First 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz sells for $649,000

One may indeed be the loneliest number, but being number one certainly has its advantages – up to half a million of them, if this past weekend’s sale of the very first 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz at $649,000 is any indication.

Assigned engine #000001, which makes it VIN #000001, the Biarritz also wears body #000001, painted a shade of green that Cadillac reportedly applied to the first production Cadillac of the year during the 1950s. Jim Remlinger, who consigned the Biarritz with the Hollywood Wheels Palm Beach Auction, said that he verified the combination of VIN and body number through Cadillac Historical Services, which provided a copy of the build sheet and the original title showing all three numbers.

 

Remlinger said he bought the car about two years ago and tore it down for a complete restoration, finding several non-production items on the car, including hand-fabricated moldings, some 1956 parts, and the word “sample” stamped in the frame. Unfortunately, his research never turned up who originally owned the car or any of its history up to about 1959.

The Biarritz and its hardtop equivalent, the Seville, debuted in 1956, but for 1957 Cadillac introduced the oftentimes polarizing chipmunk cheeks rear end and bumped the output of the dual-quad 365-cu.in. V-8 from 305 to 325hp. While the Eldorado Biarritz is generally considered to be the most valuable 1957 Cadillac, price guides generally assign perfectly restored examples a value between $150,000 and $250,000.