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Freshly Restored 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Headed To Mecum Indy

The 1976 Cadillac Eldorado featured only minor changes, as the previous model year brought restyling with rectangular headlights, egg-crate grille, full rear wheel openings (no more fender skirts), new taillight lenses, painted wheel covers, and cleaner lines.

1976 would be the last year for the Cadillac Eldorado convertible for until the 1984 model year. Slow convertible sales, coupled with proposed federal rollover standards, spelled a long hiatus for American convertible. Other GM brands had ceased ragtop production the year before, leading General Motors to market the 1976 Eldorado as the “last American convertible.” Cadillac sold 14,000 copies, with the final 200 “Bicentennial Edition” Eldos finished in white with red and blue pinstripes and a commemorative dash plaque.

Our feature 1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible has been the subject of a recently completed restoration. It is brilliant in its original Firethorn Red Metallic hue with a new white vinyl soft top. The famous Cadillac crest and wreath ornament rides proudly at the hood’s leading edge. Chrome bumpers and trim present quite well, with no pitting or patina observed. Stainless trim is equally resplendent with a high polish gleam. The Eldorado has new glass and a new plastic rear window. Painted steel wheels are dressed with full painted hubcaps featuring the Cadillac crest and wreath in the center. The Eldo rolls on radial white wall rubber.

Inside, the Cadillac Eldorado convertible is awash in new Cadillac Dark Firethorn leather and carpet. Door sills are protected by highly polished sill covers complete with the Fisher Body crest. The steering wheel is wrapped in a stitched leather cover that doesn’t quite match the rest of the interior. As one would expect, this Eldorado is fully loaded with power brakes, power steering, six-way power seats, power windows, power locks, air conditioning, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, and an AM/FM/eight-track radio with power antenna.

This 1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible will cross the Mecum Auctions block at their Indy Spring Classic taking place May 13th through the 21st at the Indiana State Fair Grounds.

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Comments

  1. The Eldo was always my all time favorite luxury sporty car. How did caddy lose its way I will never know.

    Reply
  2. Tony it wasn’t just Cadillac… Times changed people just didn’t want to drive around in these luxury liners anymore… That was in the late 70’s and early 1980’s! Fast forward to the 2000’s up until now and you see people driving boats again giant pickup trucks and Tahoe’s, suburbans, Yukon, and the current Escalade to me is just like this Eldorado over the top, tons of power, a really big vehicle with all the options one could have… Cadillac never stopped building big vehicles or lost their way… The consumers tastes changed. This Eldorado is beautiful.

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  3. I love these so much in convertible form. I wish my garage was long enough to store one lol

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  4. Maybe with high gas prices, GM will bring back a modern Full sized Fleetwood / Impala AWD again, I would be in.

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    1. It won’t, people love trucks and now you have 4cly and v6 trucks getting better power and economy then ’08 v8s.

      FWIW Tbird in a coupe from is rumored to return, and Chrysler will continue the 300, I’m sure GM is watching because it’s millions of people need a larger semi-luxury vehicle but live in a major city = no need for a truck..

      Reply
      1. Guestt… I agree I don’t think GM will bring sedans back big like they where in the 80″s and 90’s… Once people got a taste of trucks, SUVs and Crossovers it was all but over for the big luxury boats… Cadillac, Chevy Buick and Oldsmobile made big cars in the 90s but once the SUV came out it was all over for station wagons and big sedans and big coupes. And I must admit ever since I myself have started driving in 1997 I have owned nothing but cars until I bought myself a 1996 Chevy Blazer for winter driving then I got rid of my Mazda 6 and got an 2010 Equinox LTZ which I absolutely love even if GM did bring back a Impala with AWD I think I would just stay with Crossover vehicles… But that’s my opinion different strokes for different folks.

        Reply
  5. Not really a great interior restoration on this, it looks like it got the Tijuana Taxi upholstery package…..I wouldn’t bother with one of theses that was poorly restored, there are tons of low mileage original ones available if you look around.

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    1. MrR: I agree. Although it doesn’t look terrible, it just doesn’t look like real leather IMO. Durable? Yes.

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    2. MrR

      My opinion as well. I wish they’d have simply looked up a picture of a correct interior before they started.

      And who thought those vertical guards on the rear bumper were a good idea? Very JC Whitney.

      When I was young I worked prepping these for delivery at a local dealer. 1976 was overall an excellent year for Cadillac. I even polished the 2 ” Bicentennial” convertibles we were allocated.

      Old Time Ollie: Someone has to be.

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    3. Body and paint especially the right fender looks like a amateur restoration.

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  6. Awaiting an immaculately restored ’67.

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  7. Smokey and bandit.1977 movie.car. 1975caddy britz.convert..red on red..just made for big Enous..and clam chadder.trip. ..hurt and Sally in 75 caddy.car at end of movie..cool car. R

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    1. The Eldorado in Smokey and the Bandit is actually a 1974.

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  8. Not bad. Interior just seems off for some reason, like it’s not real leather used. Anyhow, I’ve always loved these cars, but not the convertible. It looks nice with the top down, but not with it up and a classic car needs to look the part no matter what. My personal favorite is the 1977 coupe (not convertible with the slightly different grille) in the light green or light blue or white.

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  9. I remember being in a Cadillac showroom in 1976, the “last” year of all GM convertibles. Locked-up in the center of the floor was a bicentennial edition Eldo convert. I don’t think I’ve seen one since then.

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  10. Those bumpers have some major fit issues.

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  11. IMO, this generation Eldorado is the worst design out of all Eldorados. I’m sure they are nice and I remember seeing them on the road back in the day but styling of this was not my cup of tea.

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    1. As someone that grew up in the 80s, this is a hideous old boat from the malaise era.
      It’s interesting that anyone can look at this car and see something that looks good about it.

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  12. Why Nate like 1980’s Cadillac’s where so much better! I am not arguing with you but I myself was a little kid in 1980’s and yes there where some truly great cars in the 80’s… But that does not mean that I don’t like or hate cars from the 1970’s… Yes the 70’s had a lot of duds but some of the 70’s cars where just awesome and so where the 80’s! If you want to make fun of a decade and a car how about when the 1994 Mustangs went from beautiful in 1993 to a plastic blob that looked a jello mold of a car and the 4.6 liter V8 was a joke not a mustang thank God Ford changed it in the 2000’s! This Caddy is beautiful Malaise era or not!

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    1. No, those 80s cars were crap. But the 70s boats were a different level of hideous.

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  13. Very true Nate but given a choice I would still take this Cadillac over a Mustang 2 from the 70’s lol! But whatever floats your boat man. 👍🤌

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  14. I have sa 1976 for sale the same car with less than 100k miles on it. Original everything.

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  15. Well I want someone I can trust to work on my 98 ETC

    Reply

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