... and the fins much smaller than the typical 59 Caddy. I wonder why Cadillac went through the effort to commission such a small number?

There's something unique about the bod lines but can't put my finger on it. Are all the panels unique?

The story goes that when the Eldorado Brougham model was introduced for 1957, the dealers were promised the model would be produced for four years. Only 400 were built in 1957 and another 304 in '58. It is believe GM lost $25k on each car built--they were that complicated. Cadillac cut their losses by farming out production of the bodies to Pinin Farina. The rest of the story goes that 100 were built in '59 but one fell into New York harbor when the cars were shipped back to the U.S. That lost car was made up for in the 1960 production with 101 built that year.

Everything about an Eldorado Brougham is different from the rest of the ’59 Cadillacs (also true for the 1960 models). Where to begin? The fins are smaller and lower and there is no “bullet” housing two lights in the center of the fin. The roofline is different: Brougham’s have a hard angle at the rear while the other Cadillacs are rounded. The A-pillar on a Brougham more or less angles back from the base to the roof while the other Cadillacs have a vertical A-pillar. Consequently, the windshields are completely different. The hood on a Brougham hinges at the front and is much narrower. Other ’59 Cadillac hoods hinge at the rear and extend in width to the center of the front fender. Overall, the car is a cleaner design and many of its styling cues were incorporated throughout the 1961 and 1962 model line but by that time, the Brougham was gone.