This gold-drenched 1953 Cadillac one-off hits auction
This golddrenched 1953 Cadillac one-off, the award-winning Elegante concept, is heading to public sale for the first time in 73 years. Kruse Auctions will offer the gold-plated, Italian-built show car in Auburn, Indiana, on September 5, giving collectors a rare shot at a true 1950s dream machine.
Built on a 1953 Cadillac Series 62 chassis with a 331 ci V-8, the all-aluminum two-seater features a retractable hardtop, wraparound windshield, and Lucite steering wheel. Liberace-level gold plating covers the headlamp rings, wheel covers, windshield surround, and interior dash.
Key Takeaways
- The one-of-one Cadillac Elegante concept heads to Kruse Auctions in Auburn, Indiana, on September 5.
- Commissioned in 1953, it took over 30 months and more than $30,000 to build in Turin, Italy.
- Restored over 16 years, it won the People's Choice Award at the 2014 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.
- After decades in private hands, the car is being sold following the death of restorer Richard "Dicky" Birdsall.
- No comparable sale exists; Kruse says the market will set the price on auction day.
What Makes This Gold-Drenched 1953 Cadillac So Special?
The Elegante reads like a Harley Earl Motorama fantasy made real. Its iridescent mother-of-pearl white body sits beneath a gold-painted hardtop, while Deep Red Wine Italian leather and red carpeting fill the cabin.
Gold anodizing or 24-karat plating wraps the instrument panel, gauges, radio surround, dash-top ash tray, and door frames. A thin-rimmed Lucite steering wheel with an illuminated center hub adds futuristic flair worthy of any luxury collector's dream garage.
Who Built the Cadillac Elegante and Why?
New York commercial artist Harry Birdsall dreamed of a luxury convertible in GM design chief Harley Earl's style—one you could actually buy. He partnered with building contractor Joe Mascari, who had Italian speedboat connections.
Automotive designer Albrecht Goertz, later known for the BMW 507 and Datsun 240Z, fine-tuned Birdsall's sketches. Turin coachbuilder Carrozzeria Rocco Motto hand-formed the aluminum body, including its towering rear fins and hydraulically powered folding hardtop, using a burned-out 1953 Series 62 chassis Birdsall acquired from a New York Cadillac dealer.
What Happened to the Elegante After Its 1955 Debut?
The roadster stole the 1955 New York Auto Show in Yonkers. The New York Times declared it the star, noting its $30,000 price tag at a time when a new Corvette cost under $3,000. Birdsall drove it daily until his death in 1960.
Later owners stored it outdoors in Miami's Coconut Grove, where a collapsed carport during Hurricane Andrew in 1992 worsened its decay. Richard "Dicky" Birdsall spent 16 years on a ground-up restoration, returning it to the spotlight at Amelia Island in 2014 before it vanished from public view again.
How Much Could the Cadillac Elegante Fetch at Auction?
John Kruse, founder of Kruse Auctions, told Robb Report there is no direct comparable sale. After Dicky Birdsall's death last year, his family chose to let the car go. On September 5, the market alone will decide what this once-in-a-lifetime gold-drenched icon is worth.