This Rat Pack Cadillac Is up for Sale Down Under
Ordinarily what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but somehow a custom Cadillac commissioned by Dean Martin has ended up in Australia where it’s now for sale for less than the price of a used Prius.
The 1969 Eldorado Custom Sport Wagon was built by George Barris for Martin, who was well-known for having a soft spot for big Caddies. He was a particular fan of wagons, having also ordered a rare Castilian Fleetwood Estate in 1976.
Before that, however, was this Eldorado. According to the book Barris: Kustoms of the 1960s the legendary car customizer originally pitched the idea of a Cadillac station wagon to Dean Martin in 1970, calling it “Casa de Eldorado”.
Eldorados of this era were powered by a 472 cubic-inch (7.7-liter) V-8, sending 375 hp through a slushbox with an immensely long 3.07:1 final drive. This was no sports wagon, designed instead for cruising long desert highways between Rat Pack hangouts in Las Vegas, Hollywood and Palm Springs.
Classic Barris touches include wood-style vinyl coachlines and a pair of somewhat ungainly faux wheel humps atop the front fenders. These look so badly applied that they could easily be removed, however. That’s not the only work that the next owner may wish to undertake. Now described as being in “barn find condition” the vinyl is peeling, there are rust spots, loose wiring and an interior that may have been lived in by an altogether different rat pack.
The car will go under the hammer at Donington Auctions in Melbourne, Australia on February 25.
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I got to work with George several times. Really nice and sweet guy but his brother Sam was the real car stylist. George just never stop in time.
May of the best cars from his shop were the work of guys like Dean Jefferies and a number of other top builders that worked for him.
George was the deal maker to get the cash to build many of the cars the shop was known for. he had the charm.
It appears that shipping the car to the States would run about $3,000. Shipping to the East coast would add at least another grand to that. It would be an interesting car to have, though.
Not the prettiest car for sure. I’m sure it will just cruise for hours floating over the road.
The station wagon part of it looks pretty good IMHO.
I remember Barris having better taste.
I think that if the fake front mounted spare blisters and the side trim were removed and the car repainted it would look fabulous. I like the station wagon conversion.