In 1949, Cadillac rolled its one-millionth car off the assembly line, and it was a Coupe Deville. Interestingly, in 1956, just seven years later, Cadillac would roll its one-millionth postwar car off the assembly line, this 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible. Featured in the June 11, 1956 edition of Automotive News, this Biarritz features the unique gold dash plaque stating “One Millionth.” Delivered new to Los Angeles, California, it’s equipped with the 365/305 HP V-8 engine with twin 4-barrel carburetors under the famous “batwing” air cleaner and an automatic transmission. Its original Emerald Green Metallic paint has been sealed in with a modern clear coat and adorned with gold accents and brightwork. The Ivory vinyl convertible top is power operated and accompanied by a parade boot, while the interior is upholstered in two-tone Emerald Green and white leather upholstery. With a known ownership history, the car is very nicely equipped with amenities such as factory air conditioning, a heater, the signal-seeking AM radio, the electronic opening and closing trunk lid, the Autronic-Eye and E-Z-Eye glass. Retaining its Kelsey-Hayes gold Sabre wheels, it’s also still got the rare, original license plate frames. A tremendous piece of automotive and Cadillac history, this 1956 Eldorado Biarritz would be a gem in any collection. It’s truly a remarkable achievement to think that it took Cadillac from 1902 to 1949 to build its millionth car, but in just seven years after World War II, it produced another million cars. Proud, Cadillac published an ad on May 28, 1956 reading, “This week Cadillac will produce its millionth car since 1945.” It’s anyone’s guess how the company did it, but it’s certainly a remarkable achievement. For 1956, the Eldorado also gained the Seville, a two-door hardtop coupe, and Cadillac named its convertible the Eldorado Biarritz, thus giving Eldorado buyers a choice of a sporty hardtop coupe or whimsical convertible. Either way, they were sure to be coddled in luxuries largely unimagined by many other makes and models, an Eldorado attribute that assured it was one of the most exclusive cars in the world.
