The 1954 Cadillac Eldorado. Designed by iconic automotive engineer Harley Earl for General Motors, it was a surprisingly compact, low-slung pillarless sedan, with a special 126-inch-wheelbase chassis, and a brushed stainless-steel convertible roof. The car’s most intriguing feature, aside from its styling and wrap-around windshield, was a unique air suspension based on systems used for commercial vehicles since 1952.
It was old-style-Detroit iron and a classic long form but it is significant as an example of an industry quickly and efficiently adopting new technologies. Something architecture and construction still struggle to do.