During the years of the Cold War there was another competition with goals almost as daring as the space race. We are talking about the battle to design long limousines to which manufacturers such as Ferrari, Volkswagen or Cadillac joined. In fact, the mythical Eldorado was the one that inspired American vehicle tuner Jay Ohrberg, author of the DeLorean, to create a 12-inch-long limousine in 1986. Under the name The American Dream (the American dream, in its Spanish translation), this car was then recognized as the longest automobile in the world by the Guinness Book of Records.
This very long limousine was made up of six assembled Cadillac Eldorados, with 12 axles and 24 wheels in total, as well as two V8 engines that allowed it to transport its ten tons of weight. The Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado Convertible – its official name – had features similar to those of a luxury bus and a driving position at each end to be able to maneuver the rear axles in case of cornering. However, the limousine soon fell out of favor due to high maintenance costs and was abandoned in a New Jersey warehouse.
It wasn’t until 2014 when New York Autoseum owner Michael Manning acquired The American Dream at auction and removed it from ostracism. The limousine was in a sorry state and with several parts of the body destroyed or rusted. Manning was unable to take on the restoration himself until car collector Michael Dezer offered his support in 2019 with an investment of $250,000.
For the transfer from New Jersey to Dezerland, an automotive theme park in Florida where it is currently on display, the limousine had to be brought in in two pieces and the hood flew off somewhere on Highway 95. The restoration took two years and It was made possible thanks to three donors who contributed their Cadillac Eldorado, used to reproduce the driver’s cabin part.
In addition, the restorers installed a new front end until reaching a total length of 30.54 meters – like a blue whale – which led them to once again break the Guinness record for the longest car in the world.
Beyond its film history, the most incredible thing about The American Dream is its luxurious equipment. With capacity for 75 people, it has red leather upholstery and LED lights inside. In addition, its doors open up and down in true spaceship style. As if it were a home, they have installed an XXL water bed, refrigerator and several televisions.
As if this were not enough, the culmination is the back, where it has a minigolf course, a swimming pool with a jacuzzi, and even a helipad with the capacity to support two tons! Manning estimates that the limousine currently weighs about 11,300 kilos.
