“Imaginatively new. Decidedly Cadillac.”
Is it possible to miss the market more than this? For the 1986 model year, Cadillac downsized the front wheel drive Eldorado coupe again. This time, the wheelbase dropped to 108 inches, and overall length was down by over 16 inches to 188 inches—what was supposed to be the top of the non-limousine Cadillac line was now about the size of a 1986 Chevrolet Celebrity (or a 2025 Cadillac CT4 sedan) and a full three feet shorter than the (admittedly massive) 1978 Eldorado.
Predictably, Eldorado buyers didn’t go for it. Sales collapsed from about 74,000 in 1985 to about 21,000 in 1986—definitely not what would be expected from a complete model revision. Six years later, GM had now managed to duplicate the carnage that Ford had experienced with its 1980 luxury vehicle downsizing. Notably, Ford Thunderbird, Lincoln Mark VII (the Continental name departed that year), and Mercury Cougar sales were all up for 1986, along with those of some of GM’s “junior” personal luxury coupes. The December 1987 issue of Special Interest Autos simply called the Eldorado/Riviera/Toronado downsizing “the E-body disaster” and speculated that it was costing GM half a billion dollars a year in lost profits.
So, what did those relatively few buyers get with their $24,251 (about $70,900 in today’s dollars) 1986 Eldorado? Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included power four-wheel disc brakes, power steering, and aluminum alloy wheels. Inside, front bucket seats, power mirrors, power windows, power door locks, a power trunk release, cruise control, electronic climate control, and an AM/FM stereo radio with power antenna were all included, so the Eldorado was at least pretty well equipped.
Packages, Options, & Performance Numbers
Moving up to the Biarritz (almost always the top-of-the-line Eldorado since 1956) cost either $3,095 (with cloth seats) or $3,495 (with leather seats) raising the price to either $27,346 ($79,900 today) or $27,746 ($81,100 today). Standard equipment on the Biarritz included nicer seats with power lumbar support, two-tone paint, and real walnut accents.
Options included a power Astroroof ($1,255), a nicely integrated cellular phone ($2,850), the FE2 touring suspension with 15-inch aluminum alloy wheels and 215/60R15 Goodyear Eagle GT tires ($155), and the Delco-GM/Bose Symphony Sound System ($895).
The Eldorado’s engine was Cadillac’s 130 bhp HT-4100 throttle body fuel injected 4.1 liter/249 ci V8 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy was 17 city/26 highway by the standards of the day (15/24 by today’s standards). Since the engine and transmission remained the same and the Eldorado was smaller and lighter, performance was better but still not very impressive: 0-60 improved to about 11 seconds.
The View From 2025
According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1986 Eldorado in #1/Concours condition is $19,100, with a far more typical #3/Good car going for $6,900. Eldorados of this age come up for sale regularly in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and Bring a Trailer, so folks are saving them.
Make mine Corinthian Blue Firemist, please.
Other Eldorados I have written about include the 1982 Touring Coupe, the 1984 Biarritz convertible, and the 1988 coupe.
Last updated March 2025.
Eighties Cars 