1956 Cadillac Eldorado

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys The Hershey Auction event, 7 - 8 October 2026.
Offered Without Reserve $150,000 - $200,000 USD

• Beautifully presented older, award-winning restoration
• One of 2,150 produced for 1956
• Part of the legendary Clyde Horst Collection for 38 years
• AACA Senior Grand National First Prize, Preservation Award, and National Post-War Car Award winner
• Factory-correct finishes and numbers-matching engine
• Ideal for reintroduction to AACA events

Cadillac renamed its Eldorado Convertible the Biarritz in 1956 to differentiate the model from the newly introduced Seville two-door hardtop coupe. Both took their names from romantic European cities Biarritz a fashionable French seaside resort and Seville a fabled, ancient municipality in Spain. Eldorados featured jaunty, chrome-trimmed tailfins at the rear, skirt-less wheel openings, chrome-topped doors, and a distinctive twin-blade hood ornament. As a top-end luxury model, it featured a long list of standard equipment, including power steering, power brakes, power windows, power antenna, power convertible top, a four-speed Hydramatic automatic transmission, and stylish, multi-spoke Sabre wheels.

For 1956, Cadillac upsized its V-8 engine to 365 cubic inches and equipped Eldorados with twin four-barrel carburetors distinguished by a gold-colored batwing air cleaner that increased output to 305 horsepower. At $6,501, the 1956 Eldorado Biarritz cost nearly $1,800 more than the Series 62 Convertible and was far rarer, with production of just 2,150 units for the model year.

This multiple-award-winning Biarritz was part of the renowned collection of Clyde Horst in Central Pennsylvania for 38 years, joining it in the mid-eighties. The car is said to have received a body-off restoration in Mr. Horsts ownership in 1986, and its stunning, factory-correct Chantilly Maroon Metallic exterior with Ivory fabric top and gold-anodized cast aluminum wheels beautifully highlight the models arresting design. The interior is correctly lined in black and white leather, as per the trim tag in the engine bay. Once restored, the car won an Antique Automobile Club of America Grand National Senior First Prize, multiple Preservation Awards, and the National Post-War Car Award, among other laurels, while in Mr. Horsts ownership.

Michael Leith acquired this lovely Biarritz from the Clyde Horst Collection and has driven it sparingly, ensuring it remained well preserved and maintained, as evidenced by its impressive appearance. Accordingly, it presents in excellent mechanical condition, starting and driving very well. A top-notch Cadillac with decades of top-notch care within one of the most respected North American collections, this Biarritz would be ideal for reintroduction on the show circuit after an absence at AACA events in recent years.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/hf26/.