I remember getting a phone call on a cold winter Sunday in 1993, early in the morning. It was my dad. There was a 1979 Eldorado for sale with 34,000 miles on it 2 hours away. My dad wanted to get there first. Long story short, I had him there by 10:30am and he got it. Never in my life did I see him so excited for a car. He kept it 12 years and it was reasonably trouble free during that time.
Crisp, clean, elegant & absolutely gorgeous. This generation of Eldorado was one of the finest Cadillac production designs to ever see the light of day in my opinion. They possessed sophisticated engineering for their time to match the beautiful proportions as well. The sales numbers confirm what a home run this rare classic car this is in automotive history. Thanks for the memories, Adam!
My dad got an 85 Eldorado biarritz company car. The list price was $33,000. That car was the Biggest piece of shit car. Under powered. Cheap plastic components. Cheap plastic dash. Cheap leather quality seats. Nothing was good about the car. Although the bose stereo system was nice. I had an 85 Pontiac 6000 STE. my car at $15,000 was twice as nice as that piece of crap Cadillac.
My dad around spring of 85' bought a 79' navy blue Biarritz with brushed roof. Navy blue leather and olds rocket 350 FI. When my mom saw it she about cried it was so beautiful of a car and my grandpa worked at GM from 49' till 79' at his passing he always wanted a caddy but with kids always got chevy's , so my mom was just thrilled ! My dad loved it and as a kid I knew this was a special car, people would just stare at you. My dad didn't like caddy repair prices and traded it for a brand new Grand Marquis in 86' a LS leather was another awesome car. My mom never forgave him for trading Caddy in.
It is hard to understand today what an impact the 79 Eldorado-Toronado-Riveria had. They all had amazing and distinct from each other designs that surprised many and made buyers quickly forget their huge predecessors. All three were instant classics. I would take any of them today.
I have very fond memories of the 2 black beauties I owned, a '79 and an '81. I also had a 79 Riv which I thought was just as luxurious and beautiful in charcoal grey. Thanks for a trip down memory lane!
I had over 50 cars in my life,Cadillacs,Lincoln's,Chryslers,Chevys,Oldsmobiles,etc... But the most comfortable car I have ever seen was my 1980 Eldorado Biarritz,a real joy to drive. I had also an 81 Eldo,82 CDV,85 Eldo,94 Seville STS,92 Eldorado,89 Fleetwood Brougham as well as an 83 Riviera among others. 1980 Eldorado Biarritz was the best aside from being drop dead gorgeous. Way to go Wayne Kady. Thanks.
My friends family had 3 78 Cadillac Eldorado biarritz all in the special edition brown and tan bought from a family who purchased 4 of them in 78. Beautiful cars and the most comfortable button tufted pillow top seats I've ever experienced.
Gorgeous without being huge. I really really miss cars like this. I'm at a point now where I can buy pretty much anything I want but very little of the new stuff seems luxurious to me. I'd live to find something like this new at a dealer that I could bring home. I think it's been a mistake to make every luxury car a race car with some luxury touches. If I want something fast I will get a Corvette or a mustang. Enough of my rant. These were super elegant cars.
Looking forward to your next conversation with Wayne Kady, about this car. It's always a treat when you have him or any of the other designers on your show!
The 1979-1985 Eldorado is among my favourite Cadillacs, certainly among the top 5. Its a beautiful design from all angles, and I think one that has aged particularly well. The Biarritz interiors were over the top luxurious, and I love the stainless roof option. I would love to find an ETC model one day.
Always absolutely loved this car at 14 years old. My first brand new car was an '84 Cutlass that my Mom co-signed on of course because......it was the next best thing to the Eldorado that I obviously couldn't afford.
I was still in college and worked for a radiologist with one of those enormous Eldorados in Houston. He replaced it with the smaller one and just loved it, because before the fat Eldo he'd had the original Seville in mint green. Very quiet and smooth car.
Guess I was just lucky. I owned an '82 Eldorado with the 4100 and it was amazingly reliable. Had problems with window motors and leaky air shocks, but not a single motor issue. In any case, thanks for another interesting video, Adam!
My father had one of these back in 89 and it was very impressive to a young me. It was also impressive to the general public as we lived in England! My friends loved going in this thing and I do remember having a siren on his which you could switch on while driving, I seem to remember he said it was part of the alarm?
By the late 70’s, the El Dorado had become as bloated as your favorite rock star from high school who was now a father of three and 70 pounds overweight! The 1979 restyle was a welcome breath of fresh air and returned the car much closer to it’s original vibe as a sporty yet stylish coupe! These are indeed handsome automobiles and on the rare occasion I spot one at a local car show I typically find they are getting loads of attention!
NICE mjustang in your avitar sir , im the owner of a 2000 mustang GT shes in MINT cosmetic condition shes LOUD too with flow master mufflers she also has a 5 speed transmission of course i hav another car shes OLD (1976 lincoln mark IV) she looks rather ROUGH cosmetically but she runs very GOOD
@@katieb777 - Thank you! The ‘Stang in the photo is “Belle” and she is an ‘08 5-speed GT with a shade over 1300 miles on her since new! FWIW - I also own an Oxford White ‘01 5-speed GT named “Barbie Jo” with 8100 miles on her since new! Yeah - I like my Mustangs…….😂
I’ve had the fortune opportunity to own three generations of Eldo from 68 to 85 simultaneously. Hands down the 1985 Eldorado Biarritz is the most comfortable riding of the three. It is also the most livable of the three cars to own. It’s still a modern car and a car that can be driven easily enough within today’s congested city traffic. The 78 Eldo gets the most stares and the most comments of any car I’ve owned. However, it’s size makes it tough to navigate and park in the city. This car makes you feel like the king or queen of the road! The 68 Eldo is rolling art but not a comfortable riding car. Always worried someone is going to run into it either car, scooter, ebike, or cyclist. People that like the 68 Eldo are usually car enthusiasts. The general public loves the big 1978. Just my two cents worth of anyone is considering buying these cars
I’m fully on the bandwagon admiring the design of these, along with their platform mates. Still gorgeous designs to this day, and I feel destined to go on a list of all-time classic car designs. Even as a kid I was fascinated by the design and panels comprising the a-pillar / hood / cowl / fender / door area. So clean. Adam, please give props to Mr Kady for that - and of course the entire design. Looking forward to that interview!
GM was king of styling, and no downsized car ever looked better than the '77 Caprice and '79 Eldo. Perfectly proportioned, sleek, dare I say athletic. Both of these cars were really a bit too big before, ungainly, and seemed "correct" after the downsize. Also both of these cars still look normal to me today 40+ years later.
Not to mention the quality control on those cars was infinitely better than their predecessor. My dad had a 79 Eldorado Biarritz, bright red with a red interior. You could see that car coming A Million Miles Away. It was so not like him as he was pretty subtle with his cars. And my stepmother had an 84 Seville white with the blue convertible top which looked really nice. I think Cadillac did a good job with this platform. I absolutely love your videos and I am a General Motors enthusiast 60s 70s 80s and 90s probably at my Peak with cars from the seventies. Love the detail. Did you know that the first 200 Sevilles made were all silver with the gray interior
I remember seeing the Touring Coupe at the Detroit Auto Show back then. I was with me Dad at the time + he worked for Ford , I grabbed him and said "Dad come look at this ! " And we just Loved it !!! Hope the Gordie Howe Bridge is coming along Great !!!
I was born in 1962 and love your reviews of the cars I grew up with, especially the Mercurys. Maybe you could expand into German & Japanese vehicles in the future.
Grandparents had a 79. Flat grey on the sides and metallic medium blue on top. Was a diesel. Stunningly beautiful. They got praise wherever they went. I bought it from their estate. In the glove box was the original sticker of around $13000 and repair receipts that totaled about $13000 during their ownership of about 15 years
I had an '83 with the 4.1 engine. Didn't have any significant problems with it. Bought it with about 50k miles in 2005 or so. Put 100k on the car before the transmission took a dump. Engine was still doing fine.
LOVE these cars, Adam. I had an '81 and never had a moment's trouble with the 864 engine management system. I also had an '80 Rivera -- gold with no vinyl top that I thought was so elegant. That gray '79 that you featured is just gorgeous. Would be proud to own it. I always preferred the velour seating, even though the leather was simply beautiful in red.
Thanks again for an excellent presentation Adam. I was never a Cadillac level buyer and I never viewed these cars up close. Really wonderful to see them here. I really like the interiors especially the dash.
Hey- That is my brown 1976 Coupe deVille in the video (1:57-2:20), anyway, I had an 83 Eldo, a white on white just like at the end of the video, and although I loved the looks, something was always wrong with it, From power window motor failures to clickity clackity wire wheel covers. You name it, it broke. I have had a 72 Fleetwood (my favorite), 88 Eldo, 94 STS, 96 Eldo ETC, and now the 76 Coupe deVille. There is just something about them that I love.
06:26 Definitely remember the other engine option starting in 1979-85, the Olds 5.7 Diesel. Great video....These are very neat cars and becoming more rare...
Dad had, I believe, an 81 or 83. Learned the definition of lemon from my dad concerning that car. Dealership could never figure out the problem. He was so proud that he bought it off the showroom floor. He passed away recently. Watched this video because of my memories of him with that car, champagne with stainless top. Miss him...dad not the car.
My wife and I when we were first married and D.I.N.K.S bought an 83 Riviera similar to these, it was a fantastic car, drove it out west and everywhere virtually problem free till we sold it to purchase our first SUV in late 80's. Great and beautiful cars.
I bought an ‘83 in 1991. It was silver with a silver landau and black interior. I babied that 4100. You didn’t have to slam the drunk. Just push down until the electronic lock grabbed it. It was smith and quiet and I loved driving it.
Both my mom and grandmother had the Toronado version of this car, which as I recall was quite similar. Both cars were 1980 models, and were by all accounts excellent cars.
I bought the '83 Eldorado used at 7 years of age and regretted every moment thereafter. The HT4100 got very good fuel economy on the highway at 26 - 26.5 mph. I really enjoyed driving it when I wasn't replacing numerous parts like the A/C compressor, windshield wiper motor, fuel pump, valve cover gaskets, water pump and locating a used HT4100 engine. I had my fill of performing major surgeries on the car and sold it 3 years later. I found it dead on the shoulder of the highway 2 years later. The Eldorado still looked like a brand new car. It was white with a blue leather interior.
People talk so badly about the “malaise era”, but when the performance became secondary, the car companies started concentrating on passenger comfort. Cars from that era were supremely pleasant for passengers … And that was across the board - all manufacturers offered comfy interiors. Not all was bad …
I owned a '84 Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham. I loved that car. It had a lush interior also. If you couldn't afford a Cadillac you could still find one quite nice.
I bought an Eldorado Biarritz new in 1979. Truly a beautiful car to look at. Mechanically it was a mess. Out of the first year it spent 9 months in the shop being repaired. There was a GM strike that complicated getting parts.
This generation Eldorado was very popular in the Switzerland and several European countries due to its nimble international size and restrained luxury along with the official ECE versions (taillamps with amber turn signal indicators, different seat belts, external rear view mirrors that flex, etc.). The 1976-1979 Seville had convinced the Europeans that Cadillac didn't have to be so ginormous and difficult to drive. The 1979-1985 Eldorado was a perfect "successor" to the Seville.
I've always thought this was a great looking car, even when I was a kid when they were current, and I was nearly strictly into sportscars and muscle/pony cars. A very handsome, elegant design that is classically Cadillac. I didn't catch the 67 design queues when I was a kid, but when I had an XLR for a few years, I'd see bits of the 67 and the 79 Eldorado in that car, so my grown up eyes did see the line from the 67 to the 79. I'd love to have one of these moderately downsized Eldorados some day!
I love the look of this car. Its one of the few things Cadillac got right in the smaller car area at the time. PS Somehow, I was able to drive my folks 1981 Sedan DeVille, the full-sized car. It seems silly know, but I truly felt like a king in that car.
I'm glad you mentioned the "actual" OBD that Cadillac built into the climate control. I was literally bitching to someone 3 days ago about how we have to use scanners today to do something I could do from the dashboard 40 years ago! It could read trouble codes, live data like O2 sensors and battery voltage, and even cycle all the motors and solenoids under the hood for testing... Also, love that red '81 Biarritz @ 9:50 with the factory 8-track / CB radio combination!
I do like the 79 model Eldorados. The previous generations were substantially outsold by the Mark Lincolns, which were much better in my view. The 79 restyle was a very nice job. I don’t have one of those but do have the sister car in the form of a 1980 Toronado.
There aren't a lot of cars I like from this time period, but this vintage Eldorado is quite nice. It worked in a 2 door with a conventional trunk in a way that I don't think its sister, the Seville, did.
Enjoy your channel.i drive nothing but old chevy,s here in East tn. which is not to rare....been working on/road worthy 60 caddy series 62 for friend 4 door flaptop that is in really good shape other that sitting issues and coming along good. take care up there in rust belt man!
Owned a 82 Biarritz with a factory moonroof which was kind of a rare bird. The engine was troublesome and a slug for sure but I'd buy it back in a heartbeat if was still around. Sold it to buy a house and I miss it a lot
Great video. I lived near Addison Cadillac, Bay St. Toronto in 1980 often walking to view new Caddys. Noteworthy, the stainless steel roof option was $2 grand yet buyers often also optioned a moonroof. Cutting a hole in the SS roof was viewed as decadent
The stainless steel roof only came with the Biarritz package so I'm assuming the Biarritz was only $2,000 more, which I thought was much more expensive.
This was the most perfect Eldorado Cadillac ever made. While I’m not a fan of the 1979-81 models (they drive like trucks to me) I think as a whole, that generation of Eldo was absolutely perfect.
Makes me miss the Delicious Apple Red with the Stainless Steel Roof, Astro Roof Same Button Tufted Leather interior. That was a very quiet car and head Turned. Everytime I picked up my sister she would joke. “You finally bought a car that Says your a KING” And she’d be so happy to ride in it. Never gave me issues.
I would say that the model years to really look at would be 1980 and 1981. The 6.0 liter 368cid engine was very good, the cylinder deactivation on the 1981 models notwithstanding. Anyone I knew or knew of who had any of the 1981 Cadillac models with this engine simply had the deactivation feature disabled, resulting in a much less troublesome owner experience. If I had to own one, I like the 1980-81 Eldorado Biarritz or the Fleetwood Brougham Coupe that became available.
Great video Adam. I enjoyed hearing you talk about the digital gauges and the car itself. I enjoyed hearing the Oldsmobile references too. The video is informative and well put together. I liked the 1984-1985 version for its features and technology and styling. I like the 1979-1981 for the 350 Oldsmobile V8. I was not a fan of the engine. I liked the improvements they made to the interior over time too. This was a great era for the Eldorado. I would take a 1984-1985 Oldsmobile Toronado with digital gauges from this era. it would have to be a Caliente packages( Oldsmobile Toronado's version of Biarritz). Cadillac did not get the engine right until 1988 model year with the 4.5 liter V8. Thank you Adam.
@@turnne I typed the wrong number for the final year. My mistake. It was 1984-1985. I own a 1992 Oldsmobile Toronado. It was an accident in 2021. It is at the body shop. They did not finish repairing it. I am in the market for a 1991-1992 model that is not the Trofeo trim level. I am ready to buy if I can locate one.
The next door neighbours had the identical new car to the one shown at 6:20. Except theirs had the pokie-outie wire wheel covers which I despised as a ten year old. My Dad coveted it however, even though he couldn't stand that neighbour...
Mr. Cady: I always thought these Eldorados were a home run in most every way! My buddy's parents had one, it looked great and drove just as well. I remember being pulled over while driving this car, the wise ass cop asked me if I thought I was driving an ambulance! I still take a good ribbing over that event. I remember their other car, a bustle back Seville, never rode in that car once. Continued issues with the Seville led to their next cars, which were Mercedes.
This had to be one of the last almost-pillarless hardtops to go on the market. It couldn't be called a real hardtop because the rear-windows didn't roll down (except on the convertibles), but it didn't have a real pillar either. What an improvement over the confused mess that the Eldorado had become for the '75-'78 model years.
I saw one of these. Apparently it had a combination of packages, both Biarritz and Touring Coupe. It was absolutely beautiful. In exterior appearance, it was the Touring Coupe package, with only the brushed stainless steel roof panel of the Biarritz. In all the years before or since, I've never seen another one like it. Was this even possible, to combine two packages? Or was the stainless roof panel available as an option by itself?
Was it a Biarritz with the optional touring suspension? There were two emblems used, one on the decklid and the 2nd, smaller one on the dashboard. If not, it sounds like you’ve seen a home brew TC with Biarritz trim added.
My dad had a metallic blue 80 then a jet black 81. Both had the dreaded diesel. The first one had so many problems the dealer took it back and gave him full credit toward the 81. The second one somehow avoided all the problems that 80% of those cars had. It had zero acceleration and even my mom's tepid 77 Coupe DeVille could smoke it 5 ways to Sunday. Damn thing worked just fine until my sister forgot it was a diesel and put regular gas in it back in 91 or 92. He had my brother put a 5.7 crate engine in it and then it really moved. I think he traded in a year later.
A close friend bought a '79 Eldo new in the fall of '78. It was plagued with numerous first-year problems. If I were looking at a '79, I'd pay close attention to the production date. (One with a dead HT4100 would be a good candidate for a Toro or Riv engine.)
Dad owned an 81 with the Diesel. Other than the motor needing replacement, my other memory is that the window regulator broke so when the door closed, the frameless window completely shattered. Needless to say, that was the last GM car he owned.
I was working at a GM when the first downsized cars appeared in the fall of 1976. Everyone either loved or hated them. The next year when the intermediates were released the full sized models had been on the market for a year and were highly successful, so the reaction of customers wasn’t quite so drastic. But when the Riviera, Toronado & Seville appeared it was to a different buyer than the previous two models. I remember a doctor at the dealership where I worked asking the parts manager to watch the Oldsmobile parts availability and when it appeared as though a new shortblock was no longer going to be available, to order one for his 1976 Toronado. This never happened as a few years down the road the doctor traded for a 1982 Toronado. It seems car people of all sorts had an opinion about these models, even though most would never own one. It was like GM had messed with THEIR car.
I remember getting a phone call on a cold winter Sunday in 1993, early in the morning. It was my dad. There was a 1979 Eldorado for sale with 34,000 miles on it 2 hours away. My dad wanted to get there first. Long story short, I had him there by 10:30am and he got it. Never in my life did I see him so excited for a car. He kept it 12 years and it was reasonably trouble free during that time.
Crisp, clean, elegant & absolutely gorgeous. This generation of Eldorado was one of the finest Cadillac production designs to ever see the light of day in my opinion. They possessed sophisticated engineering for their time to match the beautiful proportions as well. The sales numbers confirm what a home run this rare classic car this is in automotive history. Thanks for the memories, Adam!
Those seats so comfortable!
My dad got an 85 Eldorado biarritz company car. The list price was $33,000.
That car was the Biggest piece of shit car. Under powered. Cheap plastic components. Cheap plastic dash. Cheap leather quality seats. Nothing was good about the car.
Although the bose stereo system was nice.
I had an 85 Pontiac 6000 STE. my car at $15,000 was twice as nice as that piece of crap Cadillac.
06:33 '79 was best because it still got the EFI Olds 350 engine... and contrary to this video, that engine was also EFI in the '76 - '80 Seville...
My dad around spring of 85' bought a 79' navy blue Biarritz with brushed roof. Navy blue leather and olds rocket 350 FI. When my mom saw it she about cried it was so beautiful of a car and my grandpa worked at GM from 49' till 79' at his passing he always wanted a caddy but with kids always got chevy's , so my mom was just thrilled ! My dad loved it and as a kid I knew this was a special car, people would just stare at you. My dad didn't like caddy repair prices and traded it for a brand new Grand Marquis in 86' a LS leather was another awesome car. My mom never forgave him for trading Caddy in.
Well, c'mon, he went from an Eldorado to a Grand Marquis. I wouldn't have forgiven him, either. :)
Nice story, this Caddy generation has been my favorite since the first time seeing one!
1979-85 cadillac eldorado is my favorite
The designers did a good job on this model.
It is hard to understand today what an impact the 79 Eldorado-Toronado-Riveria had. They all had amazing and distinct from each other designs that surprised many and made buyers quickly forget their huge predecessors. All three were instant classics. I would take any of them today.
I have very fond memories of the 2 black beauties I owned, a '79 and an '81. I also had a 79 Riv which I thought was just as luxurious and beautiful in charcoal grey. Thanks for a trip down memory lane!
I had over 50 cars in my life,Cadillacs,Lincoln's,Chryslers,Chevys,Oldsmobiles,etc...
But the most comfortable car I have ever seen was my 1980 Eldorado Biarritz,a real joy to drive.
I had also an 81 Eldo,82 CDV,85 Eldo,94 Seville STS,92 Eldorado,89 Fleetwood Brougham as well as an 83 Riviera among others.
1980 Eldorado Biarritz was the best aside from being drop dead gorgeous.
Way to go Wayne Kady.
Thanks.
This channel is very educational. Thank you for your knowledge.
The 1979-85 Eldorado is one of my top 3 favorite generations of the Eldorado. It has a true Cadillac design and looks like an Eldorado.
I had an 83 Eldorado and loved it. 4100 was a dog, but no issues. Not enough power for torque steer. Loved the ride and load leveling.
I really like all 3 of those E Body cars from 79 to 85. They seem to look even better as years go by.
My friends family had 3 78 Cadillac Eldorado biarritz all in the special edition brown and tan bought from a family who purchased 4 of them in 78. Beautiful cars and the most comfortable button tufted pillow top seats I've ever experienced.
My favorite car of all time. Especially in white.
Thank you for talking about it.
Same here…I’ve owned ten of them and finally found a mint triple yellow 79 Biarritz
Always loved this generation Eldo
Gorgeous without being huge. I really really miss cars like this. I'm at a point now where I can buy pretty much anything I want but very little of the new stuff seems luxurious to me. I'd live to find something like this new at a dealer that I could bring home.
I think it's been a mistake to make every luxury car a race car with some luxury touches. If I want something fast I will get a Corvette or a mustang. Enough of my rant. These were super elegant cars.
Looking forward to your next conversation with Wayne Kady, about this car. It's always a treat when you have him or any of the other designers on your show!
The 1979-1985 Eldorado is among my favourite Cadillacs, certainly among the top 5. Its a beautiful design from all angles, and I think one that has aged particularly well. The Biarritz interiors were over the top luxurious, and I love the stainless roof option. I would love to find an ETC model one day.
Always absolutely loved this car at 14 years old. My first brand new car was an '84 Cutlass that my Mom co-signed on of course because......it was the next best thing to the Eldorado that I obviously couldn't afford.
One of my fav caddy’s …. Man, what a beauty !
I was still in college and worked for a radiologist with one of those enormous Eldorados in Houston. He replaced it with the smaller one and just loved it, because before the fat Eldo he'd had the original Seville in mint green. Very quiet and smooth car.
I have always liked the Cadillac Eldorado from the late 1970s. 🙂
Guess I was just lucky. I owned an '82 Eldorado with the 4100 and it was amazingly reliable. Had problems with window motors and leaky air shocks, but not a single motor issue. In any case, thanks for another interesting video, Adam!
My father had one of these back in 89 and it was very impressive to a young me. It was also impressive to the general public as we lived in England! My friends loved going in this thing and I do remember having a siren on his which you could switch on while driving, I seem to remember he said it was part of the alarm?
By the late 70’s, the El Dorado had become as bloated as your favorite rock star from high school who was now a father of three and 70 pounds overweight! The 1979 restyle was a welcome breath of fresh air and returned the car much closer to it’s original vibe as a sporty yet stylish coupe! These are indeed handsome automobiles and on the rare occasion I spot one at a local car show I typically find they are getting loads of attention!
Well said!😊
NICE mjustang in your avitar sir , im the owner of a 2000 mustang GT shes in MINT cosmetic condition shes LOUD too with flow master mufflers she also has a 5 speed transmission of course i hav another car shes OLD (1976 lincoln mark IV) she looks rather ROUGH cosmetically but she runs very GOOD
@@katieb777 - Thank you! The ‘Stang in the photo is “Belle” and she is an ‘08 5-speed GT with a shade over 1300 miles on her since new! FWIW - I also own an Oxford White ‘01 5-speed GT named “Barbie Jo” with 8100 miles on her since new! Yeah - I like my Mustangs…….😂
I’ve had the fortune opportunity to own three generations of Eldo from 68 to 85 simultaneously. Hands down the 1985 Eldorado Biarritz is the most comfortable riding of the three. It is also the most livable of the three cars to own. It’s still a modern car and a car that can be driven easily enough within today’s congested city traffic. The 78 Eldo gets the most stares and the most comments of any car I’ve owned. However, it’s size makes it tough to navigate and park in the city. This car makes you feel like the king or queen of the road! The 68 Eldo is rolling art but not a comfortable riding car. Always worried someone is going to run into it either car, scooter, ebike, or cyclist. People that like the 68 Eldo are usually car enthusiasts. The general public loves the big 1978. Just my two cents worth of anyone is considering buying these cars
I’m fully on the bandwagon admiring the design of these, along with their platform mates. Still gorgeous designs to this day, and I feel destined to go on a list of all-time classic car designs. Even as a kid I was fascinated by the design and panels comprising the a-pillar / hood / cowl / fender / door area. So clean. Adam, please give props to Mr Kady for that - and of course the entire design. Looking forward to that interview!
GM was king of styling, and no downsized car ever looked better than the '77 Caprice and '79 Eldo.
Perfectly proportioned, sleek, dare I say athletic.
Both of these cars were really a bit too big before, ungainly, and seemed "correct" after the downsize.
Also both of these cars still look normal to me today 40+ years later.
Not to mention the quality control on those cars was infinitely better than their predecessor. My dad had a 79 Eldorado Biarritz, bright red with a red interior.
You could see that car coming A Million Miles Away. It was so not like him as he was pretty subtle with his cars. And my stepmother had an 84 Seville white with the blue convertible top which looked really nice. I think Cadillac did a good job with this platform. I absolutely love your videos and I am a General Motors enthusiast 60s 70s 80s and 90s probably at my Peak with cars from the seventies. Love the detail. Did you know that the first 200 Sevilles made were all silver with the gray interior
I remember seeing the Touring Coupe at the Detroit Auto Show back then. I was with me Dad at the time + he worked for Ford , I grabbed him and said "Dad come look at this ! " And we just Loved it !!! Hope the Gordie Howe Bridge is coming along Great !!!
I was born in 1962 and love your reviews of the cars I grew up with, especially the Mercurys. Maybe you could expand into German & Japanese vehicles in the future.
Thanks again The 71 is still my favorite
Grandparents had a 79. Flat grey on the sides and metallic medium blue on top. Was a diesel. Stunningly beautiful. They got praise wherever they went. I bought it from their estate. In the glove box was the original sticker of around $13000 and repair receipts that totaled about $13000 during their ownership of about 15 years
Always loved the '79 Biarritz in black. So classy. Great video, info, photos and your delivery. Very nice.
Recently bought a silver 85 Toronado. Extremely good, quiet ride.
GREAT VIDEO!! THANK'S,,..
I had an '83 with the 4.1 engine. Didn't have any significant problems with it. Bought it with about 50k miles in 2005 or so. Put 100k on the car before the transmission took a dump. Engine was still doing fine.
The 79 to 85 model years are my favorite Eldorado, essentially the Biarritz!!! 🤶⛄🎄
LOVE these cars, Adam. I had an '81 and never had a moment's trouble with the 864 engine management system. I also had an '80 Rivera -- gold with no vinyl top that I thought was so elegant. That gray '79 that you featured is just gorgeous. Would be proud to own it. I always preferred the velour seating, even though the leather was simply beautiful in red.
Thanks again for an excellent presentation Adam. I was never a Cadillac level buyer and I never viewed these cars up close. Really wonderful to see them here. I really like the interiors especially the dash.
My dad had a 79 Baby Blue Biarritz.. He traded it on an 83 Biarritz on Christmas Eve...I loved both of those cars.
Hey- That is my brown 1976 Coupe deVille in the video (1:57-2:20), anyway, I had an 83 Eldo, a white on white just like at the end of the video, and although I loved the looks, something was always wrong with it, From power window motor failures to clickity clackity wire wheel covers. You name it, it broke. I have had a 72 Fleetwood (my favorite), 88 Eldo, 94 STS, 96 Eldo ETC, and now the 76 Coupe deVille. There is just something about them that I love.
06:26 Definitely remember the other engine option starting in 1979-85, the Olds 5.7 Diesel.
Great video....These are very neat cars and becoming more rare...
Thank you I enjoy you videos
I just can't say enough how much I enjoy your channel, and videos, and presentation. Just one of the best done jobs on UA-cam!
Thx!
Now, that's a design I would certainly get behind. I wish they would do that today.
Had a 79 Toro, great car great size
Dad had, I believe, an 81 or 83. Learned the definition of lemon from my dad concerning that car. Dealership could never figure out the problem. He was so proud that he bought it off the showroom floor. He passed away recently. Watched this video because of my memories of him with that car, champagne with stainless top. Miss him...dad not the car.
Dad started working at GM in 79 with my stepdad. He started on the line, then in 1980 moved to the powerhouse as a stationary (power) engineer.
I had a 79 Eldorado back in the day. It was a great car. Built in CB radio!
My wife and I when we were first married and D.I.N.K.S bought an 83 Riviera similar to these, it was a fantastic car, drove it out west and everywhere virtually problem free till we sold it to purchase our first SUV in late 80's. Great and beautiful cars.
Excellent video. Now kindly do one on the 1992-2002 Eldorado, please.
79-85 Models were awesome
I bought an ‘83 in 1991. It was silver with a silver landau and black interior. I babied that 4100. You didn’t have to slam the drunk. Just push down until the electronic lock grabbed it. It was smith and quiet and I loved driving it.
Both my mom and grandmother had the Toronado version of this car, which as I recall was quite similar. Both cars were 1980 models, and were by all accounts excellent cars.
I bought the '83 Eldorado used at 7 years of age and regretted every moment thereafter. The HT4100 got very good fuel economy on the highway at 26 - 26.5 mph. I really enjoyed driving it when I wasn't replacing numerous parts like the A/C compressor, windshield wiper motor, fuel pump, valve cover gaskets, water pump and locating a used HT4100 engine. I had my fill of performing major surgeries on the car and sold it 3 years later. I found it dead on the shoulder of the highway 2 years later. The Eldorado still looked like a brand new car. It was white with a blue leather interior.
People talk so badly about the “malaise era”, but when the performance became secondary, the car companies started concentrating on passenger comfort.
Cars from that era were supremely pleasant for passengers … And that was across the board - all manufacturers offered comfy interiors. Not all was bad …
I owned a '84 Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham. I loved that car. It had a lush interior also. If you couldn't afford a Cadillac you could still find one quite nice.
I bought an Eldorado Biarritz new in 1979. Truly a beautiful car to look at. Mechanically it was a mess. Out of the first year it spent 9 months in the shop being repaired. There was a GM strike that complicated getting parts.
They made great looking convertibles.
This generation Eldorado was very popular in the Switzerland and several European countries due to its nimble international size and restrained luxury along with the official ECE versions (taillamps with amber turn signal indicators, different seat belts, external rear view mirrors that flex, etc.). The 1976-1979 Seville had convinced the Europeans that Cadillac didn't have to be so ginormous and difficult to drive. The 1979-1985 Eldorado was a perfect "successor" to the Seville.
Love these cars! Typically in every 1980s tv show 😁
I've always thought this was a great looking car, even when I was a kid when they were current, and I was nearly strictly into sportscars and muscle/pony cars. A very handsome, elegant design that is classically Cadillac. I didn't catch the 67 design queues when I was a kid, but when I had an XLR for a few years, I'd see bits of the 67 and the 79 Eldorado in that car, so my grown up eyes did see the line from the 67 to the 79. I'd love to have one of these moderately downsized Eldorados some day!
My dream car at my younger age.
I've had 4 of these all '79
All Biarritz still have 2 of them.
Can't beat that Olds
350
I love the look of this car. Its one of the few things Cadillac got right in the smaller car area at the time. PS Somehow, I was able to drive my folks 1981 Sedan DeVille, the full-sized car. It seems silly know, but I truly felt like a king in that car.
I'm glad you mentioned the "actual" OBD that Cadillac built into the climate control. I was literally bitching to someone 3 days ago about how we have to use scanners today to do something I could do from the dashboard 40 years ago! It could read trouble codes, live data like O2 sensors and battery voltage, and even cycle all the motors and solenoids under the hood for testing...
Also, love that red '81 Biarritz @ 9:50 with the factory 8-track / CB radio combination!
I do like the 79 model Eldorados. The previous generations were substantially outsold by the Mark Lincolns, which were much better in my view. The 79 restyle was a very nice job. I don’t have one of those but do have the sister car in the form of a 1980 Toronado.
Assitindo a entrevista do canal do Ed , Que legal descobrir que o Adam fala português e conhece o Brasil !!!
There aren't a lot of cars I like from this time period, but this vintage Eldorado is quite nice. It worked in a 2 door with a conventional trunk in a way that I don't think its sister, the Seville, did.
Enjoy your channel.i drive nothing but old chevy,s here in East tn. which is not to rare....been working on/road worthy 60 caddy series 62 for friend 4 door flaptop that is in really good shape other that sitting issues and coming along good. take care up there in rust belt man!
Nice cars
Owned a 82 Biarritz with a factory moonroof which was kind of a rare bird. The engine was troublesome and a slug for sure but I'd buy it back in a heartbeat if was still around. Sold it to buy a house and I miss it a lot
Great video. I lived near Addison Cadillac, Bay St. Toronto in 1980 often walking to view new Caddys. Noteworthy, the stainless steel roof option was $2 grand yet buyers often also optioned a moonroof. Cutting a hole in the SS roof was viewed as decadent
The stainless steel roof only came with the Biarritz package so I'm assuming the Biarritz was only $2,000 more, which I thought was much more expensive.
The touring coupe reminds me of the cousin model T-type Riviera.
These were not my favourite Cadillacs at the time, but I was way too young to know anything much about them or admire its features.
I never cared for these 79-85 eldorados too short for me they should have went back to the 67-70 size when they decided to downsized them
This was the most perfect Eldorado Cadillac ever made. While I’m not a fan of the 1979-81 models (they drive like trucks to me) I think as a whole, that generation of Eldo was absolutely perfect.
I really like the Eldo and Seville of these years....76 Seville and 79 Eldo
Makes me miss the Delicious Apple Red with the Stainless Steel Roof, Astro Roof Same Button Tufted Leather interior. That was a very quiet car and head Turned. Everytime I picked up my sister she would joke. “You finally bought a car that Says your a KING” And she’d be so happy to ride in it. Never gave me issues.
I would say that the model years to really look at would be 1980 and 1981. The 6.0 liter 368cid engine was very good, the cylinder deactivation on the 1981 models notwithstanding. Anyone I knew or knew of who had any of the 1981 Cadillac models with this engine simply had the deactivation feature disabled, resulting in a much less troublesome owner experience. If I had to own one, I like the 1980-81 Eldorado Biarritz or the Fleetwood Brougham Coupe that became available.
Great video Adam. I enjoyed hearing you talk about the digital gauges and the car itself. I enjoyed hearing the Oldsmobile references too. The video is informative and well put together. I liked the 1984-1985 version for its features and technology and styling. I like the 1979-1981 for the 350 Oldsmobile V8. I was not a fan of the engine. I liked the improvements they made to the interior over time too. This was a great era for the Eldorado. I would take a 1984-1985 Oldsmobile Toronado with digital gauges from this era. it would have to be a Caliente packages( Oldsmobile Toronado's version of Biarritz). Cadillac did not get the engine right until 1988 model year with the 4.5 liter V8. Thank you Adam.
@olds98
The 1986 Toronado was the downsized model
Years ago I owned a 1983 Toronado that I bought in 1988
@@turnne I typed the wrong number for the final year. My mistake. It was 1984-1985. I own a 1992 Oldsmobile Toronado. It was an accident in 2021. It is at the body shop. They did not finish repairing it. I am in the market for a 1991-1992 model that is not the Trofeo trim level. I am ready to buy if I can locate one.
I have a white with white leather1980 with 62k miles. It was my childhood dream
I had back in the day 1976 full size, 1979 and the 1980 Biarritz Eldorado
Great video !
The next door neighbours had the identical new car to the one shown at 6:20. Except theirs had the pokie-outie wire wheel covers which I despised as a ten year old. My Dad coveted it however, even though he couldn't stand that neighbour...
Love those boxy 79 to 85 E body Eldorado tornado and riviera
Mr. Cady: I always thought these Eldorados were a home run in most every way! My buddy's parents had one, it looked great and drove just as well. I remember being pulled over while driving this car, the wise ass cop asked me if I thought I was driving an ambulance! I still take a good ribbing over that event. I remember their other car, a bustle back Seville, never rode in that car once. Continued issues with the Seville led to their next cars, which were Mercedes.
...thanks for clarifying what the "Biarritz" package included!
This had to be one of the last almost-pillarless hardtops to go on the market. It couldn't be called a real hardtop because the rear-windows didn't roll down (except on the convertibles), but it didn't have a real pillar either. What an improvement over the confused mess that the Eldorado had become for the '75-'78 model years.
I saw one of these. Apparently it had a combination of packages, both Biarritz and Touring Coupe. It was absolutely beautiful. In exterior appearance, it was the Touring Coupe package, with only the brushed stainless steel roof panel of the Biarritz. In all the years before or since, I've never seen another one like it. Was this even possible, to combine two packages? Or was the stainless roof panel available as an option by itself?
Was it a Biarritz with the optional touring suspension? There were two emblems used, one on the decklid and the 2nd, smaller one on the dashboard. If not, it sounds like you’ve seen a home brew TC with Biarritz trim added.
My dad had a metallic blue 80 then a jet black 81. Both had the dreaded diesel. The first one had so many problems the dealer took it back and gave him full credit toward the 81. The second one somehow avoided all the problems that 80% of those cars had. It had zero acceleration and even my mom's tepid 77 Coupe DeVille could smoke it 5 ways to Sunday. Damn thing worked just fine until my sister forgot it was a diesel and put regular gas in it back in 91 or 92. He had my brother put a 5.7 crate engine in it and then it really moved. I think he traded in a year later.
had a 1984 Biarritz, loved its crisp looks, and driving dynamics..too bad for the 4.1 engine..wish they still made coupes like this!
A close friend bought a '79 Eldo new in the fall of '78. It was plagued with numerous first-year problems. If I were looking at a '79, I'd pay close attention to the production date. (One with a dead HT4100 would be a good candidate for a Toro or Riv engine.)
My father had 2 of this style, an '81 & '84. I bought an '89.
Dad owned an 81 with the Diesel. Other than the motor needing replacement, my other memory is that the window regulator broke so when the door closed, the frameless window completely shattered. Needless to say, that was the last GM car he owned.
Imo this was the 2nd best looking Cadillac ever made exceeded only by the 1967 Eldorado
I was working at a GM when the first downsized cars appeared in the fall of 1976. Everyone either loved or hated them. The next year when the intermediates were released the full sized models had been on the market for a year and were highly successful, so the reaction of customers wasn’t quite so drastic. But when the Riviera, Toronado & Seville appeared it was to a different buyer than the previous two models. I remember a doctor at the dealership where I worked asking the parts manager to watch the Oldsmobile parts availability and when it appeared as though a new shortblock was no longer going to be available, to order one for his 1976 Toronado. This never happened as a few years down the road the doctor traded for a 1982 Toronado. It seems car people of all sorts had an opinion about these models, even though most would never own one. It was like GM had messed with THEIR car.
The 1979 Eldorado was probably the best year for this generation featuring the Oldsmobile 350 gas motor.
The 79-85 Eldorado would be a nice entry level classic to own. You could probably get one for a decent price and it wouldn’t be a hulk in your garage.
1979 was the best yrs , seville , de Ville , Fleetwood, Eldorado all where the right size good engine s last of the great cadillacs
Loved my '83. Shoulda kept it, but needed a truck.