Imagining a 1959 Cadillac Escalade by iBestTravel
Like ships passing in the night, Cadillac’s two most iconic nameplates barely shared dealership floor space. The two-door Eldorado—symbolizing mid-century American automotive glamour and luxury—was being put to rest just as a new E-named vehicle, the Escalade, arrived to restore Cadillac to the forefront of automotive vogue. In only 20 short years, with no prior pedigree, the Escalade has come to dominate and define the luxury SUV space. But what if it had some existing lineage? What if Cadillac had first envisioned the Escalade back in the 1950s when it introduced the Eldorado to an increasingly affluent, booming America?
This intriguing question has been addressed by designer Abilemec, who imagined what a 1959 Cadillac Escalade might have looked like had the luxury division of General Motors conceptualized the luxury SUV concept 40 years sooner. The renderings depict a more luxurious take on the late-1950s Chevrolet Suburban. Just as today’s Escalade is distinct from the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, as well as GMC’s Yukon and Yukon XL, this illustration assumes a similar parts-sharing relationship might exist between these hypothetical Cold War-era vehicles.
The Unique Births of Eldorado and Escalade
It is almost eerie how similar the introductions of the Eldorado and Escalade were. Both stood at the forefront of bold automotive styling trends. Throughout the 1950s, Cadillac engaged in a tailfin arms race with other automakers, culminating in the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado’s towering rear fins. As the new millennium approached, Cadillac decided to adorn GM’s massive GMT truck platform with its badges, chrome, and fancier wood and leather, igniting a race to create taller, heavier, and more imposing luxury vehicles—fuel prices be damned!
Remarkably, the Cadillac SUV captured the Eldorado’s stylish “personal luxury” essence and repackaged it in a format appealing to early-2000s America. Abilemec’s 1959 Escalade design translates this idea by incorporating Cadillac’s famous tailfins, jet-afterburner taillights, and chrome-laden front and rear fascias onto the classic Suburban’s wagon body. This imagined Escalade features three rows of bench seating, a powerful V-8 engine, and an array of electronic power accessories. In a creative Instagram post, the designer even shares an imaginary 1959 sales brochure entry for the Escalade, which reads:
A NEW REALM OF MOTORING MAJESTY! A completely new way of transportation as radical as this could only be a product of Cadillac, the standard of the world. A perfect blend of practicality, convenience, value, elegance, and comfort, the Escalade offers the most luxurious experience available in a motor car—a realm all its own.
Contemplating the Impact of a 1959 Launch
If the Escalade had enjoyed a 40-year head start, it probably would not have entered the market in 1999 as a rebadged, hastily assembled GMC Yukon Denali. However, it is conceivable that decades of challenges and those less desirable automotive years in the 1970s and 1980s could have dulled the Cadillac SUV’s shine somewhat, just as they wore away at the Eldorado’s prestige.
