The world’s largest hatchback? Or at least with the biggest engine (500 CID)? But don’t tell the folks that spent some ridiculous amount on one of these new that it was a hatchback.
And it looks like at least one has survived, if a bit worse for wear:
Here’s what you missed out on, in 1976, when this one was built.
Just needs some of those plastic filler panels and it’s good to go.
The new Cadillac Lyriq has a very similar profile.
I never knew these existed; the world’s most massive shooting brake? Wow!
Ungainly might be an apt descriptor, but the photos actually make it look better than the, ahem, unfortunately-styled Eldorado as it came from the factory.
I immediately saw a shooting brake too. It’s not quite either a wagon nor hatchback.
Why a 2 door wagon?. The rich mans Opel 1900 Wagon perhaps?. Sorry it looks like an AMC design reject. Elvis 74 Sedan Deville based ASC 4 door wagon was far better proportioned.
Based on what little I see, could be the hatch came from a Chevy Chevette.
Sad but the 500 went by by in 76 ! down to a 425 in 77 & 78 then the down size in 79 to a 350 olds engine & or that 4-6-8 386 deactivation cyl. nonsense ! lol
To up-date its 1981 that started that cyl. deactivation so a normal 386 down from 425 started in the down size Eldo & FWD Seville ! I like the RWD Seville the best !
The Eldorado Sportabout.
This looks like something that would appear in a Hammacher Schlemmer catalog, they constantly feature all sorts of expensive items that would seem to appeal to people with too much money and too little taste. I wonder if Elvis drove one? It would be right up his tree.
I’m trying to figure out if there was a donor for the liftgate, or if it’s a home job. My first guess was from a Hornet Sportabout, but it doesn’t quite match. Any ideas?
I can’t quite figure it out either. Here’s another angle, which may help.
The only thing that comes immediately to mind is a Chevette, like 3SpeedAutomatic mentioned above, but maybe the rear glass is partially covered here to make it look different?
I think 3Speed is correct. Nothing like Chevette parts to customize your Caddy!
That’s got to be the oddest automotive donor/donee pair ever made.
It’s actually a ’76…wheel covers, taillights, grill, so 500 cu in.
Works for me. It’s a ’76 now.
Sorry, but I have “No Time” to look at this.
Burton’s car?
And here was me, thinking that the Castillian was the maddest Cadillac wagon I’d seen and then this comes along. Thanks for sharing!
Good God Almighty, that’s in the top running for ugliest car of its era. Someone looked at a Pinto Wagon or Kamback Vega and said “give me that, as a Cadillac “. Yuck.
I can dig this shooting brake, too bad the tatty one was on the junk removal truck .
-Nate
Thats different, a Caddy hatchback, who knew they made these?
How the Griswolds would have ordered their new Family Truckster if Clark had won the lottery!
Can’t fathom the thought process that created this freak, Speechless!
Both this wagon and the equally hatchbackish Castilian are the results of a design and budgetary compromise. Both this Eldorado and the Fleetwood Brougham (basis for the Castilian) have a flat gas tank under the trunk with a center-mounted filler behind the license plate. The hatchback conversions preserve that structure, at the expense of a relatively high cargo floor and high liftover. But it’s easier to do because it preserves almost all the original structure below the beltline. To get a fully functional wagon with a real tailgate, one has to do much more involved transplant surgery, grafting on the rear bodywork and some structure from an actual wagon, with a gas tank riding side-saddle in the left fender.
They moved the reverse lights from immediately next to the license plate to the plastic filler itself, I guess because they had to replace the filler anyway or add another filler between it and the hatch. Looks even cheesier than the original.
The US ’76 Chevette hatch turns down at the bottom edge more than I’m seeing here. Maybe it’s imported.
Surely Elvis either had one, or one on order that he unfortunately didn’t live to take delivery of.
Beyond the King, I cannot imagine who would have had a use for something like this. I’m not sure what the King would have done with it, but well, it was a Caddy and white. And he wasn’t necessarily making the best decisions there at the end….
For when your regular Eldorado just isn’t ugly enough?
When it isn’t pimped out, from some angles, a ’75-8 Eldorado is a handsome car–from a distance. Up close, it’s preposterous, and I had one in the 90s.
Interesting conversion, for the man or woman who has everything perhaps? 11 made, allegedly, and the one on the trailer is in significantly worse shape now but is apparently about to be restored according to the current owner’s YouTube clip of it:
What a great video! 🙂
“Needs some work. That’s all good.” BEST LINE EVER. This guy’s my hero.
All I can add is to note that Bringatrailer would be a whole lot better place if there were more videos/cars like that on it.
Whew, that’s rusty .
Sadly, B.A.T. has forgotten it’s roots , cha$ing the dollar$ only now .
-Nate
It reminds me of something, with a V12 engine for additional oneupmanship. Jaguar XJ-S Lynx Eventer conversion, which even has its own owners’ club