This is the 1971 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado that was memorably used throughout the 1973 film Willie Dynamite. It was also used in the 1973 Dirty Harry movie Magnum Force as well as a 1974 episode of the TV show Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
The car is now being sold in original, unrestored condition appearing weathered, but much the same as it was in 1973 during the filming of Willie Dynamite. It’s being offered out of Frazier Park, California with a California title in the seller’s name.
Fast Facts – The “Willie Dynamite” Fleetwood Eldorado
- This Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado featured prominently in the 1973 film “Willie Dynamite,” a key example of the “blaxploitation” movie genre. The film, set in New York City, follows the life of Willie Dynamite, an ambitious pimp portrayed by Roscoe Orman, who later became famous as the wholesome character “Gordon” on “Sesame Street”.
- Before its use in “Willie Dynamite,” the Eldorado was customized by Gene Winfield. It was modified with purple paint work, a unique oversized grille, a custom hood ornament, extensive gold trim, and a number of other distinctive features including those faux side pipes.
- The car later appeared on screen elsewhere, including the 1973 Dirty Harry film “Magnum Force” and a 1974 episode of “Kolchak: The Night Stalker”.
- The car remains in its original, unrestored condition, showing signs of wear but retaining the modifications made for its screen appearances. It has been stored for over 40 years and is now for sale out of Frazier Park, California, with 76,000 miles on the odometer.
Willie Dynamite (and Sesame Street)
Willie Dynamite premiered in 1973; it was an American film directed by Gilbert Moses, and it starred Roscoe Orman, Diana Sands, Thalmus Rasulala, and Joyce Walker. It was released by Universal Pictures and was first shown in Chicago in late 1973, then in New York and Los Angeles in early 1974.
Above Film: This is the official cinematic trailer for Willie Dynamite. The full film is almost available to watch on YouTube for free, though it’s age-limited for obvious reasons. If Willie looks familiar to you it may be because he would join the cast of Sesame Street as “Gordon” in 1974.
The film is a quintessential example of the “blaxploitation” genre that flourished in the 1970s. Willie Dynamite delves into the seedy underbelly of New York City, following the exploits of its main character, Willie Dynamite. Willie, played by Roscoe Orman, is a flamboyant, ambitious pimp determined to rise to the top of his profession – often by any means necessary.
The movie paints a vivid portrait of Willie’s extravagant lifestyle, characterized by flashy clothes, luxury cars, and beautiful women. However, his success attracts the attention of law enforcement, the IRS, and rival pimps – particularly Bell, who sees Willie as a threat to his own dominance in the city.
As Willie navigates the dangerous and cutthroat world of prostitution in the city he faces numerous challenges that threaten to derail his ambitions. Along the way, he confronts the consequences of his actions and grapples with his own moral compass.
The film is described as more than just a tale of a charismatic New York pimp, it’s a nuanced exploration of power dynamics, corruption, and the pursuit of the American Dream in a society rife with inequality and racial injustice.
The lead character in the film, Roscoe Orman who plays Willie Dynamite, would become world famous as the “Sesame Street Dad” playing Gordon from 1974 until 2016.
Willie Dynamite was a breakout role for American actor Roscoe Orman, who would go on to play Gordon on Sesame Street from 1974 until 2016. Image courtesy of Universal Studios.
Dynamite’s car plays a key role in the film, from the very first scene right to the last, and it’s been preserved in as-used condition right the way through to the current day.
The Willie Dynamite Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado
Interestingly, the Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado would be used as the official pace car for the 1973 Indianapolis 500, an event that was followed by a limited production run of 566 pace car convertibles.
33 of these convertibles were used at the track over the race weekend, both for pace car duties and for giving VIP guests high speed tours of the track with the wind in their hair. A Cadillac that weighs in at almost 5,000 lbs may not seem like a good choice for a pace car, however they were powered by the hefty 500 cubic inch (8.2 liter) V8 which was putting out almost 400 lb ft of torque.
The Eldorado you see here is a custom example with a rich Hollywood heritage, having appeared on screen in Willie Dynamite (1973), the Dirty Harry movie Magnum Force (1973), and in an episode of the TV show Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974).
Before the car was used in Willie Dynamite it was customized by Gene Winfield. It was painted purple and given an oversize grille, a custom hood ornament, gold-colored trim, plexiglass headlight covers, a faux spare-tire hump on the trunk lid, simulated side pipes, porthole rear-quarter windows, and a smaller rear window beneath a landau top.
The car was customized by Hollywood car legend Gene Winfield, its finished in purple with extensive gold trim, faux side pipes, and a leopard print interior.
The car now presents in original but weathered condition, having been unused in storage for over 40 years. It’s being offered for sale out of Frazier Park, California on Bring a Trailer and it comes with a copy of Gene Winfield’s TV & Movie Cars book, an owner’s manual, spare and removed parts, a car cover, and a California title in the seller’s name.
If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here. It currently has 76,000 miles on the odometer, and it’ll be up to the new owner whether they want to preserve it as-is or restore it back to the condition it was in when used on screen in Willie Dynamite.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
