A Rare Eight-Passenger Factory-Ordered '70s Cadillac Eldorado Wagon
Culture
Oddities
Classics
American
Most Americans are not familiar with the term, “shooting brake.” It originated in the 1890s to describe horse-drawn wagons with a big rear cabin for transporting shooting parties. However, Europeans still use the term for luxury sports coupes with an extended hatch-like rear compartment.
There have been a few modern American shooting brake examples over the years. But the 1975 Cadillac Eldorado wagon recently listed on eBay is in a category of its own.
That’s right. Cadillac offered a custom two-door Eldorado as a wagon in the mid-1970s.
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In its classic form, a shooting brake wagon forces passengers to climb through a narrow opening to reach the rear seating. That might explain why these back-heavy automotive anomalies never took hold with American buyers.
GM-Authorized Wagon Customizer
The eBay seller offering the ‘75 Caddy Eldorado says that it’s one of only two such vehicles officially authorized by GM.
Chris Liotta, the seller from Warwick, NY, has owned the car for several years. He takes it to local car shows, where it grabs lots of attention. People gawk and ask, “Who built this and why?”
In 1975, Wisco Corp—a custom coach-builder in Roseville, Mich.—was authorized by GM to build Eldorado-based station wagons ordered via select Cadillac dealerships. The original owner ordered this 1975 Caddy from Franklin Cadillac in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Wisco was better known for customizing top-of-the-line Eldorado coupes. The outfit usually added a padded landau top - opens in new window or tab. with opera windows, a chrome roof arch, belt moldings, and other bling. But the company also built custom limousines and other fleet cars. So Wisco had the expertise to convert an Eldo coupe into a luxury long-roof people-mover.
V-8 Power and Three Rows
This ’75 Eldorado has top-tier Cadillac amenities, including a 500 cubic-inch V-8 engine. The automatic transmission mated to a front-wheel-drive setup helps maximize interior space. The car has the expected power components and period-correct accessories, including a working 8-track player.
But what makes this Eldorado unusual is its rear-facing third row. Fold down the third row, and you get cavernous cargo storage. According to the seller, that odd extra pop-up seat in the back makes this the world’s only eight-passenger Eldorado.
Does that make this 1975 Cadillac a legit shooting brake wagon? Well, perhaps that’s a stretch compared to the stylish luxe shooting brakes offered these days across the pond.
However, those vehicles are not nearly as rare as the 1975 Cadillac Eldorado station wagon recently offered on eBay. Its domed back end is odd and incredible—and its brown-on-brown plush leather interior goes on for miles.
Imagine rolling up to Costco and filling up that giant cargo space with provisions. That is if you can make it past everybody wanting to know about the vintage Caddy with a most unusual back end.
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