Drive Cult goes car spotting in New Mexico and discovers an aging Cadillac in need of attention.
I'm just back from two weeks in New Mexico. While the United States may share a common language (more or less) with Great Britain, when it comes to cars we might as well be on different planets. The small hatchbacks that dominate European roads are seldom seen on the highways of the the southwestern American state. Instead, every other car is not even a car at all but a large pick-up truck. With powerful sounding names like Silverado, Superduty and Ram, these pickups are mainly powered by large V8s, so it's easy to see why so many Americans are complaining about the price of fuel despite it being less than half of what it costs in the UK. Some of these trucks owners don't exactly help their fuel economy by fitting extreme lift kits that surely must mean a step ladder is required to get in or out.
Modern European cars are few and far between, and the ones that do make it onto the roads tend to be the executive models from BMW, Mercedes and Volvo, perhaps driven by the personal injury lawyers whose billboard adverts line the interstates.
Other than various generations of Corvette, sports cars are almost non-existent although I did spot a brand new Porsche 997 Turbo S Cabriolet in Santa Fe. The long and often empty highways may make you think that this was the ideal place for maxing out a supercar, but the high number of police patrol vehicles and in most cases the generally poor state of the roads would quickly tell you otherwise.
One of the surprises, however, is the number of classic cars on the road and seemingly still in regular use. Sixties Camaros and Mustangs were a reasonably regular sight and I even spotted a couple of Jaguars, an E-Type (or should that be XKE) Coupe and a Mk IX - in need of restoration - on my travels. I guess the dry desert climate aids in the preservation of these older cars.
One particular classic car that caught my attention - partly because it belongs to a friend of my wife - was a 1957 Cadillac Eldorado coupe Deville. Today the Cadillac brand is known for blinged-up SUVs for rap stars and the slightly tacky but very powerful CTS-V, but back in the fifties Cadillac was the height of American luxury motoring. Indeed, the exclusive Brougham version of the Eldorado cost more when new than a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud.
This particular Eldorado was acquired by the present owner in 2003 and has since been subject to a rolling restoration. The engine has been rebuilt and is apparently a 390 cu in V8, although I believe that this engine size was not available on the Deville until 1959 so it may not be the original unit supplied with the car. The bodywork appears to be structurally sound, although the paintwork is very flat and has a number of cracks in it. All the chromework appeared to be present and in reasonably good condition. The interior is reasonable with the exception of the dashboard top which has crumbled away as a result of the intense summer heat in New Mexico.
Having spent far too many rainy Sundays watching repeats of Overhaulin' on the Discovery Channel, I can easily see this car turned into a slick hot-rod, perhaps with lowered suspension and bigger alloy wheels for the lead-sled look. Finished in a bright pearlescent paint, maybe with flames on the bonnet, the car could then easily look the part in a ZZ-Top video.
The owner had planned to continue with the restoration, but a recent job offer in another US state has caused a rethink on this, and regrettably the Caddy is now for sale. If you are interested in buying the car, which is located in Santa Fe, we can put you in touch with the owner.