The Eldorado Brougham — designed in 1954 as Cadillac’s dream car for the General Motors Motorama of 1955. From the beginning, the Brougham was a pace-setting vehicle with styling and engineering features destined to be incorporated into lesser cars in future years. Two years of concentrated testing and development went into the Brougham helping designers in their continuous search for a better way to build the best automobile.
Cadillac engineers came up with a special body for the Brougham alone. It was built by Fisher Body’s Fleetwood plant, builders of all Cadillac bodies.
Among the outstanding engineering features which exemplify the extensive study that went into the makeup of the Brougham are air suspension, a four headlamp system and a tubular center X-frame.
The use of air springs marks the first time that such a system had been used on an automobile. The system provides an individual air spring unit at each wheel. Air is supplied to the spring units through leveling valves so that the car remains level with varying loads and road conditions, thus contributing to the Brougham’s appearance as well as assuring consistently easy handling and smooth riding quality.
The interior of the Brougham is luxurious to a high degree with some 45 choices of trim and color combinations available during ordering. Carpeting was available in either mouton, a specially processed lamb skin, or high-pile nylon Karakul.
There is a special heating system with both front and rear compartment outlets. The under-seat heaters for the rear can be operated individually by the passengers. To complete the year-round comfort, each Brougham contains a front-mounted Cadillac air conditioner.
Steering, braking and window controls (including ventipanes) are power operated on the Brougham.
Each feature of the Brougham — as the car itself — was designed to improve comfort, safety and convenience for the driver and passengers. The inquiring minds of Cadillac engineers and designers came up with the finest car possible in 1957.
In Detail
| submitted by | Richard Owen |
| price $ | $ $13 358 USD |
| engine | V8 |
| position | Front Longitudinal |
| aspiration | Natural |
| valvetrain | Pushrod OHV |
| fuel feed | 2 3BBL Carburetors |
| displacement | 5972 cc / 364.4 in³ |
| bore | 101.6 mm / 4.0 in |
| stroke | 92.1 mm / 3.63 in |
| compression | 10.0:1 |
| power | 249.8 kw / 335 bhp @ 4800 rpm |
| specific output | 56.1 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 138.95 bhp per tonne |
| torque | 549.11 nm / 405 ft lbs @ 3400 rpm |
| body / frame | Steel over Tubular-Center X-Frame |
| front tires | 8.40 x 15 |
| rear tires | 8.40 x 15 |
| front brakes | Drums |
| f brake size | mm / in |
| rear brakes | Drums |
| r brake size | mm / in |
| f suspension | Control Arms w/Air Springs, Anti-Roll Bar |
| r suspension | Live Axle w/Air Springs |
| curb weight | 2411 kg / 5315 lbs |
| wheelbase | 3200 mm / 126.0 in |
| front track | 1549 mm / 61.0 in |
| rear track | 1549 mm / 61.0 in |
| length | 5494 mm / 216.3 in |
| width | 1994 mm / 78.5 in |
| height | 1410 mm / 55.5 in |
| transmission | Hydra-Matic 3-Speed |
| gear ratios | :1 |
| final drive | 3.36:1 |
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