The term “Cowboy Cadillac” typically refers to the El Camino - opens in new window or tab., introduced in 1960 as an affordable Chevy model. The nickname could also be applied to the GMC Sprint and Caballero. General Motors offered the quasi-luxury Caballero for nearly a decade but always in low numbers—before killing the model in 1987.
Custom coach builders filled the niche demand for a luxury sedan with the utility of a pickup. A splendid 1978 example, badged as a Cadillac, was recently listed on eBay.
Evel Knievel famously owned a brilliant red Eldorado Mirage, on display at the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kans.
In the mid-1970s, a pair of California companies custom-built Cadillac pickup trucks. Traditional Coachworks’s Mirage was based on the Eldorado. And the Caribou Motor Corporation leveraged both the Eldorado and Coupe DeVille.
Although neither of these companies was factory-authorized, a limited number of Cadillac dealers displayed the trucks on showroom floors. One of them ended up in the collection of famed daredevil Evil Knievel.
The Elusive Egidi Roadster Sportsmobile
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There was a lesser-known third producer of custom Cadillac pickups: Continental Coachbuilders of North Miami, Fla. That’s the outfit behind the gorgeous truck listed on eBay.
The unique teak cargo bed reveals that Continental built this vehicle. It’s the rarest Camino-like Caddy of all: the Egidi Roadster Sportsmobile.
If you’ve never heard of the Egidi Roadster Sportsmobile, you’re not alone. It’s a true unicorn.
The exact number of Egidi Eldorado pickups built by Continental Coachbuilders is anyone’s guess. The competing custom Caddy pickups from Mirage and Comstock probably only number in the hundreds. Egidis are seldom seen.
A vintage sales brochure made the pitch for builder Romolo “Roy” Egidi and his creation:
They’re fun and an exciting experience to drive. Designed by Egidi, the Roadster Sportsmobile is the epitome of elegance and sophistication. Each custom luxury Eldorado is hand-crafted, thus creating a spectacular sleek limited edition Cadillac.
A Yellow and Beige Beauty
The yellow Egidi Roadster Sportsmobile offered on eBay is a well-preserved survivor with a tan vinyl roof. Modifications look minimal, with subtle pinstripes on the flanks and three-spoke aftermarket wheels wrapped with whitewall tires. The tastefully executed “Cowboy Cadillac” hand-lettering on the tailgate does not overwhelm, and a set of rear-wheel well skirts come with the car.
The beige velour and vinyl upholstery are clean. The dashboard is intact, along with the original AM/FM and factory CB radios. The odometer reads 86,441 miles.
The seller, based in Fort Lauderdale, states:
The yellow exterior is in great condition showing only very minor imperfections that would be consistent with this model year and miles.
A couple of decades after the Egidi hit the road, Cadillac took a stab at the pickup truck market with its beefy Escalade EXT - opens in new window or tab.. The EXT luxe truck enjoyed a 13-year run from 2001 through 2013.
But the relatively modern Caddy Escalade EXT lacks the coach-built Eldorado-based pickup’s svelte body lines. And it doesn’t have the distinction of being an ultra-rare 1970s classic.
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