1968 Cadillac Eldorado
In a way, you can call the 1968-70 Eldorado a modern classic and certainly a collectible. For 1968 came a new 7.7 Liter V-8 with 35 more horses than the 7.0 Liter engine it replaced and 45 more torque to reach a thumping 525 lbs/ft torque. It was designed mainly for easier emissions control in that first year of federal smog standards. Now it was possible to spin the front-driven wheels on smooth, dry surfaces. Cadillac proudly noted that most engine accessories bolted rigidly to the block, rather than being attached by brackets, and boasted about the new V-8's two-million miles of testing.
1968 Cadillac Eldorado
Washington also decreed new safety features for 1968. Eldorado complied with discreet round side-marker lights, thicker dash padding, and non-injury interior hardware. Left alone were the broad hidden headlamp eggcrate grille distinctive vee'd backlight (i.e., back window), knife-edge fenderlines, and small backward-sliding rear-quarter windows. Wipers, however, were newly concealed by extending the hood 114mm toward the cowl. The Eldorado had the front parking lamps located on the leading edge of the fenders where they were mounted vertically. The design of the lens for the front cornering lamps (formerly vertically ribbed) was modified.
1968 Cadillac Eldorado
Spring rates were slightly lowered to give a more cushiony ride. Upholstery trims included diamond pattern cloth and vinyl; Deuville cloth with vinyl bolsters in four color choices and genuine leather options. Removed from the rear roof pillar, but not the hood and deck lid, were the familiar wreath and crest style Fleetwood emblems. Regular equipment on the luxury sports type car included all Fleetwood standards plus power rear quarter ventipanes; power front disc brakes; retractable headlamp covers; and Rosewood pattern dash panel appliques.
1968 Cadillac
Though base price jumped some $330, due mainly to the new safety and emissions gear, Eldorado production improved by nearly 37 percent for the model year, reaching over 24,000 units.
| Vehicle identification numbers were stamped on the top of the instrument panel this year and were visible through the windshield |
| The first symbol was a "6" for Cadillac |
| The second and third symbols correspond to the same symbols in the series code number |
| The fourth and fifth symbols correspond to the last two symbols in the standard Fisher Body Division code (Style Number without letter suffix) |
| The Sixth symbol was an "8" for 1968 model year |
The seventh symbol was an assembly plant code as follows:
|
| The next group of six numbers was the sequential unit production code |
| The number sequence began with 100001 at each assembly plant |
| Body Style Numbers, on the vehicle data plate (located on firewall) were prefixed with "68" for 1968 and suffixed with a single letter, which also indicated series and model and corresponds to the letter on the charts below |
| Model No. | Body/ Style No. | Body Type | Seat | Factory Price | Shipping Weight | Production |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68-693 | 69347H |
2-dr hardtop Coupe | 6 pass. | $6605 | 2082 kg | 24,528 |
| Engine type | V-8 Overhead valves. Cast iron block |
| Displacement | 7.729 Liters |
| Bore & stroke | 109.2mm x 103.1mm |
| Compression ratio | 10.5:1 |
| Brake horsepower (SAE gross) | 375 hp @ 4400 rpm |
| Power | 280 kW @ 4400 rpm |
| Torque | 525 @ 3000 rpm |
| Main bearings | five |
| Valve lifters | Hydraulic |
| Carburetor | Rochester four-barrel Quadrajet model 4MV (Eldorado type) |
| Transmission | Turbo-Hydramatic |
| Standard axle ratio | 3.07:1 |
1968 Cadillac
1968 Cadillac
1968 Cadillac
| Wheelbase | 3048mm |
| Overall Length | 5626mm |