One of the longstanding car-culture traditions of Southern Utah is an annual Easter weekend show held in the city of Hurricane and spearheaded by the Hurricane Valley Rotary Club. This year’s program took place on Saturday, April 4, and attracted about 300 outstanding vehicles.
One of them in particular had a special story worth sharing: It was Denny and Sally Wyatt’s 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. Finished in Copenhagen Blue, it was a car that stood in a class of its own on the show field — and in fact, it stood in a class of its own even when it was brand-new.
There were only 304 Eldorado Broughams produced for 1958, and it was a car only high-rollers could afford. The Brougham listed for $13,074 — a sum that could easily buy a home in 1958. In fact, that same price tag could buy five Chevrolet Bel Airs. Bob Hope was one of the celebrities who owned one.
A magazine ad for the Brougham said, “Now available in limited numbers, it is, in every way, the finest and most admired motor car ever to bear the Cadillac name.” There were 15 exterior color options and 43 combinations of interior colors and materials.
Denny and Sally have owned their Brougham for about a year, and they’ve been able to assemble a sizeable library of documentation about the car. It was originally sold to its first owner in Michigan, and it eventually made its way to the Pacific Northwest. In 2016, the car received a comprehensive restoration in Denver. Denny said they drive the car on a regular basis, but when not in use, it spends time in climate-controlled storage (understandably).
What made the car so expensive? Eldorado Broughams were hand-assembled, and features included a pillarless roofline, brushed stainless-steel roof, rear-hinged rear doors, sophisticated air suspension, and of course, the generous chrome trim and elegant tailfins that defined the late 1950s.
The cabin was a place of extreme opulence, and Broughams came with a long list of standard equipment, such as air conditioning, power windows (including the wing windows), power door locks, Autotronic Eye headlight dimmer, push-button radio, and power trunk lid. A few unique bonus items came as part of a vanity set, including a perfume atomizer as well as a magnetized set of six tumblers. Talk about “lifestyles of the rich and famous”!
We wish Denny and Sally many more miles of happy cruising. But maybe leave the flask at home!
We express special thanks to Tia Astle for collecting the photos and interviewing the car’s owners.
