This 1963 Cadillac XP-825 Eldorado Concept Was One Awesome Car

As classic Cadillacs go, the 1967 to 1970 Fleetwood Eldorado represents one of the brand’s best designs and one of the most impressive-looking American sedans ever. At a whopping 221 inches long, this V8-powered beast was a bit shorter than the generations before and after, but it still had an incredibly long hood and front fenders and a sharp, angular design. But what was even more remarkable than the production Eldorado was this 1963 concept vehicle that inspired it, the XP-825.

This stretched-out concept car looked like a speedboat when viewed from above, thanks to its pointed nose, V-shaped, wraparound windshield, and speedtail trunk. Its extra-long wheelbase pushed its wheels to the corners of the car. Eagle-eyed viewers might notice the resemblance between the nose of this experimental concept and the late 1960s Buick Riviera. The design was also instrumental in creating the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, which shared the components with the Eldorado’s new front-wheel drivetrain.

Cadillac had previously made cars with V12 engines, and the original XP-825 concept certainly had enough room under its hood to hold one – or even a V16. However, like many concept cars, the production version saw its proportions normalized, and features made more practical. Under the leadership of GM styling chief Bill Mitchell, Cadillac’s team continued to refine the design, with 1964 and 1966 revisions of the XP-825 that weren’t as exaggerated as the 1963 model.

Eventually, those refinements led to the production of the 1967 Fleetwood Eldorado, a fine classic car in its own right. But could you imagine people driving down the road in the original version?

[via r/retrofuturism and Eldorado Seville]