The last American convertible of an era, a Cadillac, comes off the line in 1976
A white Fleetwood Eldorado convertible, the last American-made soft-top car at the time, rolled off the assembly line at GM’s Cadillac assembly plant in Detroit on April 21, 1976, ending a tradition that began in 1916.
The last 200 Fleetwood Eldorado convertibles produced in 1976 were identical: white with white tops, white wheel covers, white leather seat trim with red piping, red carpeting and matching instrument panel, and red and blue hood accent stripes to mark America’s bicentennial.
Now aged to perfection, few people would have guessed the direction America’s automotive business would take when this special Eldorado, then marketed as the nation’s “last convertible,” was built in 1976. This car was supposed to be the ultimate finale to a fabled body design, one which had lost luster as the gas shortages and discotheque outrages of the 1970s progressed. As we know now, convertibles indeed returned to the marketplace, but the unique 1976 Bicentennial Cadillac remains a benchmark in domestic car creation. Formally announced via a press release on April 21, 1976, just 200 examples were built for the nation’s 200th birthday, exclusively created to complete all Eldorado convertible production. It was further noted in the press statement that Cadillac had aggressively purchased all the remaining parts inventory from its second-tier supplier two years prior to make the construction possible.
They were all identically equipped and became almost instant collector cars. A big 500 CI V-8 Cadillac engine was selected for power. Each of the special bicentennial models was built in a triple-white scheme, with a Cotillion White exterior, a white power top and a white leather interior. Inside, the dash, seat piping, seatbelts and carpet were done in a dramatic red; thin blue and red pinstriping adorned the hood and red pinstriping ran down each side. Even the exclusive wheel covers featured white centers, replacing the black versions found on all other releases. The finishing touch for all of them was a gold dash plaque that declared “This 1976 Fleetwood Eldorado is one of the last 200 identical U.S. production convertibles.” There were 199 cars that ended up in customers’ hands, as GM kept the very last one for itself—getting a Michigan vanity plate that simply said LAST to license it.
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