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Topic starter
09/12/2025 11:17 am
These General Motors mid-sixties full size personal luxury cars, gifted with powerful big block V8s, have such beautiful and sculptural designs virtually unadorned with gaudy chrome trim, and, for me were the stand out cars of that era... and I was a Ford guy! You had the '66 Olds Toronado:
The '66 Buick Riviera:
and this 1968 Cadillac El Dorado designed by Bill Mitchell. '68 was the 2nd year of this generation and was now powered by a massive 472 cid V8 producing 375 HP with 572 ft/lbs of torque. With gentle highway driving, you could squeeze 13 mpg out of it. Front disc brakes were finally made standard. It was the last year of the concealed headlamps due to new government regulations. It the most successful year, sales wise, with 24,528 sold. Its class long nose/ short deck design was more crisp and angular than the other two to make it a tad more elegant... and it succeeded.
09/12/2025 11:33 am
All three of these cars are gorgeous and seem to represent the best of the styling years for these marques.
09/12/2025 2:51 pm
Fond memories indeed. Sadly, that's all they can be as GM (or any automaker) doesn't give us classics like these anymore. Oldsmobile is gone and Buick offers SUB's like all other cookie-cutter vehicles out there today. Even Cadillac has an SUV, which I've never understood.
George Schire
Oakdale, Minnesota
09/12/2025 2:54 pm
The mid-60s Tornado, Riviera, and Eldorado are in my opinion three of the most beautiful cars of its era. I have a 1:24 Eldo in green and the 1968 Eldo is my favorite because it still had the concealed headlights and a new hood design concealing the wipers. A friend in college drove her Dad's 1967 Tornado and was my preferred year because it had the smoother concealed headlight design.
09/12/2025 6:43 pm
IMO the Buick is the most elegant design of the three. The Olds and Caddie are okay but both have too many sharp quirky lines for me.
09/12/2025 9:52 pm
That Riviera is one of my all-time favorite car designs !
Rich, what's this about hidden headlights ? Look at how many years the Corvettes had them. Steve
Geoff Jowett and Jack Dodds reacted
Topic starter
09/12/2025 11:47 pm
@100ford2003 Concealed headlamps on the El Dorado stopped in 1968 because there were new government regulations that stated that the headlamps be immediately uncovered and activated when entering a tunnel or unlit garage and the like and it appears that Cadillac didn't want to install the necessary tech.
Topic starter
11/12/2025 10:55 am
@bob-jackman I love that Riviera also. I'd love to have a nice 1/24 to replace my promo.
Steve Jacobs reacted
11/12/2025 12:02 pm
Guys, there is this AMT Masterpiece series model. Already built and ready to display.😊
Jack Dodds and Tony Perrone reacted
12/12/2025 3:01 am
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