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I was initially prepared to greet this follow up issue to Danbury’s spectacular 1957 Eldorado Biarritz as little more than a mainstream release. After all, the best representation of the ’57 Caddy was surely the one already done, right? I had also heard that the Seville was to be some mundane shade of blue with a blue vinyl roof. Oh well, I guess the mid-fifties Caddy with all the pizzazz, the sexy Dust Rose drop top, would never have an equal. So here comes Bobby Blue Boring on wheels. But then I opened the magic styrofoam box and experienced an epiphany. Hello Mr. Blue! First off, Bahama Blue Poly is specific to Eldorado, Biarritz and Seville only. DM handled the metallic scaling in a perfectly demure miniature process. The vinyl roof on a 1:1 car of this color was generally seen in white; rarely in blue.
The two-toned blue effect on this car model is clearly outstanding; the choice, a stroke of genius. It has every bit of exceptional build quality of the Biarritz but has been dignified with enough changes to keep the new addition to DM’s exquisite line of Caddies as fresh as a Nassau breeze. DM opted to go with the standard engine version, the single carb V-8, pushing out 300 horses instead of their Biarritz’s optional 325 horse multi-carb rendition. As a result the look of the engine bay is wholly different. But do not read that to be ho-hum; the standard DM-attention to detail is anything but standard. They revolutionized the use of genuinely sprung hood hinge pieces that work like the real McCoy’s. I still gasp in amazement at the Eldo’s working hinges. They move accurately up and back as you raise the hood, all the while keeping alignment true.
And the engine detail, as always, is second to none. From the under-hood insulation package to the detailed wiring, fuel lines and hoses to the downward flow of detail in brake lines and sprung emergency cabling, they could not have added more. That is, unless you count the awe-inspiring working suspension. The articulation is subtle. It holds the model’s hefty stance right where it needs to be yet has the right amount of realistic ‘give’. And again, DM treats the front sub-suspension as the actual car; the wheels and cradle arms move in unison. The rear features functional leaf springs and shocks. Oh, and please don’t get me started on the gold metal scripts. Some folks denounce the fragile nature of the scripts and letters. To me, this added realism is essential to the miniaturization procedure. The models are our ‘toys’ but they are not toys! I love them!
The trunk is great. It utilizes the same under-lid insulation materials as the hood, has a removable spare and shows off the jacking tools and latching mechanism. The interior is, perhaps, the model’s best feature. Note, prior to inspection, the chrome trim-surrounds that Danbury built into the upper window/roofline. It also encompasses the rear window and separates the vinyl roof from the bodyline. The new-tech hinges allow the door to open wide and reveal the great inside. You see the same attention to detail in the photo-etched metal door sills, door lock buttons and seat sculpting. The visors work and the floor pedals are authentic. The front arm rest folds down but this time, so does the rear arm rest. The seats fold forward, at an inward manner just like the real car! The door paneling, hardware, opening fuel filler door and metal trim is like the Biarritz’s; superb.
DM took obvious pains in creating a running mate for the open air Eldo. The two are complimentary of each other and neither outshines nor diminishes its sibling. These were wonderful cars back in the fifties and I am grateful to have them once again, thanks to DM, if only in perfect scale form.
(06/22/2007)
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