For 12 distinct generations and about 50 years, the Cadillac Eldorado coupe built a name for itself as a key player in the competitive personal luxury car segment. When the final-generation of the Eldorado debuted in 1992, Cadillac touted the car’s engaging driving experience and said, “It could change the way you think about American automobiles.”
The Pick of the Day is a 1998 Cadillac Eldorado listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Middletown, Delaware. (Click the link to view the listing)
“Sleek, glossy black paint that shines like new, complemented by matching glossy rims,” the listing begins. Exterior styling is restrained, which is perhaps why the car has aged so gracefully over the last few decades. The chrome trim and whitewall tires convey a sense of elegance, while the quad exhaust outlets and decklid badging promote the car’s Northstar V8 performance credentials.
The Eldorado name (or El Dorado, anyway) translates in Spanish to “The golden (or gilded) one,” and its origins in the automotive marketplace date back to 1953. That’s when the car first debuted as a limited-production convertible to promote General Motors’ leadership in design. The car was targeted to the wealthy and the elite of society, carrying a price tag of $7,750 (equivalent to $91,162 today).
In all, the Eldorado would evolve through 12 generations before being discontinued after 2002. Today’s featured Eldorado, a 1998, comes from the final iteration. That generation initially hit showroom floors in 1992 and rode on the General Motors E-platform (stretched 11 inches longer and three inches wider than the previous generation). Some of the car’s chassis elements were shared with its platform-mates, the Buick Riviera and the Oldsmobile Toronado. Cadillac marketed the Eldorado under the tagline, “A new approach creates a dramatic departure.”
Showing just 14,407 miles on the odometer, this example is perhaps one of the cleanest left of its kind. “The interior features pristine black leather seats with extremely minimal wear,” the seller says. “The cabin is in great shape, with everything in its place and functioning perfectly.” The black-on-black color combination has a nice “executive” feel to it.
Cadillac was particularly proud of this car’s powertrain: Momentum comes from a 4.6-liter, 32-valve, dual-overhead camshaft V8 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. The engine came from what was known as the “Northstar” series, and it was named one of Ward’s 10 Best Engines for three years.
If you are ready to enjoy what it was like to travel in luxury in the late 1990s, few cars will deliver that experience quite like this one. The asking price is $15,000 or best offer.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, check out it out along with all of our prior features at Pick of the Day.
