A unique and elegant 1953 Cadillac, featuring hand-built bodywork and 24-karat gold plating, was sold at the Kruse Auctions in Abern, Indiana, for $1.275 million USD (equivalent to approximately 6.5 million Brazilian reais). This sale set the highest price ever paid for a Cadillac at a public auction. Including auction house commissions, the total transaction value reached $1.4 million, or about 7.2 million reais.
This result exceeded the previous brand record by more than $300,000. The former record stood at $940,000 (which equated to 4.8 million reais at the current exchange rate) and was set in 2023 for a 1934 Fleetwood Aerodynamic Coupé V16 model.
The creation of this automobile resulted from an idea by graphic artist Harry Birdsall and his friend Joe Mascari. They began work using a Cadillac Série 62 chassis. The initial sketches were developed by Birdsall, which were later refined by Albrecht von Goertz, who would later design the BMW 503 and 507 early in his career.
The aluminum body was handcrafted by Carrozzeria Motto in Turin. This process took 30 months and cost about $30,000 in the 1950s. For comparison, Robb Report notes that a new Chevrolet Corvette cost less than $3,000 at that time.
The car is adorned with pearlescent paint, while the door handles, friezes, and moldings are covered in 24-karat gold. The hardtop, which folds completely into the trunk via an electro-hydraulic mechanism, allows the coupe to be converted into a convertible. The interior is finished in burgundy Italian leather, equipped with a panoramic windshield and a transparent acrylic steering wheel featuring a San Cristobal medallion.
Under the hood is a Cadillac 5.4 V8 engine, equipped with a four-barrel carburetor and producing about 213 horsepower, along with a four-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. The Elegante model was first presented to the public at the New York Auto Show in 1955 as the first of a planned series of ten units, but no other units were built.
Birdsall passed away in 1960. The car changed hands several times and ended up in Florida, where it was damaged while sheltering from Hurricane Andrew in 1992. After returning to the family, its restoration was carried out by Dick Birdsall, which took 16 years and was completed in 2014, after which the car received recognition at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.
At the time of the sale, the Elegante showed mileage of 4,331 miles, which is approximately 7,000 kilometers, and had a documented history of restoration and ownership. The car had been out of public view for about 73 years, making this its first appearance at auction. The auction, the 56th Auburn Auction & Show, gathered over 2,000 buyers from September 3rd to 5th and generated approximately $21 million, with 85% of lots sold.