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1961 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible

Personal story and photograph submitted by owner Peter Davis
for participation in the the 2008 GM Century Cruise

My high school yearbook says, "Peter Davis will most likely design cars for General Motors."

After Design College in 1981, there were very few design openings, and I didn’t like the design direction coming out of Detroit, so I went to Germany and applied directly to Adam Opel AG. for a design position.

Between Opel and eventually Fiat in Italy, I spent 16 years designing compact, fuel-efficient vehicles, maximizing the interior space within tight exterior dimensions. I owned an Alfa Romeo and Lancia sports cars and a new Fiat roadster.

When I returned to the U.S. and re-immersed myself in Woodward Cruise culture, I yearned to acquire a lavish, extravagant vehicle from the late 50s and early 60s. 1960 and 1961 are my favorite years for GM vehicles, and a long Buick, Pontiac, or Cadillac convertible was my collector car objective.

I found the Biarritz in Missouri, and flew down to check it out. It is the opposite of Euro-pragmatism, and a pure American phenomenon, created in a period of winner optimism, with an anything-is-possible attitude.

The Eldorado Biarritz is the rarest of the '61 models with only 1,450 built. It has Ostrich-grained red metallic leather upholstery, electric everything and a vacuum-mechanical cruise control device. The fins are reduced to a more tasteful size from the 1960 Cadillac and the lower "skegs" were inspired from the Cadillac Cyclone concept car. The short front and long rear overhangs combined with the fins give it a forward reaching rocket ship look.

It wasn’t the most extravagant design of the times, but it certainly makes today’s vehicles look under-styled and unremarkable. It makes people smile!


GM’s Century Cruise pays tribute to GM’s past and the passion owners have for their vehicles. On Saturday, August 16, 2008 this vehicle and more than 100 other classic GM vehicles will cruise from the GM Global Headquarters at the Renaissance Center up Woodward Avenue to the heart of the Woodward Dream Cruise in Royal Oak and the surrounding suburbs. One of these vehicles will be crowned “top cruiser” based on a text voting campaign.

Next GM Century Cruise Participant

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