1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz... a unique beauty!

My personal experience with this show-of-shows began in the mid-eighties when we entered our 1983 Thunderbird Sports Roadster for display. The show soon became a regular event for us when we added our 1960 Cadillac Coupe De Ville a couple years later.

April 4, 2010 was the first year that, along with a neighborhood kid Pablo Rodriguez, I took on the presentation of SEMA’s Take a Kid to a Car Show program to instill interesting collectible cars for youngsters so that our hobby will continue for generations to come.

Along with volunteers, I presented at over 100 shows and cruises until the Covid-19 pandemic brought car shows to a screeching halt in 2020 and 2021. Now, for 2023, I am continuing with TKCS-StL II for the next four years, but with a reduction of shows per year from twenty to ten. The “Easter show” has typically been the first show of the year for us, and last Sunday’s show was no exception.

Now, whether you’re a spectator or a HCCM official, choosing your favorite car from this field of meticulously-maintained or lovingly-preserved beauties, is a monumental task to say the least. In my case, I am somewhat biased toward the big fifties/sixties American boats, like the Oldsmobile my father drove. While I had my share of favorites at Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance, there were a few that stood out to me as very special automobiles. One such beauty was the 1957 Cadillac Series 62 Eldorado Biarritz convertible, shown on this page. The car is owned by Jack Bertelsmeyer of Eureka, Missouri who purchased it four years ago.

One of only 1,800 produced, this example is done up in Olympic White (an exclusive Eldorado color), over a Crystal Blue Metallic interior. The previous owner, from New Jersey, had meticulously maintained the engine and drive train, but Jack did the repaint, purchased the leather from Jenkins Interiors and had the work done by Manns Restoration in Festus, Missouri. The finished product is a work of art.

I have loved the big ‘Eldos’ since they first hit the showroom floors, especially this vintage with, what I like to call, ‘shark fins’. Jack didn’t share with me what he had to shell out for his Eldorado Biarritz, but the latest issue of the Old Cars Report Price Guide lists a number one car, a “trailer queen” at $235,000, and a number two at $164,500... just a little bit out of my league. The factory suggested base price new in 1957 was $7,286 for both the Eldorado Biarritz convertible and the Eldorado Seville 2-door hardtop of which 2,100 were produced. In 2023 numbers, that would equal $78,000.

Watch for upcoming events in next week’s issue of the Old Car Column. Meanwhile, drive safe and stay healthy! I hope you enjoyed the HCCM’s Easter Concours d’Elegance today! I’ll share more dates in next week’s column.

Thanks for reading. Drive safe and stay healthy!

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