1.000.000.- for a 59 Biarritz 
Why should the car the notorious Doc Sab is selling be the rarest Biarritz in the world? There are a couple of them with all factory options and bucket seats still out there, I saw some of them at meetings - even at some GN´s in the past. All of them had their options listed on their body plate as well.
His statement that only 70 cars with bucket seats were produced is ridiculous as well. Some real experts know that about 40% of Biarritzes were equipped with bucket seats. Welcome to reality!
George, I saw your great and informative website about your 1959 Biarritz and if I remember correctly your car has all the options as well?
Kurt
Dear Kurt,
This car you refer to is the only known surviving 1959 Eldorado Biarritz documented and authenticated - with all the most sought after, desired factory ordered and supplied specifications and options (triple Persian Sand - paint, interior and top, bucket seats and fully factory optioned including air). If you read Doc Sab's web page at all you would understand that.
This car can be backed up with the VIN tag and the build sheet, all supplied on Doc Sab's web page.
The car also is completely documented from new, with the original factory Warranty book, showing original owner (a well known purple heart recipient and Las Vegas Casino Owner and manager), original dealer, VIN, date of delivery, place of delivery etc, and all owners since, when the car was bought and sold (each year it has traded hands since new) up to present day and all prices paid each time it sold over the past 48 years. The current owner has had the car for 14 years, and it has recently undergone a correct frame-on restoration.
Many cars have been 'duplicated' over the years post-factory to emulate this car. That is, bucket seats have been added, or air, or other factory options customised later, or painted from another colour to the more desirable and popular Persian Sand.
But this is the real deal. Nothing fake about it.
And it's the only one known in the world.
When Danbury Mint approached Yann Saunders to seek his advice on producing a limited edition model of the ultimate Cadillac, Yann recommended they produce a triple Persian Sand, bucket seat, fully optioned 1959 Eldorado Biarritz. They made 5000 of those now collectable limited editions.
But there is only one real one existing.
Being America's most iconic luxury car in its rarest and most iconic form, it is indeed difficult to put a price on it. Many lesser cars (without the same iconic status or the symbolism of American automotive success and excess) have fetched far more than the asking price of this car. I recommend you check the past few years' results of some of the top auction houses (RM Auctions, Barrett Jackson etc).
In the interest of disclosure, I am the owner of the car.
Kurt, like so many uninformed, self-appointed experts who have contacted me to criticise my car (and recently to the knowledgable Doc Sab), yet rely on no documents, facts or evidence, you have made some bold claims you cannot support. If you can, I cordially invite you to do so.
You say,
There are a couple of them with all factory options and bucket seats still out there, I saw some of them at meetings - even at some GN´s in the past. All of them had their options listed on their body plate as well. Can you back it up then, Kurt?
I think not.
If I got a dollar for all the rumours about 'other' existing identical cars roaming the earth, or from people who claim to have seen them at shows, or whose father owned one etc.....I would be a very rich man. I have learned to place those who "swear I saw...this or that here or there...." (but are never specific and never have clear photos or videos) in the same category as those who swear they saw a flying saucer, the Lochness monster or bigfoot. They never back it up with evidence.
And you guessed it....yep, there are never photos of these other cars existing. Isn't that odd?
Whenever I have been at car shows, many participants and enthusiasts have cameras and are busily clicking away. Yet, nobody has ever taken a photo of the mythical dozens of identical cars to mine. Amazing.
With the proliferation of the internet, there should be at least dozens of these photos floating around. But there aren't. Why could that be?
Wouldn't a triple Persian Sand, bucket seat, fully optioned 1959 Biarritz be just about the most photographed car at a Cadillac show? Or even talked about?
But I've only heard about the mythical one(s) someone remembers once (such as your post, Kurt). With no specifics.
Who owns them?
Just about everyone in the club knows everyone else. Who could these mysterious people be who drive up to Cadillac shows unnanounced in a triple Persian Sand etc....Cadillac without anyone knowing the car or the person, and then these mystery men from some far off town that nobody knows drive off at the end of the day with nobody taking a photo or talking to them to learn who they are? Spooky eh?
You refer to 'experts' in regard to the bucket seats.
I accept there are 40% of existing (ie. known survivors) 1959 Biarritzs with factory bucket seats, because that figure has been supported by the only person I respect who has researched and documented all known survivors.
But, that does not mean 40% of all factory produced '59 Biarritzs had bucket seats. Less than 400 are known to survive to today - and are documented. So that is, 160 cars known to have factory bucket seats. Perhaps the remaining 920, or so, did not have bucket seats? Unlikely, but not improbable. No one will know unless someone takes the time to go through every build sheet of every one of 150,000 or so 1959 Cadillacs produced. And nobody has done that yet, to my knowledge. So whether it's 70, or 160 or 528 (ie. 40% of 1320 produced) is not the point.
I have never stated my car is one of 70, or 160 or 528.
It's one of one (see above first paragraph).
There has been one respected and acknowledged expert who has invested a liftetime's work into documenting and authenticating all known surviving 1959 Eldorado Biarritzs. Since the mid 1970s he has scoured Hemmings Motor News, the Cadillac La Salle Club, and in more recent years has used the internet to contact all known owners of 1959 Eldorado Biarritzs. His detective work is incredible and admirable. There are fewer than 400 survivors. And he is currently working on a comprehensive website of all the known surviving 1959 Eldorado Biarritzs. His name and reputation is well known to many Cadillac Club members and owners worldwide, Bill Refakis.
It was Bill who contacted me and informed me that mine is the only known survivor with all these most sought after options and specs. I will accept the word of the world's most respected expert on this subject.
Due to the many 'fakes' out there, the old joke is, that of the 1320 Eldorado Biarritzs produced there about 2500 survivors.
Over the years, I have received a few occasional offers from potential buyers to 'name your price'. The car has never previously been for sale in the past 14 years since I have owned it, so previous expressions of interest to buy were politely declined by me.
To me, the car is priceless.
I have had a lot of enjoyment from the car. However, I am now going in a different direction and the car rarely gets a look in. She only goes out for a drive every couple off weekends, simply to keep the fluids turning over and the battery charged. So I am testing the market. I will consider a sale at the right price. But as I don't have to sell, there are days when I feel shouldn't. I just don't look at her as much any more and she just sits there. Maybe someone else should look after her. I am sure we have all gone through that phase.
This car is not for the uneducated, the self-appointed two-bob critic or the envious with no funds, who want to take pot shots. It is for the informed collector, shrewd enough to know what this car is, it's historic symbolism and current and future value. If that's not you, you'd be better off doing yourself a favour and keep your uninformed comments to yourself, without respect. This car is for that one special individual who appreciates it. And who has the funds. My experience with people who do have the funds is that they do not sit around and take shots at other peoples' cars. They get to where they are because they are informed - and know their stuff.
Finally, you refer to George's car as being identical to mine.
George, I saw your great and informative website about your 1959 Biarritz and if I remember correctly your car has all the options as well?Triple Persian Sand (most desirable colour) with
ALL the options?
DO you remember correctly?
Mmmm....maybe not. And that's part of the problem.
People who go on the record with bold claims, but don't remember correctly.
Ask George if his car is identical to mine. You will find it is not. I won't tell you the difference(s). That's for you to do a little more digging on.
For more information on this car you can read about it at :
www.zanetti.net.au/priscilla.htmlAt this webpage you will also find all evidence of the build sheet, VIN tag, Warranty Book and more.
Kurt, I hope this clarification is helpful to you, and I welcome any further light you can shed on all the other identical factory 1959 Eldorado Biarritz you claim are out there. I am not saying there aren't any. I am just saying that there aren't any known, as per the advice from Bill. Be sure to let Bill know about them so he can check the build sheets (and the VIN tags you think you saw but didn't photograph). And please be sure to place such info, photos etc on this forum so we can all be satisfied with your claims.
Welcome to reality, Kurt (your words).
With kind regards,
Paul Zanetti
