizers Turning Out Lots of Convertibles.  If Detroit won’t give American car buffs convertibles, there lots of customizers, trimmers and body shops around the country who are more than happy to meet the demand. Converting hard tops to convertibles has become a lucrative specialty. Dick Baker of Custom Coach in Lima, OH, found that the frame and chassis components of the 1977 Cadillac Eldorado were the same as those in the 1976 convertible. He uses convertible mechanisms from wrecked 1976 convertibles and keeps an “open line” with about 200 auto junk yards around the nation, looking for more. Mr. Baker has made convertibles out of 16 cars this year [1977]. Most were Eldorados for which he charges about $6500 [...] Mr. Baker offers some interesting insights into why so many  people want convertibles today. He says, “The reason people want convertibles is because you can’t get them any more. It’s as simple as that. Half the people who buy these cars will never even put the top down.

There were snippets also in the Sarasota Herald Tribune (Florida)   for Sunday August 7, 1977, entitled, "Hard Top Automobiles Become Convertibles", as also in the  Houston Chronicle (Texas) for Monday October 3, 1977, entitled "One man's Love Affair With Convertible Cars."  A similar article appeared in "US" magazine for November 15, 1977; it read: Dick Baker's business is ripping off Cadillacs. And this month he'll rip the roof of his 20th Caddie, replacing it with a ragtop. The Lima, Ohio, businessman, an auto customizer since the early 50s, decided to specialize in luxury convertibles a few years back when GM stopped making them [actually, they stopped just last year, 1976]. Detroit's loss was Baker's gain.  Charging customers $6,500 a whack, he's already grossed more than   $120,000 this year and orders are piling in for '78 models. The parts come mostly from junkyards. The customers? "Most of them are Cadillac dealers", Baker says, "one guy bought one of my convertibles then turned around and sold it a week later for a $5,000 profit."

This is the first Baker conversion of a 1977 Eldorado coupe to a convertible model

    

    
[ Color photos: © 1977, and courtesy Tony Baker ]

Custom Coach, Inc. [Dick and Tony Baker, Lima, OH, USA]: In addition to converting coupes to convertibles, Dick and Tony also converted a few sedans to station wagons. One of these conversions, on the 1977 Cadillac chassis, is shown in the photos below.

    
1977 Fleetwood Brougham wagon conversion (also seen at far right of RH photo)
[ Color photos: © 1977, and courtesy Tony Baker ]

 

Heuliez  (France): A custom "T-Top" Eldorado

 

Milan Convertible Co. [Milan Coach Builders, Simi Valley, CA (circa 50 miles NW of Hollywood)] (USA) This custom job is named after the owner of the company, Milan Daniel (Milan is a common, Serbian first name - from the former Yugoslavia - it has nothing to do with the industrial city of Milan, in the Piedmont, Italy). This custom two-door roadster is designed and built on the 1978 Seville chassis.  In production since 1976, according to the maker  (some say 1977 or 1978) Milan Daniel's company took 4-door,  $18,000 Cadillac Seville models and converted them into 2-door "Milan Roadster" convertibles costing $39,000. The work involved eliminating the back seat and rear doors, shortening the drive shaft, replacing the steel roof with a convertible top and substituting a fiberglass hood and a stainless steel Rolls-Royce-style grille. "Milan" roadsters carry that logo on the front fenders as well as another emblem in the each of the door sills reading, "Personalized by Milan Coach Builders". The shortened car was 186" o.a. length instead of the original 204".  Shortening the drive shaft increased engine torque. Sevilles were bought from Cadillac dealers in lots of six, converted and sold back to the same or other Caddy dealers and specialty car dealers. With a crew of 20 hand craftsmen working in assembly-line fashion, Mr. Daniel hoped to produce 30 to 40 of these roadsters a month. The magazine "Popular Mechanics" ran a story entitled "Return of the Roadster" in their issue for July, 1979; it was said that "many other firms, besides Coach Design Group's Seville San Remo, were doing conversions, including one on the Seville, done by Milan Coachbuilders in Simi Valley, CA, who made a two-door Seville convertible on a shortened chassis, with a hand-operated soft top.  The magazine said the styling was a little bizarre, but with 700 pounds less weight than the San Remo, it had more performance, better mileage and - best of all - a price tag in the $30,000 range (the San Remo retailed for about $48,000). A reported 500 units were built from 1976 to 1979 [to my knowledge there are no official production figures - these numbers are based on body numbers seen on surviving cars].  Mr. Daniel claimed in 1979 that his company had converted approximately 500 Sevilles to Milan Roadsters. One owner (enthusiast Tommy Selonk - aka Tommy "Milan" like the car!) has car #485 of the total production. It was Tommy who supplied for the Database the bulk of information relating to these models. Thanks Tommy !

    

[ Photos:  Internet, 12/2001 ]

Two "Milan" custom jobs on display at the 1979 Automobile Show in Chicago

 

Moloney (USA) Eldorado Coach, was offered for sale by the Kruse auction company at one of their recent venues [lot #3762].  It was bid up to $36,000 but did not sell.

 

[Unknown, USA] Cadillac pick-up (possibly an Eldorado Egidi from Continental Coach Builders. (above)

 

[Unknown, USA] Custom 1977 Fleetwood as seen in Hail-Hail Rock 'n Roll, the movie celebrating Chuck Berry's 60th birthday. The color is burgundy Firemist and the car has a Rolls Royce type grille, steamer trunk straps on the boot, black vinyl top and luxurious burgundy cloth interior; it had also locomotive air horns (!) on the hood but these have been removed (although the holes remain!).  It has more recent wire wheels and Vogue tires.  The car spent 10 years in Chuck's home in Hollywood CA. It was offered for sale on the Internet in June 2000 and came with an autographed photo, Chuck's personalized guitar picks and one autographed boxed set from Chess records.

[Unknown, USA] Custom 1977 Cadillac pick-up

    
Car at right was offered for sale in the CLC Self Starter circa Aug/Sep 2003;
note the custom mag wheels; year was given as 1977/78

 

[Unknown, USA] Another custom 1977 pick-up truck on Cadillac Eldorado chassis. This one is owned  by Angelo & Christa Bianco of Billings Montana. They purchased it from a museum in Wyoming. Late extra [6/2005]:   the car has been sold.  The new owners reside in California.

    
[ Photos:  courtesy of the present owners ]

[Unknown, USA] Custom Harley Hauler; this vehicle was advertised for sale on e-Bay in November 2001. Should the owner of the car/photos object to its being shown here, I will remove the entry at his/their request.

    

        

    
This once stock 1977 Cadillac limousine has been converted to haul a Harley Davidson
(or other) motorcycle; part of the rear seating was lost in order to accommodate the cycle's
front wheel; the jump seats have been reversed and storage space added behind them

 

[Unknown, USA] Custom Eldorado

 

[Unknown, USA] Opera Coupe 1977 [seen on Internet, 3/2006, Imperial Palace ad]

[Unknown, USA] Custom Seville

         
This "anything-but-a-Cadillac" custom was offered for sale on the Internet in 2004

[Unknown, USA] Custom 8-wheel job

This one was for sale in Australia in 2013

 

1978

Following the demise of the Cadillac ragtop in 1976, a number of independent coach builders jumped in to fill the demand for the big convertibles. This article by Charles E. Dole appeared in The Christian Science Monitor for April 18, 1978:

The American convertible automobile is alive and well - that is, if you have the money to pay for one.  Since the Detroit auto makers quit the ragtop business a few years ago - the last Cadillac Eldorado convertible rolled off the assembly line in April, 1976 - a dozen or more companies have driven onto the bandwagon to meet the growing demand for ragtops. American Custom Coachworks (ACC), largest coachbuilder in the U.S., is one of them. While the firm turns out a few stretched limousines and utility vehicles, mostly for oil-rich sheiks [sic] in the Mideast, the bulk of the business is converting new steel-top cars into the open-to-the-sun kind - in short, the sports touring car or convertible.  And if you thought the last Caddy Eldorado ragtop was high-priced, take a look at the price of a Lincoln Mark V St. Tropez ragtop which sells for around $40,000.  Even the Ford Thunderbird, which becomes a two-passenger sportster when the top is down, is priced at some $22,500.  ACC, which expects to have 15 manufacturing facilities in operation by early summer [1978] and builds exclusively for Ford, Cadillac and  Lincoln-Mercury dealers, will deliver at least 2,000 cars this year. It does not build for leasing companies, used-car dealers or other new-car dealers.  With the base unit shipped directly to one of its conversion plants, the company takes about six weeks to produce a ragtop. 'We remove the top section of the car and restructure the vehicle so that when we are done with it the car is stronger than it was originally,' asserts ACC's Mr. O'Keefe. The windshield and door pillar posts are reinforced; also the fender wells. The company reports it spent almost $1 million in engineering and prototyping the ragtop.  With their limited output of any model, the conversion firms do not come under the hand of the federal government's safety czar [Ralph Nader?].  'If we build 10,000 units a year', declares Mr. O'Keefe, we'd have to build in an ugly roll-bar. He adds: 'We can build 500 of each model, however, and not have to comply with the safety regulation for higher-volume output.'

American Built Cars, Inc. (USA) built a number of   special Caribou pick-ups (special issue CCON, p.28) [see 1973, above]

American Coach Corporation (ACC) (Beverly Hills, USA) These pictures of a 1978 Cadillac 4 door Convertible by American Custom Coachworks were supplied kindly by Ingo Marx of the German Funeral Archives

    
I believe this is the same car as the 4-door convertible pictured below, left

American Custom Coachworks (ACC) (Beverly Hills, USA) In the late seventies, following Cadillac's decision to abandon the convertible, this company built not only stretched limousines for oil-rich Arabs but also converted coupes to convertibles. Self Starter technical editor said in the issue for April 1997, that ACC had built about 100 convertible coupes and 200 convertible sedans in 1977-78. 

   

    
These two rows:  stretched limousine, with sunroof, on 1978 Cadillac chassis

    
(Left) Paris DeVille 2-door convertible; major component parts are cast in aluminum-magnesium alloy for maximum strength and
minimum weight.  Chassis , cowl and body sheet metal are reinforced for convertible style modifications
to eliminate squeaks, rattles and annoying shakes. A full top boot is made of the same material as the top.
  (right) Cabriolet 4-door convertible; (Below)  Paris pick-up truck

    
At least one of the Paris pickups has survived, as attested by these two photos

 

There is some debate as to whether this kind of customized Cadillac is worthy of being included in a Database such as this.  I suppose all depends on your tastes.

CLC members, John Fleming and Dave Smith wrote: The whole debate on whether  to customize or to not customize Cadillacs, has always interested me. I think some of the early 70's customizing led Cadillac to come up with a few "customized" cars of their own.  Most notably was the Phaeton of late 70's. I personally didn't care for the styling myself, which basically consisted of a padded roof, with a downsized porthole-type of opera window on the coupes. Actually the term Phaeton was a misnomer, because a Phaeton usually had a "real" folding top.  I can't think of the name, but I think Caddy came out with a limited edition coupe in '80.  It had a stainless steel piece on the rear lower roof side panels, and to make it different than the rest of the line, they put in '79 seats (probably had them left over and didn't know what to do with them).

Center City Cadillac (now defunct), in Philadelphia, put out their own "customized" Caddy.  In the mid 70's they took a base Calais, yes a Calais, with cloth seats,   put some extra padding on the roof, and had side scripts made up for what they called it: St. Moritz

American Sunroof Inc (ASC) (Detroit, USA) Late in 1978, ASC produced  a Custom Biarritz Classic with power T-Top. This car was produced as a demo car and was used by  Heinz Prechter, ASC Chairman and CEO. The car was later acquired by the Richardson family in Arizona.  Lonny Cowsart, Prototype Supervisor, of ASC, Inc. recalled that ASC had made two Eldorados for Cadillac in 1978. He said the car never went into mass production because it was "out of tolerance" and would have taken too much time on the assembly line to produce. In 2002, Johnny Romine of La Mirada, California owned a white 1978 Eldorado with Power T-Top (photo below). The Power T-Top was placed in the Eldorado by ASR in June of 1978 and ended up being sold in Southern California by a dealer in August of 1978.You can read more about the T-Top Cadillac here.

    
[ Photos: courtesy Jim Richardson, Phoenix, AZ ]

This survivor belongs to CLC member, Matt Shafer

         

                       
Here is another splendid survivor, presumably from the same company

 

Baker, Dick & Tony [see Custom Coach, Inc., below]

 

Cardin (New York and Paris) Mildly customized Cadillac Seville

        

 

Caribou Motor Company (Grover City, CA, USA) According to one of its own advertising flyers, in 1986, this company built Cadillac pickups since 1954, combining the luxury of a regular automobile in a pickup. The designer and engineer behind most Caribou pickups is Lou Schorsch. A power operated tail gate was a first on the 1986 version. These conversions were available through Cadillac dealers or directly from the Caribou Motor Company, on Coupe de Ville models from 1974 to 1986. The company boasted in 1978:  Every Caribou is a show car that stands out for years to come as one of America's truly practical automobiles. The Caribou is the ultimate passenger car pick-up. Cadillac standards are used throughout the construction of your Caribou, along with numerous inspections, to maintain  the highest quality possible. To order your Caribou, you must use your [own] automobile. Select the finest car you can find. Try to avoid using a wrecked or damaged car. It's best to start with the best. Orders were taken with a 50% deposit, the balance being due on delivery. The advertised costs in 1986 were as follows: conversion from a 1974-76 Cadillac Coupe deVille, $10,500, from a 1977-79 Coupe deVille, $12,500, and from a 1980-86 Coupe de Ville, $14,500.

 

Coach Design Group (USA), marketed by Ogner Motors Ltd.,  built a 2-door Seville coupe  for the Hillcrest Motor Car Co. of Beverly Hills, CA. It was designated  the San Remo, like the convertible version, below.

 

Coach Design Group (California, USA) San Remo Ultima convertible by the company of Woodland Hills, CA; it is a conversion from a 4-door sedan to a 2-door convertible (some 200 might have been built between 1978 and 1979) (photos of 1979 version: SSA89, pp.2-7).  On of these was sold for $21,000 at the Barrett-Jackson venue in Scottsdale, AZ, in Jan. 2001.  BJ stated that only 24 units were built in 1978; but I have noted that BJ is often mistaken in its descriptions, identifications, VINs and even photos of the cars it offers for sale [in the virtual auction catalog, on the Web, the photo of the San Remo showed a mid-fifties Buick!] Another was offered for sale in Michigan; it was advertised in the Self-Starter issue for April, 2001 (p.24); the vendor claimed that 27 had been built [that is three more than claimed by BJ].  Who to believe? CLC member, G.L. Cockerill says:  The point is, whether there was 24 or 27 (or 50!) built, it's a long way from the 200 that were planned. Seems like there's a story here, but who knows the details?  Doesn't someone out there have any NEW information, like press kits, names/locations of individuals involved in the conversion, details of construction? I think the idea of a San Remo registry is excellent. I am aware of one of these interesting cars, and plan to contact the owner urging him to support Mr. Boyce's efforts. Another Cadillac enthusiast, Tim Stephens from Belgium, sent this additional information in May 2003: You were calling for more information on the 1979 Seville San Remo convertibles - Somewhere in my crates & crates of books & magazines I brought to Belgium [from Australia] , I have a 1979 issue of, I believe, Motor Trend, with a 3-4 page colour feature on one of these magnificent convertibles.  I note too, from memory and other bits & pieces I've seen on them, that the cornering lamps were deleted in favour of an air-scoop (yuk) but note that the cars on your page have their original cornering lamps intact.  All of those I've seen photographed appear to have got the 1974/75 Eldorado tail lamps fitted below a shortened deck lid, and their original Seville wraparound tail lamps deleted.  When I find the article, I'll scan off the article for you.

   

This car was on sale at Hillcrest Motor Co. of Beverly Hills, Hollywood

   

  

This one is owned by CLC member, Terry Boyce,
who would like to correspond with other owners of the same model

 

 

Custom Coach, Inc. [Dick and Tony Baker, Lima, OH, USA]: Various conversions from 1978 Eldorado coupes to convertibles. There was an article in Automotive News for October 1977 about the Baker Eldorado conversions.  It read: '78 Eldorado ragtop unveiled in Lima:  The first and so far only 1978 Eldorado convertible has been put on display by Lima Cadillac according to Roger McClain, vice-president.  The car was customized by Dick Baker of Custom Coach here, who said he had enough convertible parts left [from factory suppliers as well as other wrecked cars] to do about 11 cars.

    

This one was custom built for an Ohio doctor

[ Color photos: © 1977, and courtesy Tony Baker ]

This 1978 Cadillac Eldorado convertible was for sale on eBay in August, 2005. It was described as one of 125 factory authorized  convertibles [???] released before the 1979 Eldorado downsized body change over. These cars were left over from the GM Factory inventory [???] of the supposed 1976 Eldorado "LAST CONVERTIBLES EVER" claim GM made and doubled the sticker prices of the '76 models. They were released through custom coach vendors [???]  (this car came through Custom Coach of Lima,Ohio) as a "CONVERSION" but was in fact a factory manufactured convertible... "not a conversion"[???] . This was done  to avoid lawsuits from purchasers of  the alleged "last Cadillac convertibles" [???].   My advice, after discussing these true custom jobs with their creators, Dick and Tony Baker, take this information with a pinch of salt !

         

Dick and Tony Baker's workshop in late 1977;
you can see three 78 Eldorado convertibles in progress
[ Photo: © 1977, and courtesy Tony Baker ]

1977 Cadillac pick-up conversion in progress;
Tony refers to this conversion style (in the foreground)
as the "Cadimino" [a deformation of Chevy's popular "El Camino" models]

 

Dunham, Les  (USA)  This 1978 Eldorado El Deora was modified by Les Dunham who added the superfly headlights.The mega rims are original and were put on the car when new. Note one of El Deora's distinctive features: the custom quarter window treatment; these were available also as two "horizontal slit" windows or a single, slightly oval one.

    
[ Photos: © 2008, and courtesy Orestes Masdeu, owner ]

 

Fleetwood  (USA)  Although not strictly a "Dream Car", since 2000 were built, I feel that this 1978 "custom classic" model by Cadillac deserves a place in this section. These cars were finished (as to exterior paint scheme, the sun roof and some interior trim) by American Sun Roof Corp (ASC), although this fact was never advertised by Cadillac. The Classic was built between May and July of 1978;  it included the following options:  (1) two-tone exterior paint (Arizona beige body with Demitasse brown on the front hood and the roof surface), (2)  padded half-vinyl elk grain roof, (3) two-tone interior in light beige and dark saddle, (4) leather wrapped steering wheel rim, (5) gold plated Biarritz script on the exterior sail panels and trunk lid, (6) dark brown accent stripping and [optionally] (7) electric sun roof. These options hiked the base Eldorado price by an extra $2,466. Five hundred of the 2000 modified units got an electric sunroof. All of the 2,000 Classics were modified by ASC's Southgate plant in MI.. ASC shipped the cars back to the Cadillac factory. They carried a sticker on the driver's side door jamb, above the door lock mechanism; the sticker gave the date the car was built and the date it was completed by ASC At least one of these was equipped with a power T-Top. The latter car has a Web page of its own.  Click here:

    

 

Fleetwood (USA)  Again, although not strictly a "Dream Car", since more than ten units presumably were built, I feel that this 1978 Phaeton model by Cadillac deserves a place in this section, owing to the customized design.

     
A survivor offered for sale on the Internet, 4/2000

  

Fleetwood and American Sunroof Corp (USA)  In 1977, in a joint effort, the two companies produced a triple-white 1978 Eldorado with electrically-operated T-Top. That car was shown at the Detroit Car Show in January of 1978.  That "concept" car was acquired by Joe Bortz of Highland Park, Illinois and added to his collection of over 50 historic and unusual vehicles. Click here to view an interesting article about the Bortz 1978 white Eldorado T-top.

    
[ Photos: courtesy Jim Richardson, Phoenix, AZ ]

 

Grandeur Motor Car Co. (USA) - or possibly American Custom Coachworks - made this Cadillac Seville Opera coupe conversion.  The photos, below, were found on the Internet, in 2002 and 2003. Cars like these are sometimes offered for sale on the Internet, if not by auctioneers like Kruse (there was one at the Auburn, IN venue in Aug.-Sep. 1995; the auction catalog reported that only 120 of them were built)t.

    

    
[Above three rows:  two survivors seen on the Internet]

         
This survivor came up for sale on the Internet in 2008

 

Grandeur Motor Car Corporation (USA) made conversions like the car above or the "Seville Grandeur" shown below. Some sources assert that 120 units were built but there seems to exist no factory records to support that figure, although it certainly is a possibility. This one was touted as "one of the finest and lowest mile examples on the market".  The interior is trimmed in deep burgundy leather. It was offered up for sale at a reduced price of   $100 short of $17K "to the true Cadillac collector who appreciates and understands this great American masterpiece".

 

Gucci, Aldo (Italy/USA)  Aldo Gucci, the Italian fashion designer, was commissioned to dress a few Cadillac chassis in the late seventies and early eighties.  here is the Gucci Seville for 1978

      

    

     

    

    
[ Above two rows:  a fine survivor for sale on the Internet in 2001 ]

 

Hess & Eisenhardt (USA)  Le Cabriolet special convertible on Cadillac Coupe De Ville chassis; starting price $25797 (article in SCC, p.140). Also check out this site in the UK, devoted to these Hess & Eisenhardt custom jobs.  

          


I photographed this survivor in Switzerland, in 1989
[Photo:  © 1989, Yann Saunders]

    
(Left) this one is currently [2002] in Australia; (right) this one is in the Sarasota Museum of Cars and Music

    

       
This survivor was offered for sale on Ebay in December, 2007
[ Photos:  Internet, 12/2007 ]

         
This one resides in France
[ Photos:  courtesy American Car Club de France ]

 

Hillcrest Motors (USA) Custom stretched limousine on Fleetwood Brougham base.

    

 

Milan Convertible Co. (USA) Offered conversion kits costing $1495 allowing conversion of Seville to 2-door Milan Roadster Convertible (1976 through 1979); kit included instruction manual and all parts needed.  The Milan company operated out of Calabasas, CA (5830 Los Virgenes).

[ see surviving 1977 model under "1977" section, above ]

    

 

Moloney Coach Works (USA) designed a number of custom cars on Cadillac chassis including stretched limousines, sedans [like the Brougham, below] and convertibles

 

Sbarro, Franco (Switzerland)  This "mobile executive suite" on the 1978  Eldorado chassis was built by Switzerland's custom coachbuilder.

    

 

Global Coach and Armor Manufacturing Inc. (USA)  Photographs (5), 4x5. Photographs show side, three-quarter rear (top up and top down) and interior views of silver-blue Cadillac Eldorado Convertible conversion by Global Coach and Armor Manufacturing. Comes with photocopy showing three-quarter rear view of car that was available for purchase, handwritten letter on Global Coach and Armor Manufacturing letterhead and original mailing envelope, postmarked 18 May 1979.

    

 

[Unknown, USA] Cadillac Seville convertible; it appears to be neither the San Remo nor the Milan custom jobs described above.  Who can identify it?

 

[Unknown, USA] (possibly Wisco) Cadillac Eldorado El Deora; this, again, was no "custom" job like those of the independent coach builders of the twenties and thirties. It was simply a stock Cadillac Eldorado with various pieces of additional trim like a fancy, chrome grille shroud, padded top and door saddles, opera windows, faux continental kit and faux 1942 Cadillac hood Goddess.

This Eldorado conversion car was offered for sale on eBay (Internet)
in January, 2004; it has the massive chrome grill cap and faux 1942 Goddess

 

[Unknown, USA] (possibly Wisco again)

    
Manufacturer's sticker (right) lists "El Deora" decorative package items

 

Unknown, USA] (possibly amateur)  Customized custom Eldorado Biarritz coupe. As if the Custom Biarritz model were not us sumptuous as it is, someone added this leopard interior and highlighted it with purple velvet accents and fuchsia cushions. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder !

    
Left: detail of front door panel; right, rear seating area

 

[Unknown, USA] (possibly American Custom Coachworks) Cadillac Paris coupe.  I took the photo, below, in Tulsa, OK, in June 1982, at an auction run there by James C. Leake.

[Photo:  © 1982, Yann Saunders]

 

[Unknown, USA] (possibly American Custom Coachworks) Cadillac Paris convertible. 

    
[ Photos:  Internet, 12/2001 ] 

 

[Unknown, USA] Woody wagon (SS 1/94, p.24)

 

[Unknown, USA] El Camino type pickup conversion from former flower car, CLC 4/2000

 

[Unknown, USA] Another El Camino type pickup conversion

 

[Unknown, USA] Pick-up truck on Cadillac chassis (photo below)

 

[Unknown, USA] Fleetwood custom 9-passenger station wagon, with third rear-facing seat; for sale in Ohio 1996 (SS 6/96, p.23)

 

[Unknown, USA] Seville customized "street machine" belonging to Californian advertiser Jon Ward, fitted with a turbo-charged Chevy Corvette 454ci motor, developing from 750 to 1100HP.

[Unknown, USA] Custom station wagons (photos below)

   

 

[Unknown, USA] One more pickup conversion on the Cadillac chassis

   
[ Photos:  Internet, 12/2001 ]

 

[Unknown, USA] Yet another, in the same style.

         

        
[ Photos:  ACCF forum, 11/2008 ]

 

[Unknown, USA] (possibly American Custom Coachworks) Conversion from 4-door De Ville sedan to a convertible; this one was for sale on e-Bay in March, 2003

    
[ Photos:  Internet ]

 

[Unknown, USA] Custom Eldorado coupe, T-Top

 

[Unknown, USA] Custom Eldorado coupe, T-Top

 

 

[Unknown, ???] "Calou", from France, a visitor to the CLC message Board on March 31, 2003, said he had seen that very day an incredible Cadillac 78 landaulet, with a convertible roof over the rear passenger seating area. He said it was made specially for the king of the Sierra Leone [so far as I know, there never was any "King" in Sierra Leone, and particularly not in the late seventies]. The car is currently in France, having come from the Lebanon; it appears to have clocked up only 4000 miles. Apparently, four units were thus converted. If you have any information about this or any similar 1978 model, please contact "Calou" at hcalou@wanadoo.fr, with a copy to me.  Professional car enthusiast, Bernie De Winter, believes the car may be a conversion by Hess & Eisenhardt, known as a "chase car".

[Unknown, ???] This "1978" Cadillac Eldorado convertible from Sweden (???) basically is an updated 1976 version (Cadillac made NO convertibles between 1976 and 1984)

 

[Unknown, ???] This 78 Eldorado pick-up. eBay, 3/2006

This vehicle is a classic and definitely a head turner.  I enjoy this vehicle, unfortunately I need to sell it. This vehicle is very rare and I know there isn't that many of them out there. This is the only one I have ever seen. It is a 1978 Cadillac Eldorado with only 105880 miles on her. This vehicle is a fantastic running vehicle and will get you wherever you need to go or become a cherished member of your car collection. I encourage any classic car lover and Cadillac enthusiast to pick this vehicle up for its sheer beauty.

There is custom pinstripe art on the vehicle around every turn to show off its great curves. This car is like nothing I have ever owned, and I would like it to go to a good owner. The engine is a 8.2 liter beauty and purrs like a kitten. It is in great condition with mild sun spots and paint cracks. The all leather white interior seats and accents have some cracks. The dash and steering wheel is a light blue color that really shines. The tires are in good condition and the wheels are the originals that stand out and promote this vehicles beauty.

This vehicle has all 4 disc brakes. It also has power windows and seats. The vehicle has heat and A/C all in good working condition. The CB and AM/FM radio work great.

 

 

 

1979

American Built Cars, Inc. (USA) built a number of   special Caribou pick-ups (special issue CCON, p.28) [see 1973, above]

 

American Sunroof Corporation (ASC) (USA) Custom T-Top Eldorado Biarritz coupe

    
This nice "T-Top conversion carries a manufacturer's plate form ASC that reads:
"This vehicle as altered by American Sunroof Corporation and as altered
conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards in effect in [blank]"

 

Andrew Hotton Associates [A.H.A.] (Toronto, Canada) built the Seville Canso 2-door coupe [photo in McC, p.430]

Armbruster Stageway (USA) designed this shortened version of the Cadillac Seville called the Seville Tomaso Coupe.  It was built by Custom Car and Detail Inc of  Fort Smith AR, (or by Tomaso of America, AR ?).  The wheel base is reduced from 114" to 94". 

Baker, Dick and Tony [see Custom Coach Co., below] (Lima, OH, USA) 

Barris, George (USA) custom Seville 2-door built for stuntman Evel Knievel. Crossed the auction block at Auburn, Indiana, September 1997. The car sold for $15,000. Enthusiast Tim Stephens of Belgium wrote (in May, 2003):  In 1977 Evel Kenevel [sic] toured Australia, and brought two of his Cadillac pick-ups on tour with him (and took them out of the country again when he left) - one was pale blue metallic, the other red, and both had wire wheels and (I think) Vogue tyres. These were 1975 or 76 cars, with square headlamps.   Somewhere, I have photos of them outside the Melbourne Showgrounds amidst all his motorbikes and paraphernalia.

Cadillac Motor Car Division (USA) Previously listed under 1978, as an "Unknown", this Coupe Deville D'Marchand [discussed on the Cadillac Mailing List - CML  in July 2002] apparently was first marketed in 1979. I had never heard of it before and suspected it was simply a regular De Ville coupe with fancy trim installed by the dealer (not by the factory).  There was nothing about it in any factory or dealer literature in my possession. More pertinent information was supplied in January, 2006, by enthusiast and collector, Jim Richardson. Jim's comments are reproduced in extenso, below.  Meanwhile, here are a couple of pics from a marketing sheet of the time.  Other photos may be seen on Jim's web site. One of these was offered for sale at "Cars on Line" (Cadillac D'Marchand Coupe Deville option package known as "d'Marchand" or "Chicago").

    

Jim Richardson says: The d'Marchand Edition was a two-tone exterior painted car which was black with slate-grey on the hood, top, and trunk lid and a red stripe. It was equipped with an elk-grain vinyl roof in slate-grey. The interior had antique slate-grey leather seats with black leather inserts with red piping between the slate-grey and black. It also had two-tone door panels in grey with black inserts. The car also came with a grey leather-wrapped steering wheel. In August of 2001, Vadim Meter contacted me (Jim Richardson) regarding the Coupe d'Marchand. He sent me a copy of the window sticker for the d'Marchand which had a listing of a YP7BL Coupe d'Marchand with a list price of $1825 for this option. Vadim referred to this car correctly as the Coupe d'Marchand. I have been contacted by many owners of the same edition, and they refer to it as a Chicago Edition. In fact, many of the dealers in Chicago sold the car with the same window sticker on it for the d'Marchand option, but provided a dash plaque stating that it was a Chicago Edition. The car that I purchased was sold out of Tucson, Arizona, and was referred to as a Bill Blass edition.

In May 2000, this 1979 Cadillac Coupe deVille was added to the Richardson collection. The car was sold to Donald Millstone as a Bill Blass Edition Coupe deVille. The car was purchased in October of 1979 from Paulin Motor Company in Tucson, Arizona. It was purchased by Donald Millstone for his wife, Naomi. In 1997, it was acquired by Alex Pappas of Phoenix, Arizona, who was the second owner. The Richardsons are the third owner of this low-mileage, Arizona car. This d'Marchand (Bill Blass) Coupe deVille was a low production, special order car that was produced late in the production year of 1979. Tom Clark, who is a Cadillac LaSalle member, retired from Cadillac in 1986 after 36 years of service with Cadillac. He remembers the d'Marchand Limited Edition. It was a special order that dealers could order directly from the factory. He doesn't recall any specific information about this special edition, but feels that there was probably a bulletin given to the dealers about how to order the d'Marchand Edition. Because of this, there were probably only a few hundred of the d'Marchand Cadillacs made in 1979. Most people are more familiar with the high production run of the Bill Blass Edition that was done by Lincoln.

Late Extra [8/2008]: These additional pieces of information came from Paul Bedford, in the UK. Paul is the son of Don Bedford, an old "Cadillac friend" of mine from Yorkshire. Paul wrote: Just looking through your Database and the Coupe Deville D'Marchand section suggests there was no Cadillac factory literature. I have a letter from Cadillac to a potential client that explains this car. There were two 10x8 color pictures that went with the letter (these are already on your site). If you want a copy of the two-page letter let me know.  Late Extra [5/2009]: Paul was kind enough to send me a copy of a letter from Cadillac Motor Car Co.'s .  Here is the text:  We have received your correspondence and request for "Special Edition" information during the Cadillac 1979 model year. The "Chicago Cadillac" to which you refer is a car produced be the Cadillac Motor Car Division for use in specific markets. The Chicago Dealer Ad Group called this "DeVille" version the "Chicago Deville". Several names were selected by several different groups with nameplates and logos being used by each market.  I am enclosing a set of photographs of the car as produced by Cadillac Motor Car Division [these are shown above]. The package, internally known as the Coupe d'Marchand, contains the following:  Two Tone exterior color combination of Sable Black lower and Slate Gray Firemist upper with Red Accent Stripe, Slate Gray Metallic Cabriolet Roof, Right Hand Outside Rearview Mirror, Dual Comfort Front Seats, Wire Wheel Covers, Dark Gray Leather Trimmed Steering Wheel, Two Tone Leather Interior including standard optional [standard optional??] Gray Leather Interior color and material distribution except that the seat cushion and seat back inserts are Black Leather with Dark Carmnine Accent Welts. The door and rear quarter upper trim inserts and door pull straps will by Black Vinyl rather than Gray.  Black Vinyl insert body side and front fender moldings. I am enclosing a copy of our 1979 "Series 75" brochure and our 1979 catalogue. Thank you for your interest in our product, Mr ....., and I trust the enclose will satisfy your request [the letter is signed by C.A. Stromberg,   National Merchandising Manager].  Thanks, Paul, for sharing this letter with Database users.

 

Cardin, Pierre (France) This was a time when the world's more notable  fashion designers lent their name and signature to various US car makes ...including the Cadillac. These images are drawn from a large advertising sheet  published by the French couturier at the time the first "signature" models became available.  It is from the collection of the late Z. Taylor Vinson and is published courtesy of the Hagley Library and Museum in Delaware to whom Taylor bequeathed the bulk of his superb collection in 2010.  Among the cars illustrated are a custom 1979 Coupe de Ville, a Sedan de Ville and a Seville.

         
Left:  the "master"himself,   Pierre Cardin
Center:  his "signature" Coupe de Ville
Right: Apparently, Cardin viewed this Sony and Cher look-alike couple as potential buyers

     
Left:  Custom Sedan de Ville;   right:  custom Seville

              

                  
Sorry about the poor image quality; these are some of the features of Cardin's Cadillacs
Top row (L-R): Distinctive Cardin fender logo, dash plaque ("Special design for..."), etched quarter window glass, Cardin Motor Club credit card (?)
Bottom row (L-R): [unsure about this one; could it be a floor heater?], velour-lined trunk, Cardin tool kit, sets of Cardin carry-bags  

 

Cardin, Pierre (France) This is from a second piece of advertising literature from Cardin;  I believe this the "signature" 1979 Cadillac Seville, which is among the earliest Cardin creations.

    

              
Not sure what the second image portrays; could it be a floor heater ...or some kind of communications device (CB, radio-telephone)?

 

Caribou Motor Company (Grover City, CA, USA) According to one of its own advertising flyers, in 1986, this company built Cadillac pickups since 1954, combining the luxury of a regular automobile in a pickup. The designer and engineer behind most Caribou pickups is Lou Schorsch. A power operated tail gate was a first on the 1986 version. These conversions were available through Cadillac dealers or directly from the Caribou Motor Company, on Coupe de Ville models from 1974 to 1986. The company boasted in 1978:  Every Caribou is a show car that stands out for years to come as one of America's truly practical automobiles. The Caribou is the ultimate passenger car pick-up. Cadillac standards are used throughout the construction of your Caribou, along with numerous inspections, to maintain  the highest quality possible. To order your Caribou, you must use your [own] automobile. Select the finest car you can find. Try to avoid using a wrecked or damaged car. It's best to start with the best. Orders were taken with a 50% deposit, the balance being due on delivery. The advertised costs in 1986 were as follows: conversion from a 1974-76 Cadillac Coupe deVille, $10,500, from a 1977-79 Coupe deVille, $12,500, and from a 1980-86 Coupe de Ville, $14,500.

Cars & Concepts, Inc. (possibly of Tampa, FL, USA) Custom T-Top Eldorado Cachet. I'm not sure if this is the same company against which American Sunroof Corp (ASC), filed a suit, circa 1985, for patent infringement. The "Cachet" conversion listed for $22,834. This included a repositioned body wirh extended front fenders and hood, functional front fender heat extractors, "Skylite" T-roof, 2-tone lacquer paint with pinstriping, lower body side molding, rear "carriage roof" with small rear window, distinctive grille, "Cachet" vehicle ID, "Star Wire" wire wheels, dual exhaust, leather sports steering wheel, upholstered luggage compartment, roof panel storage behind front seats, GT suspension, owners initials on both doors and serial-numbeed constructor's plaque. Rustproofing was a special option on request! Photos and infpormation from ZTV collection.

    

              

 

Chicago Coach Works  is said to have built this "custom Eldorado prototype convertible with T-Top and  hinged hard half roof that fits into the trunk for wide open convertible driving".  The trunk lifts up the opposite way and is made out of Fiberglas. The roof has two levers that unlock it so it can be lifted open and placed in the trunk.  This car was for sale on eBay in April, 2005; it found a buyer for $12,500. The vendor asserted that the car was one of two built by Chicago Coach Works for GM as a prototype model; it is the only one known to have survived. In my opinion GM/Cadillac had nothing to do with this particular custom job; the only shop that worked in cooperation with GM/Cadillac at the time was Hess & Eisenhardt.  I would be interested o see any documentary evidence of any cooperation between GM and the Chicago Coach Works.

[ images ? ]

 

Coach Design Group (USA) marketed by Ogner Motors Ltd. [see also 1978, above], San Remo Ultima convertible conversion from 4-door Seville sedan,  From an existing manufacturer's ID plate marked "15/200",  it is assumed that CDG intended to build 200 of these. There appears to be no official record of actual production although one source quoted a total of 29 units  (more photos, SSA89, pp.2-7)

   

    
The survivor shown in these three rows  is #15 of an intended 200. The vendor (on EBay) asserted that, in fact, only 29 were built [cars #5, 10 and 15
are known survivors]; this one carries the ID tag on either fender; turn signal indicators  and tail lights differ from those on the standard 1979 Seville
[ Photos:  Internet 11/2005 ]

Communication Control Systems - CCS (USA) Custom, armored Fleetwood Brougham sedan designed  for the late Shah of Iran. Unfortunately, he was deposed before he could take delivery. The last I heard of the c car (in the early eighties), it was located at a secret address in Paris and was for sale with a ticket price of £150,000 (circa $325,000 at the time) ...or "reasonable offer". Car is armored and equipped with electronic safety equipment and devices (bullet-proof exterior, gun portholes, oil emission, built-in tracking system, communications scrambler, recording devices, bug detector, heavy-duty a/c, emergency oxygen supply, disabling gas and tear-gas emission, air bags, microwave transmitter, 6-mile, 360º TV scanner, emergency brakes.

    

    
Sorry I don't yet have a picture of the car,
but here are some of the security control devices that come with it

 

Custom Coach Co [Dick and Tony Baker] (Lima, OH, USA)  This custom 1979 Eldorado pick-up is one of an alleged 28 pickups that were hand-built on the Cadillac chassis by Dick & Tony Baker of Custom Coach Co., Lima, Ohio.  Mr. Baker Sr. only accepted factory new cars for his conversions, using NOS sheet metal parts from GM.  Conversion is said to have cost over $25,000 ...in addition to the basic car tab.  A custom removable fiberglass bed cover was fitted by Protect-O-Top Co.of Dayton, Ohio. This car was offered for sale on eBay in April, 2006.

    

Two pickup conversions on the Eldorado chassis for 1979-80
On the left:  1979; on the right: 1980
[ Photos: © 1980 and courtesy Tony Baker ]

 

Custom Coach Co [Dick and Tony Baker] (Lima, OH, USA)  The father and son team began to make a name for themselves in 1977 when they converted a number of that year's Eldorado coupes to convertibles.  The pair continued into 1978 and, again in 1979. Here are their convertible conversions of this year's Cadillac Eldorado and Seville models:

         

         
1979 Eldorado

    
1979 Seville
[ Photos: © 1979 and courtesy Tony Baker ]

 

E&G (USA) special simulated Eldorado convertible (special issue CCON, p.19);

    

Electric Auto Corporation, Puerto Rico: This is a super-luxury, 6-seater electric powered Cadillac by "EAC". It was intended to be built in 1979-80 in limited quantities. It was boasted to have a 70mph capability and a range of 70 miles, extending to 100 miles by use of the on-board, gasoline auxiliary power unit (APU).  An extensive series of tests was supposed to take place in Fort Lauderdale, FL; did that ever happen. A dealership network was envisaged; was it ever created? The Electric Auto Corporation was founded   in 1994 by Robert Raymond Aronsson (he had previously founded the Electric Fuel Propulsion Corporation in 1966 and was Chairman and Director of both companies.  He expanded his activities into the electric vehicle business in 1966, when he invented the Tri-Polar Lead-Cobalt Battery. Aronsson studied mechanical and chemical engineering at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, as well as Business Administration at Woodbury University in Los Angeles, California.. I have a vague recollection of a car like this one being used by famed violinist, Yehudi Menuhin. Does this ring a bell with anyone?

        
[ Photos:  Internet, 2008 ]

 

Fleetwood (USA)  Again, although not strictly a "Dream Car", since more than ten units presumably were built, the 1979 edition of the limited-production Cadillac Phaeton deserves a place here too.

Grandeur Motor Car Corporation (USA) made conversions on the Seville chassis, like the example shown below:

The Opera coupe [catalog illustration]

   
This survivor was offered for sale on e-Bay in Feb. 2003

    
[Above 2 rows] Here is another survivor

...and another!

 

Gucci, Aldo (Italy/USA) gave his own special "designer's touch" to a short run of bespoke Cadillac Seville models.  The photos below, all but for the B&W image, are from his advertising flyer for 1980

         

             
The trademark logo (intertwined "G"s) are found
both on the roof covering (left) and the headliner (right)

        
Gold-colored hood emblem (center) and signature dash panel (left and right)

         
Gucci's signature green band with red stripe is featured on the carpets and head restraints
[ Photos (3 preceding rows): a survivor on the Internet, Feb. 2003 ]

 

Harper, R.S.  Michigan, USA) Del Caballero, 24" stretched Eldorado Biarritz with mandatory wire wheels, spinner wheel caps and wide whitewall tires.

 

Hess & Eisenhardt (USA) [see 1978, above]   On March 20, 1999 enthusiast-owner Greg Taylor wrote: "I have a 1979 Hess & Eisenhardt Cadillac Cabriolet, white w/red leather interior ...59,000 miles. I can't find any information other than mine, that it is one of 100 built." [see also under American Sunroof Corp. [ASC] (USA), above]. Also check out this site in the UK, devoted to these Hess & Eisenhardt custom jobs.

Front fender script

        
Here is another H&E Le cabriolet   survivor (with top up and top down)
[Photo:  courtesy Frank Perch of the CML]

   
This photo of a survivor  was found on the Internet,  12/2001

    
This one was for sale by a CLC member in June, 2007

   
Wayne and Jeanne Pinion's 1978 Le Cabriolet
"down under" (in Australia)¹

¹ Correction from Tim Stephens of Belgium (who lived for many years in Australia):   The cream 1978 Coupe deVille cabriolet conversion said to be "down under" carries New Zealand plates;  such a car (same colour too) is registered in the Cadillac Club of New Zealand's and appears also in their 2002 annual colour calendar.  It  also has left-hand-drive. Being not yet 30 years old, this is impossible in Australia - to be L.H.D. and registered, a car has to be over 30 years old.

Hess & Eisenhardt (USA) [see 1978, above]  This one came up for sale on the Internet in December 2013:  1979 Cadillac DeVille "Le Cabriolet" convertible by Hess & Eisenhardt of Cincinnati. One of the best engineered convertible conversions of the Disco era, the Cadillac DeVille "Le Cabriolet" was built by Hess & Eisenhardt, a highly regarded coachbuilding firm which built armored presidential limousines, secret service cars and military style vehicles. Based on the rear-wheel-drive DeVille coupe, Le Cabriolets were delivered new through authorized Cadillac dealers. Auto historians believe H&E built 200-300 of these full-size, five passenger convertibles during 1978-1980. The cars carried a stylized H&E hood ornament - present on the offered car. The Le Cabriolet for 1979 is especially sought after, as it is the only edition powered by the 7 liter Cadillac V8, an engine ranked among the finest ever produced for the marque. This car has a factory 4-bbl carburetor (fuel injection was optional). The offered 1979 Le Cabriolet is finished in white, and its white leather interior remains in fine condition. The convertible top includes a liner and the glass convertible rear window with electric defogger. The Le Cabriolet is fully equipped with Cadillac power conveniences, of course.

    

         

 

Maidment (England) Conversion on 1979 Cadillac Seville chassis by Robert Maidment: Chassis no. 6S69B8Q493526. [Late Extra (6/2011] This detailed description of the car was kindly provided by, Mr. Maidment, the car's owner, when he offerd it for sale. He said: Hello from England. Some of you might remember the story back in the July 2000 Self-Starter about the one-off conversion of a 1978 Cadillac Seville in the UK. After 21 years of fun and confusion with those it has come in contact with, we feel the time has come for someone else to 'enjoy'. For those who have never heard of the car's existence, the link here to its Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed catalogue entry gives a brief history, while at the same time giving an update to those who do. http://www.bonhams.com/eur/auction/19286/lot/478/# [Estimate: £60,000 - 90,000]. It obviously also gives anyone with a few spare dollars the opportunity to be the next person or persons to 'enjoy'! Sadly, as yet, I have not found a US publisher for the book mentioned in the Bonhams text. Best regards to all, Rob Maidment (magazine editor for Cadillac Owners Club of GB) :  Undoubtedly the most unusual car in the auction, this one-off Cadillac prototype was conceived by the current owner's company, Courier Products, in the late 1980s as a quality, everyday driveable alternative to the growing replica market, and as a compliment to the great automotive styles of the 1930s. Hence the attention to detail in both the overall proportions, the full-flowing aluminium panelling, and the quality and accuracy of the fittings. The ultimate aim was for maximum luxury, relaxing drive-ability and the best possible handling and roadholding, all in 1930s style. The decision to use the downsized 1976-78 Cadillac Seville, proven internationally and already with many of these qualities, was a natural, both for its robust reliability and as the product of a top-name marque. A team of local companies took on what initially appeared straightforward, only to discover otherwise. Despite enthusiasm from General Motors, Cadillac and others, the sheer complexity of the undertaking, aggravated by the early 1990s recession, prevented any more being produced. Rather than abandoning the project, local enthusiasts rallied to complete the car as a labour of love. All the Seville's modern conveniences ended up being included, from cruise control and air-conditioning to auto-dip headlights, boot-lid pull-down and any others discovered on the way. Its drive-ability and handling owes much to the contributions made by other like-minded enthusiasts, without whom many of the articles and write-ups that followed, both here and abroad, would likely not have been forthcoming. As a fixed-head coupé rather than a true roadster, the car was legally able to remain a 1978 Cadillac Seville, thus avoiding the dreaded 'Q' plates. All attempts over the years to resurrect the project have met with estimates running into hundreds of thousands of pounds, making it quite impractical to do so, while at the same time confirming the difficulties involved in combining 1930s styling with modern drive-ability. Ongoing questioning eventually persuaded the owner to commit the story to paper, but in a non-technical, more entertaining form. 'Sidetracked, A True Life Motoring Saga' was published in 2005 and sold as a fund-raiser for 'BEN', the motor trades charity. Although far too lengthy to reproduce here, a detailed list of the car's specifications is available for inspection. Highlights include a 6.6-litre, fuel-injected V8 engine producing around 300bhp and 400ft/lbs of torque; three-speed Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission; limited-slip differential; varying-ratio power assisted steering; up-rated spring and damping rates; stiffer rear anti-roll bar; and increased brakeing. Some 40,000 miles have been covered since the original conversion and 28,000-plus since the engine was upgraded from the stock 5.7 litres. This Courier Coupé is featured in 'The Cadillac Century' by John Heilig (copy available) in the 'Dream Cars' section where it is afforded three pages of pictures and text, more than any other car in the book! Currently taxed/MoT'd, this unique vehicle is offered with Cadillac correspondence, MIRA test results (maximum speedometer reading 125mph), Swansea V5 document, and a letter from Goodwood-based Mithril Racing. Of particular interest, Mithril's letter quotes the company's main professional driver Chris Snowdon, who tested the Courier Cadillac at the Sussex circuit. 'The car is very impressive. It handles like the current Bentley Brooklands... and that is quite a compliment. It is beautifully neutral on the circuit, handling Goodwood's ultra high-speed corners feeling nicely balanced with only a hint of reassuring understeer when you really push hard.'  Also available for inspection are some interesting and informative newspaper and magazine articles and many complimentary letters, both from the UK and abroad. In one magazine, editor Westley Peterson of Car Collector in the US, states 'We consider the car to be one of the best looking neo-classics ever built'. 

         

     

 

Mark Doyne's Custom Coach (USA) offered a soft-top version of the new Eldorado model

Matthews Motor Coach Co.  (California, USA) The ultimate conversion is this four seater Cadillac Diamante (diamond) roadster, built on a Cadillac Coupe DeVille frame with wheelbase stretched 15" (the overall length of  the roadster is actually less than the De Ville).   Features include Recaro seats, a 50/50 weight distribution, fiberglass and aluminum body panels ...and a sticker price of  $65,000 (in 1979, the base Coupe de Ville cost $14K).

   

 

Milan Convertible Co. (or  Milan Coach builders) (California, USA) offered conversion kits costing $1495 allowing conversion of Seville to 2-door Milan Roadster Convertible (1976 through 1979); kit included instruction manual and all parts needed.  The Milan company operated out of Calabasas, CA (5830 Los Virgenes). Below, left, is a photo of such a car from Motor Trend magazine. Sticker price was $e, except this one is a convertible. Built by Milan Coach Builders in California, it carried a price tag of $39,000.

    
Not sure if the car on the right is the same one; photo © Richard A. Wright

 

Moloney (USA) Conversions and stretched cars on Brougham and Seville chassis (maybe others too)

 

Ogner Motors Limited (USA) offered the San Remo, a soft-top version of the new Eldorado model.

Phaeton Coach Corporation (USA) Custom station wagon

         

 

Tomaso (see Armbruster Stageway, above)

Traditional Coachworks (USA) Custom Cadillac Castilian estate wagon [see also 1976 "Dream Cars" section]

    
That rear-facing third seat and the lateral storage bins and bays on this custom job on Cadillac chassis
look identical to those on our 1994 Buick Roadmaster wagon [the Cadillac was offered for sale on eBay in 2004]

[Unknown, USA] Custom station wagon (photo)

Photo kindly supplied by Cadillac aficionado, Glen Yadon

    

    

         

Not sure if the  images in the above 4 rows all show the same car

 

[Unknown, USA]  Another station wagon conversion on Cadillac Eldorado chassis

[Unknown, USA]  "Roadstar" roadster apparently on Eldorado chassis (Source: Internez, 2014)

 

[Unknown, USA] Duesenberg revival model on Cadillac chassis. One prototype known to have survived. Retail cost on planned models believed to have been in the region of $75,000.  

    

 

[Unknown, USA]  New Eldorado prototypes of 1976 and up; photo, ELD, p.115-121

[Unknown, USA]  Eldorado Franciscan with T-Top that was for sale on eBay in Fall 2003. Vendor said: we have learned from a valuable source that this vehicle may very well be one of two ever produced by American Sunroof Corp (ASC). With Power T-Tops. Yes, there is an electrical switch in the center or the roof.  Latest [Dec., 2006]; this just came in from enthusiast, John Nimmo: I recently acquired the missing 78 Cadillac Eldorado "Franciscan" GT ... Many years ago I saw a couple of these power T-Top Eldorado's at a  huge, new car show back in 1977 along with one power T-Top 78 Toronado,  when I lived in Tampa, Florida. I fell in love with them at that time, but being around 20 years old, I couldn't afford to buy one. Flash  forward to 2004 and one evening while cruising the internet I ran  across a website with these power T-Top Eldorado's listed!! I was so excited!! After reading about these particular model power T-Top Eldorado's, I found out that less than 10 of these cars were built by ASC, American Sunroof Corporation [are these "official" figures. John, or just "somebody said"?]. I wrote Jim, the gentleman who had the website and he wrote me back and told me to give him a call. I called Jim and he went into the entire history of the power T-Top Eldorado and Toronado. He had found one and purchased one himself and loved the car. He told me about 2 that were in Southern California at the time. The first one got sold before I could go look at it and the second one (my car) was in a salvage yard in Riverside, California. Jim gave me the number of the guy at the salvage yard who had my car and I gave him a call. From what the guy told me, the car was called a "Franciscan" Eldorado and the previous owner had died and the salvage yard bought the car. This yard was into Ford products so they just parked my car in a small compound and  kind of forgot about it. I went out to look at the car and I loved it the minute I saw it!! It was in really sad condition with flames now painted down the left side of the car, but it started right up and did drive. I flew home and talked to my wife about purchasing the car and she firmly said "NO!!" I talked with Jim again and told him my wife had said no on the car. We lived in San Diego, California at the time and were in the process of moving to Arkansas so Jim wrote me back about a week later and told me had had purchased the "Franciscan" to keep it from getting destroyed. We moved to Arkansas, and over this last year Jim and I kept in touch with each other. This past June, I wrote Jim and asked him how the "Franciscan" was doing? Jim wrote me back and said to give him a call. I called him that evening and he said he had the Eldorado under a carport and covered, but he hadn't done anything to it and if my wife Shirley would go for it I could now get the car from him instead of dealing with a salvage yard. Well, it took me from June to October to convince Shirley to let me get the car, but she finally gave me the OK and now I have the "Franciscan!!" It arrived one evening on a car shipper more dead than alive, but after a month's worth of hard work, I have her running great now!! My two biggest issues that I'm in the process of tackling is the steering column was broken by the salvage yard and you can pull the wheel out of the column and the previous owner got under the hood and cut about 10 wires that operate the headlights. Other things that need to be replaced are the front and rear fender extensions and a smashed in front bumper.  This car had intrigued me for nearly 30 years and now I finally own the only "Franciscan" Eldorado left in existence and will restore her back to her former glory she used to be years ago!!!.

[Unknown, USA] Slightly stretched "business" Seville (possibly by Moloney)

    

    
[ apparently ALL Seville models carry the "custom" plate on the right ]

[Unknown, USA] Who did this convertible ...

         
[ Photos:  Internet, 2008 ]       

 

[Unknown, USA] Customizing a hearse may not be to everyone's taste ... the more so when you add a set of BIG wheels!

 

[Unknown, USA] Custom pick-up wagon

    

 

[Unknown, USA] And who chose the color of this one ???

[ Photo:  Internet, 2008 ]

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WW2 years