When Cadillac introduced the 1967 Fleetwood Eldorado, it was the first car of its kind.
“The shape of it, its bold stance, and its use of front-wheel drive made it like nothing else on the market,” Travis W. Washay, Cadillac’s historian and heritage specialist, told ARTINFO at a special exhibition about the car at the Collective Design Fair in New York last weekend. The iconic model was the peak of both style and technology in its day, with a broad-shouldered, angular styling reminiscent of a an expertly tailored Italian suit, and the newly developed front-wheel engineering gave it a roadability unlike that of any preceding luxury coupe.
Five decades later — after a long period of being more associated with capacious dimensions and cushy comfort than with thoughtful styling — Cadillac has renewed its focus on both form and function in recent years. On view alongside the ’67 Eldorado was the company’s new luxury electric coupe, the Cadillac ELR. Seen together, the two distant cousins clearly reflect the same innovative design DNA, particularly in their striking silhouettes. The ELR is a “cutting-edge couple, like the Eldorado,” said Washay. “But the modern aspect is a luxury electric car with performance.”
Featuring Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) technology, the ELR is powered by pure electric driving backed by a range-extending generator—meaning zero emissions during the daily commute, but a driving range of 340 miles. Adding to its energy efficiency are LEDs used in the headlamps, daytime running lamps, taillamps, and decorative lighting elements in the front and rear. On its exterior, the ELR shows an attention to contemporary needs — a shortened nose allows for more agile city navigation and more efficient use of materials, for example — that has not required a sacrifice of elegance or style. “The sharp, flowing lines show people that the electric car does not need to be an ugly, utilitarian vehicle,” said Washay.
While the ’67 Eldorado was sculpted by the notion of emulating the wind, wind directly determined the shape of the ELR. New advances in aerodynamics dictated the forward-leaning profile, and the flush fascia and grille and recessed door handles are essentials for decreasing drag and increasing performance. In a nod to its predecessors, the ELR retains signature Cadillac design traditions: vertical headlamps and taillamps, and the sharp creasesof that Italian suit.
