Eldorado

     1953 marked the beginning of Cadillac's second half century and it was in this year that the Eldorado was introduced. The Eldorado was featured in the 1953 General Motors Motorama and it was the first "dream car" that was made available to the buying public. The Eldorado featured the first production application of a panoramic wraparound windshield, plus it also had cut down door sills and a flush mounted metal boot that concealed the top completely. An embossed metal fascia stretching the width of the dashboard and the use of leather to cover the cowl and door tops highlighted the interior. The steering wheel was also color-keyed, all knobs and bezels were chrome plated and sliding type door handles were used.
     The Eldorado name could be found in only one place on the first edition, mounted on a brushed gold medallion in the centre of the dash. This setup was quite fitting since the name Eldorado is Spanish for "the Gilded One". The name was chosen from a Cadillac merchandising department secretary who had suggested it during a contest. The addition of Biarritz and Seville would be used from 1956-1960 to denote the convertible and coupe versions of the Eldorado. The name Biarritz comes from the French seaside resort on the Bay of Biscay. The name Seville comes from the province in Spain with the capital bearing same name.