As of Jan. 15, 2025, this is the information we have about this car:
[Sep.02.2020] Jean-Claude Franchitti receives an update from Roger Zimmermann who provides pictures and a note from Fredy Ursprung, who still owns the car. Fredy is from Brig in Switzerland and is a member of the CLC and the Cadillac Club of Switzerland (he was the vice president of the CCS for 17 years). He is also the president of the classic car club from his district. Jean-Claude Franchitti makes various updates to the car history based on Fredy's most recent note. Fredy reports that he invested around $90,000 in the car and is not yet done with the restoration. While the car only had a little bit of rust on its front fenders, Fredy had the car professionaly repainted to match its original color. All the chrome was redone by Mr. Kreile from Frankfurt in Germany. Mr. Kreile is known for his high quality work on many Pebble Beach auctions winners. All the rubber on the car is new. The engine, gearbox, and rear axle have been completely rebuilt. The suspension is fitted with new springs and the following components are either new or have been professionally rebuilt steering column, brakes, shocks, bushings, exhaust, tires, water pump, radiator (re-cored with extra capacity), generator, AC, driveshaft, radio (look-alike with modern AM, FM, USB, and Bluetooth functions), speakers, power trunk release, etc. Fredy notes that the original speakers and radio components were saved. Fredy reports that the only negatives about the car at this point are as follows: The car has been on springs since the late 70s and the air suspension is gone. The auto starter is not functional. The front seat memory function is not working. The car is missing some of its vanities. However, it does include the cigarette case, and three magnetic tumblers along with the rare plastic case.
[Jan.01.2015] Fredy Ursprung buys the car from Mr. Meier's family. Mr. Meier happened to be a good friend of Fredy's grandfather. Almost everything is working on the car and it appears to only have 39,000 original miles. The car has apparently been repainted in a dark blue color with silver sides. The seats' cloth is slightly bleached from sun exposure but the interior still has its original patina. The dash is original and not cracked. Fredy has the car professionally cleaned by a specialist who makes a removable cover to protect the front seat. The engine (no. 5770143913) and the Hydramatic gearbox (code CB) match the original equipment.
[November 2012] The car turns up again in Switzerland, where Yann Saunders saw it in 1883. It is for sale and the milage is given as 'around 37K'. The first photo in the 2012 gallery is supplied be the owner whose father-in-law believes the car was traded in by a former Miss Americawinner.
[1990] The car is reported having been sold in Switzerland for 85,000 Swiss francs [about $40,000 in 1990]. Yann Saunders mentions that scale-model enthusiast, Bob Jernigan, took a commercially available Eldorado Brougham model and recreated this particular car ... as well as a couple of othersin rare paint schemes. In the absence of pictures of the real car, Yann Sauders provides some of Bob's model ... which is now in a collection in Japan! (see pictures in 2012 gallery).
[1985] Yann Saunders loses track of the car.
[Circa 1983] Yann Saunders spots the car at a Cadillac meet in central Switzerland. It has lost its original Bahama Blue color and bears a 2-tone paint combination with a blue color that borders purple and silver strides. The car is purported to be the property of a Swiss garage owner from the Canton of Valais.
[1963] The car is purchased by Mr. Fankhauser who owns a car repair shop. He sells the car the same year to his best friend Mr. Meier who owns an automobile paint shop.
[1960] The car is shipped to Switzerland. The United Nations uses it to take people back and forth from the Geneva airport to the palace of the United Nations in Geneva.
[1957] The Brougham is purchased new from Misses Helen G. Marret from the state of New York. It is the only Brougham of the 1957-58 production to have been painted originally Bahama Blue [code #94], which may be best described as a metallic deep 'sky blue'. Bahama Blue is not a Eldorado Brougham color. That color is listed on the palette for the regular 1956 Cadillac models and is also used on 1957 Eldorado Biarritz and Sevilles.
The interior of this car is upholstered in medium blue leather with medium blue Bayou cloth (code # 232). This interior color combination is only used on 10 cars in 1957 and 1958. The carpet is made of blue Karakul wool (carpet code #1).
[Sep.02.2020] Jean-Claude Franchitti receives an update from Roger Zimmermann who provides pictures and a note from Fredy Ursprung, who still owns the car. Fredy is from Brig in Switzerland and is a member of the CLC and the Cadillac Club of Switzerland (he was the vice president of the CCS for 17 years). He is also the president of the classic car club from his district. Jean-Claude Franchitti makes various updates to the car history based on Fredy's most recent note. Fredy reports that he invested around $90,000 in the car and is not yet done with the restoration. While the car only had a little bit of rust on its front fenders, Fredy had the car professionaly repainted to match its original color. All the chrome was redone by Mr. Kreile from Frankfurt in Germany. Mr. Kreile is known for his high quality work on many Pebble Beach auctions winners. All the rubber on the car is new. The engine, gearbox, and rear axle have been completely rebuilt. The suspension is fitted with new springs and the following components are either new or have been professionally rebuilt steering column, brakes, shocks, bushings, exhaust, tires, water pump, radiator (re-cored with extra capacity), generator, AC, driveshaft, radio (look-alike with modern AM, FM, USB, and Bluetooth functions), speakers, power trunk release, etc. Fredy notes that the original speakers and radio components were saved. Fredy reports that the only negatives about the car at this point are as follows: The car has been on springs since the late 70s and the air suspension is gone. The auto starter is not functional. The front seat memory function is not working. The car is missing some of its vanities. However, it does include the cigarette case, and three magnetic tumblers along with the rare plastic case.
[Jan.01.2015] Fredy Ursprung buys the car from Mr. Meier's family. Mr. Meier happened to be a good friend of Fredy's grandfather. Almost everything is working on the car and it appears to only have 39,000 original miles. The car has apparently been repainted in a dark blue color with silver sides. The seats' cloth is slightly bleached from sun exposure but the interior still has its original patina. The dash is original and not cracked. Fredy has the car professionally cleaned by a specialist who makes a removable cover to protect the front seat. The engine (no. 5770143913) and the Hydramatic gearbox (code CB) match the original equipment.
[November 2012] The car turns up again in Switzerland, where Yann Saunders saw it in 1883. It is for sale and the milage is given as 'around 37K'. The first photo in the 2012 gallery is supplied be the owner whose father-in-law believes the car was traded in by a former Miss Americawinner.
[1990] The car is reported having been sold in Switzerland for 85,000 Swiss francs [about $40,000 in 1990]. Yann Saunders mentions that scale-model enthusiast, Bob Jernigan, took a commercially available Eldorado Brougham model and recreated this particular car ... as well as a couple of othersin rare paint schemes. In the absence of pictures of the real car, Yann Sauders provides some of Bob's model ... which is now in a collection in Japan! (see pictures in 2012 gallery).
[1985] Yann Saunders loses track of the car.
[Circa 1983] Yann Saunders spots the car at a Cadillac meet in central Switzerland. It has lost its original Bahama Blue color and bears a 2-tone paint combination with a blue color that borders purple and silver strides. The car is purported to be the property of a Swiss garage owner from the Canton of Valais.
[1963] The car is purchased by Mr. Fankhauser who owns a car repair shop. He sells the car the same year to his best friend Mr. Meier who owns an automobile paint shop.
[1960] The car is shipped to Switzerland. The United Nations uses it to take people back and forth from the Geneva airport to the palace of the United Nations in Geneva.
[1957] The Brougham is purchased new from Misses Helen G. Marret from the state of New York. It is the only Brougham of the 1957-58 production to have been painted originally Bahama Blue [code #94], which may be best described as a metallic deep 'sky blue'. Bahama Blue is not a Eldorado Brougham color. That color is listed on the palette for the regular 1956 Cadillac models and is also used on 1957 Eldorado Biarritz and Sevilles.
The interior of this car is upholstered in medium blue leather with medium blue Bayou cloth (code # 232). This interior color combination is only used on 10 cars in 1957 and 1958. The carpet is made of blue Karakul wool (carpet code #1).