1974 Cadillac Eldorado Easy Summer Project on 2040-cars

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Almost half of US Cadillac dealers say no to ELR plug-in hybrid

If you've got $75,995 (or so) burning a hole in your pocket and a hankering for the new Cadillac ELR, you'd better call your local dealer before you burn up shoe leather and gasoline to head down there. According to a report on Edmunds, only about 56 percent of the brand's 940 dealers have signed up to carry the premium plug-in hybrid. As much as we'd like to see the more affluent among us driving on electricity, we can certainly understand the dealers' apparent lack of enthusiasm. The article cites costs of up to $15,000 for tools and training to sell the ELR. Show floor real estate is another consideration for dealers who aren't enthusiastic about sacrificing space for a for a vehicle with initial sales – just 46 units nationwide in the first two months, but that volume is expected to increase – that are as mediocre as our first drive impressions. Still, for those locations that co-habitate with Chevrolet dealers who already participate in the Volt program, the extra expenditure shouldn't be too onerous. The two vehicles share the same basic electro-mechanical drivetrain, so those dealerships should have most of the needed infrastructure already in place. The bulk of ELR sales, according to Cadillac's global marketing director Jim Vurpillat, are expected to be in along the coasts, in places like California, Miami and New York. Featured Gallery 2015 Cadillac ELR: First Drive View 25 Photos News Source: Edmunds Green Cadillac Electric cadillac elr

The CadMad shooting brake Eldorado Brougham-Nomad cross is up for auction

The CadMad custom 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham is the coolest car crossing the block at the Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson auction. All arguments to the contrary are wrong and can be redirected straight to the gallery above. This 16-year project built by Super Rides and commissioned by the late Steve Barton won the Don Ridler Memorial Award at the 2019 Detroit Autorama, which goes to the custom build that shows the best creativity, engineering and quality workmanship. All of those qualities are on full display in this Eldorado Brougham-Nomad mashup. Just so we’re all on the same page, a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was no normal Cadillac at the time. The sedanÂ’s exterior design is thanks to Pininfarina, as Cadillac had the Italian design company tweak its styling. It resulted in a much more subdued Cadillac than the rest of Caddy's giant fin-tastic designs of the decade. Only 200 were made over the course of a couple years, and they remain some of the rarest production Cadillacs to this day. The “Fawntana Rose” Cadillac standing before us is a shooting brake interpretation of that famous sedan. It has lost 18 inches in overall length, four inches in width and the rear doors have been completely eliminated. A Chevy Nomad roof was shortened by a couple inches and grafted onto the bodywork. The builders say that every last piece of sheet metal was modified for this build. Still, thereÂ’s still no mistaking it for a Cadillac. The chrome bumpers and lights were left mostly untouched, and the small fins were retained, as well. That Nomad roof was painted in Titanium Silver for contrast, the same silver thatÂ’s used on the new Ford GT. Things only improve when you open the hood. A 632-cubic-inch twin-turbo V8 built by Nelson Racing Engines (NRE) powers the shooting brake. Most of the time (on 91 octane fuel), it produces around 1,000 horsepower and 950 pound-feet of torque. Feed it 112 octane fuel and NRE claims itÂ’s capable of producing upwards of 2,500 horsepower. Yowza. A four-speed automatic transmission and strengthened Corvette transaxle somehow attempts to put the power down to the rear wheels. The seats are reflective of the amount of power this car puts down — 2012 Cadillac CTS-V buckets were used and modified with mauve-colored upholstery. All the trim was hand-painted, including the wood-grain flooring in back and is meant to “mimic the African Wenge and Tigerwood Maple.”  The time and effort that went into this built is truly astounding.

Cadillac ATS failing to command BMW 3 Series-like pricing as hoped

The BMW 3 Series has long been the benchmark for small and sporty luxury vehicles, but the Cadillac ATS has come on strong in its short time on the market as a true rival in this segment. As impressive as Cadillac's new compact sedan is, however, Automotive News is reporting that the car is still lagging behind the 3 Series when it comes to actual transaction pricing.
According to the article, the average transaction price for the ATS is $39,459 while the 3 Series is at a much larger $44,764, but, just as importantly, Cadillac has about $500 more in incentives on the ATS compared to BMW. Transaction prices are much closer to cars like the Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4. Of course, this is all with the ATS trying to take on its small,sport sedan rivals with a single bodystyle and limited powertrain options compared to the numerous options available from the German automakers in this class.
This uneven battle won't last long, though, as recent spy shots have revealed that Cadillac is hard at work on a high-performance ATS-V and an ATS Coupe. No official word as to when either of these models will be unveiled, but with auto show season set to kick off, we're expecting sooner rather than later. The best news for the ATS is that the Automotive News says sales of the ATS are on target and that 74 percent of ATS buyers are new to Cadillac - two important factors for the brand as it tries to break into this tough segment.