The term Pink Cadillac has been used in movies, songs and books ever since the 1950s Cadillacs started sporting pastel colors. However, very few people know that Cadillacs could actually be ordered in a factory pink color in 1969. The 1969 "pink" color, called Wisteria, is actually a subtle blend of pink hues, with a tint of lavender in it. Original Wisteria cars are very hard to find, as the color was offered in 1969 only. Most of the Cadillac buyers have always been pretty conservative and as a result it is much easier to find a blue, black or white car, than one fitted in an outrageous color like Wisteria. A fellow Cadillac collector who lives in the UK introduced me to this color when he mailed me some pictures of his gorgeous 1969 Cadillac DeVille Convertible. His car was also an original Wisteria one, but he had it repainted. Click on the picture to the right to see a full size version of this car. My friend's 1969 DeVille Convertible has the original white leather interior combined with a black carpet and a black dash. I had been considering buying a 1969 Cadillac and repainting it in Wisteria. In October 1999, when I was spending one of those cold and dark pre-winter evenings reading an old car classifieds magazine, I noticed a 1969 Cadillac Eldorado for sale in Holland. From the small picture in the magazine, it was hard to tell what the exact color was, but it looked pretty close to Wisteria. A call to the seller confirmed that the car had a white leather interior with black carpets and a black dash. The next Saturday, my wife and I drove to the place in Holland and inspected the car. Although there were some minor flaws on it, the car was in pretty decent shape. Inspecting the body plate revealed that the car had the correct color code (47) and the correct interior code for a white leather interior with black carpets and a black dash (452). So there I was standing, looking at a car which rolled off the assembly the same year my wife and I were born, which had my #1 favorite color combination and which was only located 150 miles from my home. Considering that most of my Cadillacs were bought in the USA, 150 miles is very close to home. It is not hard to imagine that I really wanted to buy that Eldorado. It took some negotiating with the seller, but after some time we agreed on a mutually acceptable price. Since I did not have the time, nor the intent, to do another 300 mile round trip to pick up the Cadillac, I decided to drive it home that same evening. Although the driver had assured me that I could drive the Eldorado that distance with total confidence, it was still somewhat exciting to be behind the wheel of the 30 year old lady and rely on her to bring me back to Belgium. However, after half an hour I felt so confident, just as if I had been driving her all my life. Call it coincidence, but a few minutes after I left the seller's place, the radio played my all-time favorite cruising song "Driver's Seat" by Sniff 'n' the Tears. The moment I heard that song, I knew I had made the right decision by buying the Eldorado. By the time we arrived home, my wife and I had agreed on calling her Delphine.

Now the Wisteria color is probably a love-it-or-hate-it thing. Some friends who have seen it fell in love with it immediately, while others simply expressed their utter disgust. Well it least it is eye-catching! The 1969 Eldorado was the third year of the first generation front wheel drive Eldorados. In 1967 Cadillac had introduced the Eldorado, with its 429 cubic inch engine. In 1968 the engine was replaced with the absolutely marvelous 472. The 1967 and 1968 Eldorados had hidden highlamps; on the 1969 and 1970 models the headlamps were exposed all the time. Minimal styling differences distinguished one year from the other, but the basic body shape remained unchanged from 1967 until 1970. What I like particularly about the first generation FWD Eldorados is the rear end design. The protruding razor-sharp rear fenders with the integral tail-lights hint at the car's performance. The V-eed rear window design carries over in the V design of the trunk lid. An almost feminine baroque design is hinted by the flowing sides of the front and rear fenders. This was one of the last styling feats of Bill Mitchell, chief of Cadillac design.

With its high compression 472 cubic engine, almost unaffected by the soon-to-be-introduced emission equipment of the 1970s, Delphine has enormous power potential -- not suprisingly as her engine delivers an awesome 375 HP at 4,400 rpm.. Someone who drives her for the very first time will have a hard time keeping the front wheels from spinning when accelerating from a standstill. Many GTI owners have been taken by surprise by Delphine's unsurpassed acceleration power. Passing is no problem either, considering she has 525 lbs-ft of torque available at 3,000 rpm. 

Delphine has undergone a partial restoration of the engine bay. Click here if you want to visit the picture album of this restoration.

If you want to download some pictures of my 1969 Eldorado, just go to the Picture Gallery.

Last edited on December 21st 2001 by Rik Gruwez
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