1961 Eldorado Concept Motorama Show Car

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Reply to Eric and others,
Thanks for posting. It's exactly what I expected. It's called a cars built sheet like  it says  right at the  top. The cars built sheet started out as a full sheet with about 26 cars listed in order by engine serial #. Now it's been reduced to one line & they even redacted the key #'s. Build sheet is Corvette speak. That's what comes to mind when someone has obtained the information. You've seen their reaction on the board. I just paid  $50 to AV for this??? And I can't understand the outlet code?? When build sheet is mentioned, people expect a LOT more than one line. Most of my research has been on 41 & earlier cars where you get a full invoice that tells everything.
I'm still unclear on exactly what you get from GMH & what does it cost?
HTH, Bob

[N Kahn]

Reply to Eric and others,
Thanks for posting. It's exactly what I expected. It's called a cars built sheet like  it says  right at the  top. The cars built sheet started out as a full sheet with about 26 cars listed in order by engine serial #. Now it's been reduced to one line & they even redacted the key #'s. Build sheet is Corvette speak. That's what comes to mind when someone has obtained the information. You've seen their reaction on the board. I just paid  $50 to AV for this??? And I can't understand the outlet code?? When build sheet is mentioned, people expect a LOT more than one line. Most of my research has been on 41 & earlier cars where you get a full invoice that tells everything.
I'm still unclear on exactly what you get from GMH & what does it cost?
HTH, Bob

Well I paid 'em $50 and so far I've received absolutely nothing. I'm looking at the build sheets you guys posted up and I'm still bewildered.

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Hi Nadeem,
I want to say that you have a wonderful car. I agree it is the show car. Please understand that we've seen a # of questionable cars including 59/60 Luvdg special being passed off as stying exercises or  Earl & Mitchell approved cars etc.
So... we're with you on waiting for the info to arrive. You've done a great job posting  pictures & sharing the car.
I just wanted to make you aware of the document you might get from AV. Let's hope it's a LOT more like the document Bill Rafakis posted.
HTH, Bob

[N Kahn]

I'm here to learn, what's the Luvdg Special, never seen that one?

[Guidematic]

That's the one with the TV in the dash, right?

Mike

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Type LUVDG in the search box. Plenty of good reading .

[gouldsom]

Hi Guys
Following this unfolding story, with great interest here in New Zealand.
I'm glad I got the build sheet for my car, before all that privacy stuff. In those days they just gave you the whole page, I took the key numbers to my local locksmith, and he cut me the missing glovebox /trunk key, took em home and they worked perfectly, I was impressed.
Bill Refarkis even told me that the 59 Biarritz, that was ahead of mine still exists, said it was on his secret list, and Quentin Hall almost bought the Biarritz after mine one time.
Keep up the sleuthing, its a good story with some great photos, past and present.
Gee I wish someone could tell me who the first owner of my car was, I have a feeling it may be James Arness ( From Gunsmoke).
I do know it was originally owned by a semi famous "Western Star".
Richard

[wrefakis]

were i rsearching this car,the first thing i would do would be to try to get a copy of the auto show program,
next, i would look at the seat patterns,and lower trim and compare to other gm makes,the seat style and lower body trim look like 63 buick at quick glance,

next build record,sorry,what you will recieve will be EXACTLY whay you already have on your body tag; the example that i posted has a body tag with no paint or interior codes,just "SO 171" were you to see tis car,you would have no hope of knowing how it was produced

i am of the casual opinion that this was a zone or distric office custom done for a special client and shown at the show,cadillac factory display cars would have been noted as such in program literature,and factoory photos would exist

[N Kahn]

Just read the LUVDG saga, yipes, Florida has a lot of things to be held accountable for.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Reply to Eric and others,
Thanks for posting. It's exactly what I expected. It's called a cars built sheet like  it says  right at the  top. The cars built sheet started out as a full sheet with about 26 cars listed in order by engine serial #. Now it's been reduced to one line & they even redacted the key #'s. Build sheet is Corvette speak. That's what comes to mind when someone has obtained the information. You've seen their reaction on the board. I just paid  $50 to AV for this??? And I can't understand the outlet code?? When build sheet is mentioned, people expect a LOT more than one line. Most of my research has been on 41 & earlier cars where you get a full invoice that tells everything.
I'm still unclear on exactly what you get from GMH & what does it cost?
HTH, Bob

Just to clarify Bob, the document that I had posted is a "Cars Built" sheet as opposed to a "Build Sheet"? And is there any way of obtaining the proper "Build Sheet"? I am assuming the Build Sheet is specific to a given vehicle.

Thanks, Eric

[Eldorado Tex]

Amazing what turns up on c-list

[Richard Sills - CLC #936]

Here is my understanding of the "SO" or other special designations:

If the car is basically a standard car but has a non-standard trim feature, such as a paint color or interior trim, you will have a regular factory body plate, but the designation for the non-standard feature will indicate that it is non-standard.  For example, I saw a 1941 Cadillac with a factory special-order paint color, and the data plate said "SO" in the place where it would usually have a one or two-digit number to indicate the paint code.  I owned a 1967 Cadillac with a special-order interior, and its data plate said "000" in the place where you would ordinarily see a two-digit code for interior trim.   

But if the car is a special order car created by the GM styling studio, it would have another separate tag under the hood, on the firewall, in addition to the standard body tag.  This separate tag would have the "S.O." designation followed by the sequential number of the job and the date of the job.  I have such a car built in 1960, and the tag added by the Styling Studio says "S.O. 90681", followed by the date.   I have also seen a similar tag (identical to mine except for the numbers and the date) on a 1956 Motorama Cadillac that was one-of-a-kind.  If you look at the website "carofthecentury.com", you will see S.O. numbers of other special cars built by GM.

In the realm of one-of-a-kind cars, it is difficult to assert that they "always" did it a certain way, because it is possible that there were inconsistencies from time to time, depending on who was in charge of a particular project.  But in any event, I wanted to share the knowledge that I have picked up over the years on this subject.

Richard

[N Kahn]

Great website, lots of amazing pictures. thanks Richard.

Unless I'm missing something I've found no other tags on the cowl, under the hood or anywhere, just that SO- 50551, that's it, if it exists it's either gone or it's very elusive.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

In the realm of one-of-a-kind cars, it is difficult to assert that they "always" did it a certain way, because it is possible that there were inconsistencies from time to time, depending on who was in charge of a particular project.

Richard

Excellent point Richard.

[N Kahn]

Here's the picture I got yesterday with the National Cherry Queen sitting in the car from an unknown year, note the US Royal dual whitewalls are still on the car as is the parade boot.

[N Kahn]

I can't get the picture any bigger

[Davidinhartford]

Well, it has a Michigan bicentennial (1976) license plate on it.  Plus that appears to be a 1977 GM B-body sedan behind it.

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Reply to Eric & others,
I just Googled  Corvette build sheet. I don't think Cadillac had something like this in the 50's or 60's. It would be nice if Cadillac did have  them.
They did start leaving the small broadcast sheets in the cars starting in about 69. They are sort of a build sheet but not really. Maybe some one has  an earlier  one.
Again, I just don't want anyone getting disappointed in what they get from AV & searching for paperwork that doesn't exist.
HTH, Bob

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

I have found paper broadcast - build(?) sheet under the left rear carpet behind the front seat in another '62 I had owned. When I get a chance I'll check my present '62. Unfortunately they're difficult to remove without destroying them.

[N Kahn]

Here's scans of some paperwork that I got with the car. If any of you know any more about the Walter Hagen and Bing Crosby connection I'd love to hear about it.