This 1975 Cadillac Eldorado is seriously Cerise
I’ve always been a big fan of the Nimitz-class Cadillacs of the ’70s. Two of my prized possessions when I was in first and second grade were a Tomica Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham in 1/64 scale and a 1/24 scale Jo-Han 1976 Cadillac Eldorado coupe. Both blue.
I was hard on many of my toys, especially my favorite ones, so several did not make it to 2020. Amazingly, though, both of those Cadillac models have survived to the present day. So my love for these cars goes way back.
Which is why I got excited when I spied this Cerise Firemist ’75 Eldorado on the “electronic bay” in September of 2020. There were so many great Cadillac colors that year: Mandarin Orange, Academy Gray, Galloway Green Firemist, Jennifer Blue, Rosewood, Embermist, Bombay Yellow.
Back then, a new Cadillac buyer could truly put together a distinctive car. So different from the herd mentality in 2020 with nearly everyone choosing white, gray, silver, or black. With a large selection of standard and extra-cost Firemist colors, several vinyl roof styles and colors, and multiple upholstery choices, you could easily have the only car in town in a specific color combination.
Cerise is a favorite of mine—it’s just so ’70s. Especially combined with the red Monticello velour interior this car has.
Yes, Monticello is rather lurid, is it not? I once sat in a 1975 Fleetwood Brougham that wore the same Cerise Firemist, with the same red MMMMMonticello (I love saying it that way!) upholstery, and it was extremely comfy. Love it or hate it, it’s certainly a car of its time and place. And this one was a time capsule too, with only 29,300 miles on it and two owners from new (the eBay listing, unfortunately, has since expired).
1975 Eldorados had a base price of $9935 for the coupe and $10,354 for the convertible. That was upon introduction of the ’75s, anyway; two price bumps occurred during the model year. The coupe went up to $9948, then $10,364, where it stayed until the ’76 Cadillacs debuted.
All Eldorados had the imposing 500-cubic-inch V-8 under the hood, with either the standard four-barrel carburetor or optional (to the tune of $600) fuel injection. Top tip: If you have a hankering for some mid-’70s Eldo luxury, stick to those with the carb. The FI was, shall we say, somewhat problematic?
With the carburetor in place, ’75 Eldorados produced 190 hp at 4000 rpm. And these were large, QUITE large, cars. The overall length was 225 inches, wheelbase 126.3, and width 80. For those of you keeping track, a 2020 Chevy Suburban is 224.4 inches long.
Naturally, even a basic Eldorado was well equipped. As you’d expect, a myriad of options were on offer, including the aforementioned Firemist paint, Astroroof (glass, $843), sun roof (metal, $668), Cabriolet style vinyl top (basically a Landau-style top, as seen on our featured example here, for $413), and an AM/FM stereo with tape player ($229).
Perhaps the most interesting option was the ACRS, or Air Cushion Restraint System. What’s that, you say? Basically airbags, like you see in every new car now. It cost $300, but if you chose ACRS you could no longer get a tilt or telescoping steering wheel.
The setup was shown in the interior picture of the Eldorado coupe in the ’75 brochure and doesn’t look too different from the airbag wheels that started appearing in the late ’80s and early ’90s. It remained available in 1976, then disappeared for a decade plus from Cadillacs.
As for this Cerise Firemist survivor, it remains an admirable example of ’70s Cadillac style!
