You might recognize this special-ordered wagon…
When it comes to professional daredevil, nobody can touch the indelible legacy of Evel Knievel. The man likely inspired more little boys to break their arms while jumping their bicycle than anyone else as his death-defying feats mesmerized not only the youth but also those more experienced in life. It’s not difficult to understand why someone would pay dearly to own a thing closely connected to the man, especially a vehicle like his 1971 Cadillac Fleetwood El Deora.
Check out the General Lee jump put on by Jay Leno's Garage here.
The Cadillac crossed the auction block with no reserve over the weekend in Las Vegas, snagging $35,200. If that sounds like a steal to you, likely you should’ve registered for the auction and actually bid on this machine. It’s true that people will pay well over regular market value for a celebrity-owned vehicle. That certainly seems to have been a factor here, but Evel Knievel enthusiasts might believe this was a low amount to own a vehicle their hero drove.
If you’re thinking this Caddie looks familiar, you probably remember Evel Knievel featuring it in some of his stunts. Even though the man took it around the country as he defied death while jumping his motorcycle, he must’ve not used the wagon for much else since it only has 36,000 miles on the clock.
Knievel special-ordered this Caddie from the factory so he got the exact spec he wanted. The yellow and brown exterior certainly is eye-catching, meanwhile the brown interior feels cozy and unpretentious. With a 472ci V8 under the hood and an automatic transmission, we’re sure this was one comfortable highway cruiser.
A good question to always ask when someone is selling a car is why are they selling it now? In this case, the Cadillac wagon was owned by an Evel Knievel museum located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. That museum unfortunately had to close down, so it’s been liquidating its many assets. Depending on your perspective, the person who submitted the high bid got a screaming deal or paid too much for an old Caddie.
