When it comes to customs, major builds, especially those that are impressive, can quickly become very expensive. The perfect example of this is this custom Cadillac Eldorado Brougham Station Wagon, which took 15 years to build and cost a staggering $2.3 million.
The extensively customized car went under the hammer at Mecum’s Indy event in June and was impressive enough to win the 2019 Autorama Ridler Award. What’s more, the odometer only reads 6 miles (10 km), meaning the winner gets a practically brand-new classic.
The car features a custom trellis chassis supporting a custom body that connects the lower half of a 1:99 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham to the station wagon greenhouse of a 1959 Chevy Nomad. In addition, the new body has been further shortened by 18 inches in length, 4 inches in width and 2 inches in height. The entire process took around 4,000 hours and earned the car its nickname “CadMad”, a portmanteau of the vehicles inside.
The two-tone paint job, which cost $300,000 alone, is equal parts Fontana Rose and Titanium Silver, with the former gracing the Cadillac base and the latter covering the Chevy top. It features three urethane base coats, four color coats and no fewer than six coats of clear coat. Other exterior details include the flying hood mascot, chrome trim and machined 18-inch wheels on whitewall tires.
Inside, the Recaro bucket seats of a Cadillac CTS-V, like the rest of the cabin, are upholstered in rose leather. Hand-painted vertical striped detailing adorns the dash and door panels, and is complemented by a set of custom-built gauges that cost $7,000. To emphasize the car’s station wagon addition, the load floor is a mix of striped tiger wood, figured maple and African wenge wood paneling that has been hand laid to create a unique pattern.
The center console is also handcrafted and features distinct indentations for the dashboard controls. It all looks surprisingly original combined with the shiny metal shifter, bespoke steering column and EVOD steering wheel, which is a common theme of this build
The CadMad is powered by a whopping 10.3-liter V8, which features twin 88mm turbochargers along with a host of other upgrades. At 7.5 PSI Boost, this engine delivers a whopping 1,025 hp (1,039 hp / 764 kW). Other factory upgrades include a new block, billet crank covers, bored cylinders, a forged crankshaft, forged pistons with upgraded rings and billet connecting rods, new bearings, billet intake heads, dual fuel injectors per cylinder, and a 60-tooth cranktrain- ignition system.
All told, the engine cost $97,000, and it’s bolted to a 4L60E C5 Corvette automatic transmission that sends the V8’s power to the rear wheels. Thankfully, it also has the brakes to curb all that power: 6-piston calipers grip vented 14-inch discs via an electric brake booster. It also features custom steering components and handcrafted coilover suspension to ensure a stable and secure drive.
