Cadillac Eldorado Brougham prototype sells for nearly $500,000

A rare 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham Town Car, originally designed for the GM Motorama, has sold for $494,500 after being rescued from a scrapyard in Michigan.

Known internally as the XP-48, this experimental prototype was designed by a 19-year-old Robert Cumberford, alongside Herb Cadeau and style chief Harley Earl. The vehicle was built to showcase extreme luxury, featuring a chauffeur-driven open front compartment and a fully enclosed rear salon equipped with black and beige leather, Wilton carpeting, gold hardware, air conditioning, an intercom, and a cigar humidor.

While the car featured functional doors and a production-based chassis, it was primarily a show car and lacked a functional engine, brakes, or electrical systems at the time of its creation.