The Ghost of the Norseman

1956 Chrysler Norseman - A Specter from the Wreck of the Andrea Doria

 Text by David W. Temple

Photos from Chrysler Historical Collection, Marty Martino, and author's files

 

More than two-hundred feet beneath the Atlantic Ocean and deep within the darkened hull of the 697-foot long Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria lays the debris of what was once an experimental dream car. The ship sank several hours after being struck by the Stockholm on the night of July 25, 1956. As a result, the unique lines of the Ghia-built 1956 Chrysler Norseman were destined never to be seen by those who designed it, nor were the spectators of the coming auto shows going to have the opportunity to ooh and ahh at the stylish fastback. The few people who did were the craftsmen at Ghia in Turin, Italy and possibly the people who loaded the car aboard the ship as well as some of its crew, or maybe not. That would depend on whether the car was crated or placed on a pallet as was customary for Chrysler’s other Ghia-built show cars. No one is absolutely certain of the method employed. It was probably in cargo hold number two, but even that is an uncertainty.

Photographs of the car are rare. Evidently no color ones were ever taken resulting in conflicting information about its color scheme. Was it silver or green? We will probably never know. The few black & whites taken of the Norseman were done at Ghia shortly before the car was sent to the loading dock. The negatives for the interior photos seemed to have been lost and original prints are extremely scarce. This car was almost completely lost to history.

Not many photographs of the 1956 Chrysler Norseman seem to exist - none evidently in color. This front three-quarter view of the car highlights the hidden headlights, the bumper-grille combination, wraparound windshield, and the cantilever roof.

There are a few facts about this sunken show car that have survived over the last five-and-a-half decades, though. The origin of the Norseman was sometime during 1953 in a studio occupied by imaginative stylists such as Cliff Voss, William Brownlie, as well as others along with capable engineers and managers who were all under the legendary leadership of Virgil M. Exner. (Coincidentally, the Andrea Doria went into service that same year.) The car's name was derived from Exner's Norwegian heritage.

This is the wooden buck of the Norseman.

The team spent 50,000 man-hours and approximately $200,000 to design and build the Norseman. Ghia needed 15 months to construct the one-of-a-kind idea car.

Arguably, the most unusual feature of the Norseman to emerge from Chrysler’s design studio was its cantilever roof. The Norseman is nearly unique in this regard since no production car and very few show cars have had this feature. Perhaps the concept would have been adopted for production if the car had not been lost. The lack of A-pillars gave an unobstructed view through the wraparound windshield; the idea had much appeal with Exner. According to his son, Virgil Jr., “He liked to provide good visibility in his cars.”

There was more than good visibility involved in the design. Glassmaker, PPG, built the heat-treated structural windshield to make it more crash resistant. Furthermore, the roof was attached in tension to a ¼-inch rod located in place of where the A-pillar posts would normally be present. In theory, such a car in a rollover accident would be provided strong support; the retainers holding the roof and rods together were meant to shear thus releasing the roof from its tension state. Additionally, the roof had a couple of novelty features. One was a brushed aluminum insert and the other was a 12-square foot backlight that could be retracted forward into the roof via an electrical switch. This idea never went into production on any Chrysler product, but a somewhat similar idea – a backlight which retracted into the trunk – was used by Lincoln and Mercury. Fresh air intakes for the passenger compartment were located in the leading edge of the roof, too.

Clamshell-type, hidden headlights and a full-width concave grille in combination with a thin bumper located along the horizontal center line and capped at each end with pod-mounted parking lights dominated the front-end view. All of it was finished with a valance panel sweeping underneath the assembly. The front fenders, with their hidden headlights, resembled the nose of a shark.

The Norseman’s hood dipped sharply in front, leaving it beneath the frontal portion of the fender line. A light crease beginning at the top of the headlight doors gained prominence as it swept back to the rear of the car and actually formed a horizontal fin along the quarter panel. The fin on the driver’s side ended with the fuel-filler door. This set of fins – as did those atop the quarters – stopped several inches short of the rear of the car.

The wheel opening were quite dramatic as well; they were low-cut in both the front and rear and each were scalloped similarly to those of Buick’s limited-production 1954 Skylark.

Outside door handles were not employed. Instead, a push-button release not unlike those of the ‘40s Lincoln Continental was used.

The rear of the Norseman was no less sensational. Other than its retractable backlight, this show car also featured elliptical nacelles housing chrome-plated bumperettes each with small, round stacked taillights. (A somewhat similar arrangement appeared on the 1957 DeSoto line.) The fastback roof flowed back so far it formed the opening for the center bumper. In profile the Norseman looked something like a rocketship from a contemporary sci-fi movie.

The sporty and comfortable looking interior of the Norseman featured bucket-type seats in front and back, satin metal decor, as well as a pull-out writing desk. Instrumentation was suspended in pods beneath the dash.

The front seats swiveled forward to ease entry into the rear passenger compartment. Note the presence of individual consoles between the seats.

Inside the Norseman were even more spectacular features. Its seating consisted of four power-assisted bucket-type seats covered in metallic light green leather with either contrasting gray or gray-green inserts. Each pair of seats was separated by a console with a glove box. Also incorporated into these consoles was a retractor for the buckle component of the seat belts; the other half of the reel-type seat belts retracted into the side of the front seats and probably the quarter trim panels in back. Interior lamps also appear to have been installed within the individual consoles. An experimental form of lighting was luminescent paint applied to the back side of the Norseman's front seats. Instrumentation was suspended from the padded dash in pods and a small writing desk could be pulled out from underneath the passenger side glove box. Satin finish metal trim wrapped around from the door panels to the dash.

While the outside and inside of the Norseman were flashy, the engine compartment may have or may not have been equally so. No photographs of it seem to exist to know if it was dressed up with chromed components though this was typical practice for Ghia. Regardless, the show car was reportedly fitted with a 235hp 331 Hemi instead of the high-performance version that was standard issue for the Chrysler 300-B. However, the car may have been refitted with the 340hp letter car engine if it had arrived at Chrysler.

The Norseman’s chassis was a modified 1955 Chrysler type with a suspension of torsion bars in front and leaf springs in back. This is not often reported in other stories about this car, but Virgil Exner, Jr. believes this is true. His belief seems to be supported by a news article about the car published in the August 10, 1956 issue of the New York Times which quoted unnamed engineers as saying the Norseman had an “advanced suspension” but gave no other details about it. Torsion bars were employed for the 1957 Chryslers so the presence of the setup on the show car seems logical. Other modifications included a wheelbase stretched from 126 to 129 inches and a full underpan to reduce air resistance underneath the car.

If the Norseman had arrived safely, Chrysler undoubtedly would have thoroughly tested the car at its engineering proving grounds near Chelsea, Michigan before showing it to the public to gauge their reactions to the radical design. Brief consideration was given to having Ghia build a second Norseman, but the time needed to do this would have meant the car would not be available for evaluation until late 1957 or early 1958. Assuming the car was insured for its full cost, the money certainly would have been available for the project. However, the natural fast pace of the auto industry at that time would have rendered a second Norseman as obsolete by the time it was ready to be tested and shown. Hence, the idea was rejected.

After 55 years under water, the Andrea Doria has deteriorated greatly. Its upper decks have collapsed over the years. Even if the Norseman had been so tightly secured as to stay in place even as the ship pitched over on its side and sank, it could not possibly have survived the years of exposure to the salt water of the Atlantic. Some reports claim the body was of aluminum. Virgil Exner, Jr. believes it was built of steel. Either way, the body would have corroded long ago. Chances are the car was crumpled as the ship flipped on its starboard side and struck the ocean floor. However, there are a few reports of divers spotting an unusual car within the ship. This, though, is rebutted by professional wreck diver and New Jersey resident, John Moyer, who has made over 100 dives to the Doria to recover artifacts from it. He has even taken some time to try to locate whatever remains of the Norseman, but never did. Unfortunately, there was little time to search. A diver is limited to 20-25 minutes to explore inside the dark and silt-filled hull of the ship. Complicating the matter of searching for the show car’s remnants is the tremendous amount of silt which can be stirred by the ocean currents at any given moment, rusted shards of metal which can tear a pressure suit, and the question as to where to look. The Andrea Doria’s manifest shows nine cars were placed in the ship’s garage, but whether or not that included the Norseman is not known. That means the garage as well as cargo hold two had to be searched. With the conditions within the ship Moyer could easily have swam past the debris of the show car and never known it. Even though the body of the car was not expected to have survived, parts such as the drivetrain and frame would be recognizable if they could be seen. Smaller cosmetic parts such as the unique wheel covers of the show car probably survived, too, as they are believed to have been chrome-plated brass.

The sweeping roofline of the Norseman is readily apparent in this view. Its backlight retracted upward into the cantilever roof.

The fate of the Norseman is final. Its loss at the time was of great concern to Exner, Jr. His father was in the hospital recovering from a heart attack at the time the Andrea Doria and its unique cargo sank so there was some apprehension in telling him of the event. When finally told the news, the elder Exner said, “That’s really neat.” According Exner, Jr., his father "was a romanticist. He was disappointed by the loss of the car, but thought it was great that it would become a part of automotive folklore.” Indeed, the Norseman has become just that.

Marty Martino, who is known for his recreation of another lost show car - the 1956 Pontiac Club de Mer - is slowly recreating the Chrysler Norseman.  Additional photos can be seen here: http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Marty_Martino%27s_1956_Chrysler_Norseman (Photo by Marty Martino)

The car still draws much attention from automotive hobbyists. In fact, as this is being written, a second Norseman is being built albeit slowly. No, Chrysler and Ghia are not involved this time. Marty Martino who is well known for his recreation of another show car, the 1956 Pontiac Club de Mer, and his part in the restoration of the 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne displayed by GM at that year’s Motorama, has long been crafting a replica of the Norseman in fiberglass. It will take much more time to complete the car as Marty is currently involved in another special “hush, hush” project. Many look forward to the day he completes the second Norseman. One request of Marty… please do not send it across the Atlantic for any reason!

More on the sinking of the Andrea Doria can be found here: http://www.andreadoria.org/

1954 DeSoto Adventurer II - Granturismo Show Car

The 1954 DeSoto Adventurer II show car was built for Chrysler by Ghia in Turin (Spanish for Torino), Italy. It was one of many show cars Chrysler Corp. had built during the 1950s but one of only a few not designed by the company’s chief stylist Virgil Exner.

Photography and Text by David W. Temple

When World War II ended, automobile makers were not quite ready to offer new designs. Chrysler Corporation was no exception in that regard; their first all new designs appeared in the latter part of 1949. In the case of the public, new styling made little difference during the first few years after the war as they were hungry for new cars to replace their well worn ones. Eventually, though, styling made a major difference to the consumer. In the specific case of Chrysler, however, company president K.T. Keller was not styling minded. Chrysler had a reputation for good engineering, but styling was not always their strong point. The new ‘49s and those that followed through 1954, had the “three box look” – as in one box piled on top of two others. The Chrysler products were not nearly as flashy as those coming from Ford and General Motors. Actually, this did not need to happen. Chrysler designers created some styling proposals that somewhat resembled Lincolns and did away with bolt-on rear fenders. The look was modern, but for whatever reason the proposed styling was not chosen for the production cars.

A DeSoto logo similar to those used on production 1953 and 1954 models appears on the hood of the Adventurer II. The logo signifies the namesake of the car, Hernando De Soto the 16^th century Spanish explorer of the Americas.

          General Motors, on the other hand, had people in charge who knew the value of styling as a selling tool. Harley Earl and his people inside GM Styling were leading the way in that regard and as a result GM was getting the vast majority of customers. Change was needed at Chrysler because engineering alone was not selling their cars in great enough quantity. Keller left the presidency of Chrysler Corp. in late 1950 and was replaced by Lester “Tex” Colbert. Colbert had a different vision for what the company’s cars should become and he already had what he needed to implement his vision. Virgil Exner had been with Chrysler for about a year when “Tex” became president. Exner first worked under the legendary Harley Earl at GM and then for Raymond Lowey at Studebaker. When Exner stepped into his job, the styling of the new cars was locked in place for a while, but there was work to be done in the advanced studio. Exner went to work on show cars like the Chrysler K-310, Chrysler C-200, Chrysler Special, Dodge Firearrow, DeSoto Adventurer I, etc. He had learned that Ghia in Turin, Italy could build show cars for modest sums of money and arranged for through Ghia’s design chief, Luigi Segre, to have show cars built there. This arrangement had another advantage – Exner was drawn to Italian design, so no better situation could have resulted. Under Exner’s guidance, Chrysler’s cars got the styling needed to attract buyers while the exotic show cars served as design exercises and as a means of generating publicity.

DeSoto’s “Red Ram” 170hp engine coupled to a two-speed Powerflite automatic transmission was chosen to power the Adventurer II show car.

The black and red interior was made just for two.

Colbert had something else important aimed at making the cars of the company more exciting – the Hemi V8. The engine which had been under development since 1935 was ready for production for model year 1951 and appeared in Chryslers and Imperials first. Chrysler’s “Fire Power” displaced 331 cubic inches while Dodge, DeSoto, and Plymouth got smaller, less powerful versions during the following model years. DeSoto’s Hemi displaced 276.1 cubic inches and provided 160 hp for 1953 and 170hp for 1954. The design of the new hemi-head offered more power from a given displacement without the need for increased octane fuels. The key to this was in the hemispherical combustion chamber shape (hence the name). The arrangement reduced the chance for pre-ignition, allowed higher volumetric efficiency, and resulted in a cooler running engine.

A DeSoto “Red Ram” 170 horsepower V8, two-speed Powerflite, and a 125.5-inch wheelbase S-19 Series chassis served as a platform for the two-passenger car featured here dubbed the 1954 Adventurer II. Somewhat ironically, this car did not have much in common with the preceding, four-passenger, Exner-designed Adventurer I nor did Virgil Exner have much to do with its styling. This car’s design was largely the responsibility of a creative stylist and engineer at Ghia named Giovanni Savonuzzi. Savonuzzi had designed a sleek aluminum coupe body for engineer Virgilio Conrero’s tube-frame, Alfa Romeo-powered racecar for the 1953 Mille Miglia. It was followed shortly afterwards by a similar body for the Fiat 8V chassis which incidentally went into production with a run of 50 cars. During the early part of 1954, Segre met with Exner and showed to him photos of the Alfa-Conrero. According to an article in the Fall 1990 issue of “Exotic Cars Quarterly,” Exner judged it to be a “beautiful design.” His occasional Italian translator and racecar builder, Paul Farrago, actually bought a Ghia-bodied Fiat 8V which gave Virgil Exner a chance to examine the actual car. Later, Segre suggested the basic design known as the “Supersonic Look” be adapted to a follow-up to the Adventurer I. Exner agreed and saw that the funds were made available for the project. By the way, the “Supersonic Look” was applied to a few other cars as well such as at least a couple of Jaguar XK-140s and a 1956 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk. II.

A burnished aluminum plate surrounds the instrument dials. The odometer shows less than 15,000 actual miles.

Two-piece luggage is fitted in the space behind the seats.

Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels were selected for the Adventurer II. The wheels were optional on production Chrysler-built cars.

The DeSoto Adventurer II was introduced to the American press on June 16, 1954 during ceremonies for the new Chrysler proving grounds near Chelsea, Michigan. It was first exhibited at the Turin Auto Show soon thereafter. In its August 1954 issue, “Motor Trend” ridiculed the styling of the Adventurer II by suggesting the car’s “slab sides and illusion of excessive width” violated Exner’s philosophy of “emphasis on the mechanical beauty and function of an automobile.” According to the aforementioned article in “Exotic Cars Quarterly,” Virgil Exner, Jr. said his father approved of the car and “realized that Savonuzzi was not only a great engineer but had a terrific styling eye.” Beauty, as the adage declares, is in the eye of the beholder.

The backlight of the Adventurer II is retractable.

The spare tire and wheel assembly takes up most of the trunk space. The backlight retracts into the cover just above and ahead of the spare.

After the Turin Auto Show in the summer of ’54, the history of the Adventurer II is a bit unclear. The car’s first documented private owner was a U.S. civilian named Art Spanjian who worked for Nouasseur Air Force Base in Morocco. As stated by an article in a 1959 issue of “Automobile Topics,” Spanjian affirmed that the Chrysler dealer in Casablanca purchased the show car at an auction following the auto show in Brussels. The dealer believed it could be sold to Morocco’s King Mohammed V. Reportedly the king drove the car for a week and then decided to not purchase it. The dealer then displayed the Adventurer II in the showroom while hoping someone would be willing to pay the $25,000 asking price. This is where Art Spanjian entered the scene. He saw the car in the showroom and tried to negotiate a better price but the dealer did not accept a lesser offer until three years later. Spanjian by that time had been appointed chief of Maintenance Planning in Dayton, Ohio. Before going to his new assignment, he made a final offer for the unique automobile and this time his price was accepted though the exact amount was not disclosed; Spanjian revealed to “Automobile Topics” that the price was “more than $2,500 and less than $10,000.”

The design of the rear of the car is similar to that of the front. It is bumperless and the paired exhaust outlets exit through a pod mounted directly beneath the taillights.

By around 1960, the Adventurer II was once again in a showroom – this time at a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership in Dayton. It was sold on December 26, 1960 to Fort Lauderdale resident, Armand Archer, Sr., during a Christmas visit to see his family. Archer drove the car back home to Florida but soon realized the drawbacks of owning such a car – mainly the irreparable damage that could potentially occur. The Adventurer II was locked away in a garage for more than a quarter century. Archer’s son, Armand, Jr., revived the car in 1986. It still had its original Dayton General tires and had logged less than 15,000 miles. In 1988, the Adventurer II was purchased by collector Ken Behring who had it restored in time for the 1989 Pebble Beach Concours, though another version of the story is that an anonymous West Coast collector bought the car, had it restored, and then donated it to the Behring Auto Museum. Today the Adventurer II is part of the collection of San Diego resident Chuck Swimmer. This one-of-a-kind show car which was supposedly unfit for a king has found a number of admirers over the years and remains an ageless and striking design more than 50 years after it was built.

Specifications

1954 DeSoto Adventurer II

Engine:  276.1cid V8

Horsepower:  170@4,400rpm

Torque:  255@2,000rpm

Compression:  7.5:1

Bore and Stroke:  3.625 x 3.344 inches

Carburetion:  Carter 2-bbl.

Exhaust:  dual

Transmission:  Powerflite two-speed automatic

Number Built:  1

Wheelbase:  125.5 inches

Length:  214.2 inches

Height:  55.5 inches

Width:  77.9 inches

Two Cadillac Show Cars and Their Unlikely Fates

Robert Moore of Greenlease-Moore Cadillac-Chevrolet in Oklahoma City was photographed with the number two Le Mans when the car was sent there for display in the dealership's showroom in November 1953. (Author's collection)

 Text by David W. Temple

Photos as credited

How often have we heard the story of the road from glory to ruin? The biographies of many once famous people are like that. There are automobiles that have traveled this metaphorical road, too. Presented here are the stories surrounding two Cadillac show cars – both 1953 Cadillacs named Le Mans. One was a star of the GM Motorama stage, then became an obscure footnote in automotive history and finally met a disastrous, fiery end. The fate of the other is currently unclear, but what is clear is that it spent its last known days as a show car in the shadow of a bizarre and senseless tragedy.

GM personnel, Don Ahrens (seated) and James Roche, posed with the 1953 Le Mans for this publicity photo. (Author's collection)

Prologue

The General Motors Motorama was created to showcase all of the products of the giant corporation. More notably, it featured experimental or dream cars to test public reaction to new ideas. The traveling exhibition which attracted millions of people highlighted the company’s many products with elaborate displays, orchestras, and troupes of dancers who performed at half-hour intervals.

Years before their Motorama, GM hired a styling engineer who would become tremendously influential in the automotive world. His name was Harley Earl. General Motors’ rise to leadership in the area of styling during the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s, can be largely credited to Earl who spent his early years in the Hollywood, California, area. His father, Jacob W. Earl, owned a carriage works business in which Harley became heavily involved. Jacob gradually placed the shop under his son’s leadership and the firm soon evolved into a highly successful custom car business.

An unnamed model is shown posing in the 1953 Le Mans at the GM Motorama in Kansas City. (H.B. Stubbs Co.collection)

Eventually, Earl gained notoriety for his customized cars which lead to the sale of his shop to Cadillac distributor and custom car builder, Don Lee, in 1919. Harley became chief designer and director of the custom department of what was now named The Don Lee Coach and Body Works. Earl’s work at Don Lee’s shop gave him access to the upper level managers of Cadillac and ultimately to a three-decade career with GM.

The metallic blue Le Mans number one made its debut at the Waldorf-Astoria in January 1953. (Author's collection)

Harley Earl brought styling to the mass-produced automobile and also created the experimental car. His first was simply called the Buick Y-Job. The car was so advanced in its styling that it appeared modern virtually a decade later. By then, two new experimental cars were in the works – the Buick XP-300 and the GM LeSabre. These were succeeded by many more such cars including four copies of the 1953 Cadillac Le Mans.

Act 1, Scene 1: Le Mans – Star of the Show

One of the attention getters at the ’53 GM Motorama was an uncharacteristically sporty, Metallic Blue (silver-blue) Cadillac dubbed Le Mans which was named after the 24-hour race held near Paris, France (in which the two Cadillac entries finished 10^th and 11^th in 1950). To emphasize the connection between the dream car and its namesake, the Le Mans was displayed against a large painting depicting a scene from the Le Mans road race.

The author's father attended the GM Motorama at the Civic Center in San Francisco in May 1953 and took this photo of the interior of the Le Mans. (Author's collection)

This dream car (show car one, serial number 5300 00002) was powered by a modified 331 V8 said to produce 250hp (or forty more than a stock version) at 4,500 rpm. (The 1953 Cadillac Orleans show car was assigned the first serial number of the model year; it was 5362 00001.) One of the modifications to the engine was the installation of dual four-barrel carburetors. Even with its sporty appointments, this dream car with a 115-inch wheelbase was easily recognizable as a Cadillac. Its frontal design was clearly Cadillac with its hooded headlights and “Dagmar” bumper guards and its grille and parking lamp arrangement was predictive of the style set to appear for the 1954 model year. The Le Mans also got the wraparound windshield (which was offered only on the limited production Eldorado at the time) and of course it had the obligatory tail fins resembling those of production Cadillacs.

Though it was not a true sports car, Le Mans’ sporty attributes and other features were highlighted in a press release. Among other things, the press release said, “… the Le Mans represents an ideal of motor car enthusiasts – combining elegance with power. Its silver-blue body is constructed of plastic fiberglass. The car is low – only 51 inches in height to the top of the deep-angle panoramic windshield… This three-passenger sports convertible has speed, power and roadability. The Hydra-Matic transmission has been adapted to the increased engine output. The engine is painted in a silver-blue with chrome trim to match the elegance of the car… A view of the interior from the driver’s seat provides a thrilling taste of sports car emphasis in a setting of sheer luxury. The instrument panel presents a matching series of chrome housed dials extending the width of the front compartment. Instruments include a tachometer to show engine revolutions, a speedometer, fuel gauge, radio dial, ammeter and oil pressure gauge and clock.” The silver-blue leather upholstery was embossed with the Cadillac “V” crest and the electrically adjustable seat was of the “memory” type. When the door was opened the seat automatically moved back; closing the door sent the seat back to its previous position. An Orlon top in matching silver-blue was operated with a switch or it could automatically raise itself when moisture hit a rain switch. When retracted, the top was concealed under a hinged lid.

Act 2, Scene 2: Customized

Le Mans number one, the GM Motorama show car, is the car that went to shoe store mogul, Harry Karl. Paperwork in the archives of the GM Heritage Center says that Le Mans number one was shipped to the Los Angeles Branch for the account of Clarence Dixon Cadillac, Inc. in Hollywood, California on July 7, 1954. The paperwork noted, “For H. Earl” though whether or not this car had its title actually transferred to Harley Earl is not known. Probably, the car was sold to the owner of Clarence Dixon Cadillac and then Harry Karl bought it or perhaps it was transferred to Mr. Karl via the dealership. Either way it became his in 1954.

Famed customizer, George Barris, performed a makeover of the original Le Mans for his client, Harry Karl. (Charles D. Barnette collection)

The restyled Le Mans was on the show circuit at least briefly. This advertisement was for the Sixth International Motor Revue (formerly known as the Petersen Motorama) in 1955. (Author's collection)

Karl had customizer George Barris do a restyle of the car before giving it to his ex-wife and wife-to-be again, actress Marie McDonald (who was crowned Miss New York in 1939) sometime in the latter part of 1954. The lower fender panels were altered with custom formed blue-white chrome plated steel. Trim installed between the lower chromed panels and the fiberglass body was ½-inch steel bar plated with 24-karat gold. Thirty coats of “platinum dust” sprayed over a polychromatic base sealer were applied to the body. A multi-piece custom top was formed in plexiglass and trimmed with chrome-plated steel décor. This top could be removed entirely or the forward portion removed and the rear section (which was composed of the rear window with a chrome tiara) left in place. The quarter panels received stainless steel fins and a continental kit was integrated into the deck lid. The 30-spoke wheel covers were plated in gold and chrome.

The interior was either re-dyed or reupholstered in red leather and had a number of extra gadgets installed including a television, tape recorder, radio-telephone, and a cocktail bar in the rear window sill which could be kept concealed with a cover. A current inverter was fitted to convert the 12-volt electrical system to the proper voltage to operate the TV and other devices.

The engine was repainted metallic green and according to the Motor Trend report provided 300 horsepower – fifty more than the figure quoted for the engine during the GM Motorama.

Act 3, Scene 1: Fading Stars

The reworked Le Mans was pictured on the cover of the December 1955 issue of Motor Trend. The attention the car received did little or nothing in terms of getting the actress noticed. McDonald’s second marriage to Harry Karl lasted only half as long as the first. The two divorced for the last time in 1958. According to the Internet Movie Database (www.imbd.com), she had roles in Guest in the House (1944), Living in a Big Way (1947), Tell it to the Judge (1949), Once a Thief (1950), Hit Parade of 1951 (1950), The Geisha Boy (1958), and Promises! Promises! (1963). The audience apparently did not appreciate her very much despite her physical attributes (she was nicknamed “The Body”) thus big screen acting opportunities were somewhat scarce. Numerous rumors of scandal followed her; she was married seven times including the two to Harry Karl. She eventually turned to drug and alcohol abuse and died of an overdose on October 21, 1965, at the age of 42. Her ex-husband later married actress Debbie Reynolds and managed to lose his fortune as well as hers. Harry Karl died in 1982.

Act 3, Scene 2: The final years of Le Mans number one

One of the surviving components of the original Le Mans is this button from the car's convertible top switch. (Charles D. Barnette collection)

Eventually, the Barris-built Le Mans changed ownership and was brought to Centerville, Ohio by a used car dealer and was purchased shortly thereafter by a local resident. The Le Mans was spotted on the streets of nearby Dayton from time-to-time by Cadillac-LaSalle Club (CLC) member, Bernie De Winter IV, during the 1963-64 timeframe and then disappeared until it was for sale in late 1984. Another Ohio resident, CLC member, Wayne Turner, spotted the ad in Hemmings Motor News and responded. An appointment was set to view the car in Centerville, but it was sold in partially dismantled condition to California resident, John Crowell, on December 1^st before Mr. Turner could see the car. As it turned out, the seller had secured ownership of the car through a lawsuit against his former business partner who was the same person who had bought the car from the used car dealer in the ‘60s. Allegedly, a short time after the lawsuit, this former partner retreated from society and took up residence in the woods! Mr. Crowell had little time to enjoy his new acquisition. His car was unfortunately destroyed in a building fire (sparked by spontaneous combustion of hay stacked next to the building) along with five other exotic and historic cars during the early morning hours of May 14, 1985 which was nearly 32 years after its last Motorama appearance; it had been driven a mere 7,945 miles.

Only the engine and miscellaneous other parts of the once glorious show car still exist; the entire body was destroyed by the flames. (Some surviving parts were not on the car or in the building at the time of the fire.) Mr. Crowell’s insurance company settled with him and took possession of the remains. Surprisingly, Crowell still has the bill of sale which clearly identifies the car with its serial number proving it was the first Le Mans.

Epilogue

The current owner of these parts, California resident Bill Pozzi, who bought them in 1991, said he considered having a replica of the original body built if engineering drawings could be located or if another of the “stock” versions somehow became available to instead have molds made from it. (The fourth car received substantial modifications to its body in 1959.) However, in a recent interview Pozzi said he may sell these parts. Perhaps there is a Le Mans owner who would be interested in having spare parts.

The “Off Broadway” Le Mans

Act 1, Scene 1: A tour of Oklahoma

The second Le Mans appeared at Grosse Point during the Glidden Tour in September 1953. A 1909 Cadillac was photographed with the show car. (Author's collection)

The second Le Mans (serial number 5300 00003) has an unusual and largely unknown history. It was built at virtually the same time as the Motorama Le Mans. The history of this car between then and August 1953 was not uncovered, but it was probably shown across the country. This car’s build sheet in the files at the GM Heritage Center says “Cars in Company use, for use of Harley J. Earl.” The car was transferred to Earl on August 21, 1953, so he owned it for a while. Internal correspondence at the center makes reference to a Le Mans sitting in a warehouse which was titled to Earl. The correspondence authorized the car to be transferred back to the company and gave its net asset value as one dollar. The VIN is not given, but unless Earl owned two Le Mans’ (doubtful), then number two must be the subject of the memorandum. Notes also indicate Earl’s car was repainted black sometime in 1953 – definitely prior to September of the year. (All four Le Mans’ were originally painted Metallic Blue with paint code F-272-X-75276.) Le Mans number two (serial 5300 00003) was definitely repainted black by the time it appeared with four other dream cars (LeSabre, Wildcat, Starfire, and Parisienne) at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club in September of that year as part of the Glidden Tour. Incidentally, Harley Earl and Wilfred Leland, son of Cadillac’s founder Henry Leland, were in attendance. A few photos from the event still exist showing this car with others from the early 1900s including a shot of it posed with a 1909 Cadillac. In mid-October, the car was sent to Oklahoma at the request of the state’s governor, Johnston Murray, to participate in the Oil Progress Exposition. This car along with two other ’53 Motorama cars – Starfire and Wildcat I – as well as a Corvette were on display at the Oklahoma City Municipal Auditorium for two days before being driven in the Oil Progress Motorcade and on the newly completed Turner Turnpike. The Le Mans and the other cars went on to Tulsa to be displayed there.

Act 1, Scene 2: Greenlease-Moore Cadillac-Chevrolet

Le Mans number two went back to Oklahoma City to be displayed at Greenlease-Moore Cadillac-Chevrolet during the first week of November. After November 8, 1953, the car seemingly disappeared though it either went to another dealership, auto show, or simply went back to GM for testing or was placed in storage; from there it may have been sold. Some reports have claimed Le Mans number two was the car sold to Floyd Akers, a Cadillac distributor in the Washington, D.C. area. In fact, Akers received the third Le Mans. Incidentally, this car still exits.

The Rest of the Story

Additional information uncovered about the number two Le Mans only peripherally involves the car. Still, two bizarre stories are attached to it. One of the last known photographs taken of this experimental car was snapped against the backdrop of the Oklahoma state capitol building in Oklahoma City. Posing with the car was Robert T. Moore, who at that time was the vice-president and general manager of Greenlease-Moore Cadillac-Chevrolet. His millionaire partner, Robert C. Greenlease, Sr. had become one of the largest distributorships of Cadillacs and had additional dealerships in Kansas City, Tulsa, and Omaha. Unfortunately, in September 1953 he became the target of horrific kidnapping scheme that resulted in the death of his six-year old son, Bobby. (For the full details of this crime see www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/classics/bobby_greenelease/index.html.)

The roots of the crime went back a number of years. The man responsible for the crime, Carl Hall, had gone to school with the Greenlease family’s much older adopted son, thus he was familiar with the wealth of the family. Hall at one time was well off himself; he had a significant inheritance which he squandered in short order on alcohol and foolish investments. Then Hall turned to crime to support himself, though he was no more successful at that and landed in jail for robbery. Within a few weeks of completing a two-year sentence, he met by chance in a bar a 41-year old prostitute named Bonnie Heady who had managed to lose a significant sum of money, too. They proved to be two of a kind. Somehow between May and September while in a near constant alcohol-induced haze, they managed to plot the kidnapping of young Bobby Greenlease.

Their plan was remarkably simple. Heady walked into the Catholic school in Kansas City, Missouri where Bobby was, pretended to be the sister of the boy’s mother, told Sister Morand a sob-story about the mother having a heart attack and was requesting to see her son. No one doubted her and Bobby (who expressed no resistance to leaving with the stranger) was immediately being driven away by Hall and Heady. Hall drove to a secluded area and coldly shot the boy in the head. His reasoning for this heinous act was that he did not want a witness around to identify him. Bobby was buried in the backyard of Heady’s residence and a ransom note demanding $600,000 was prepared. Hall, however, was so under the influence of alcohol he could not make his instructions for delivery of the ransom clear. Several attempts to deliver the money were made over a one-week span before the drop-off succeeded. One of those given the duty of delivering the ransom was Robert Moore. Unfortunately, the Greenlease family would learn afterward that their son would never return.

After a series of bizarre events too numerous to detail here, the kidnappers were caught, but most of the ransom money was never found thanks in part to a cop gone bad. Shortly after their arrests, Carl Hall and Bonnie Heady were put on trial (which lasted just three days), found guilty on November 16^th, and were both executed on December 18th.

The following August, specifically on Thursday the 26^th at approximately 3:45 in the afternoon, Robert Moore walked the short distance from his second-floor office at the Greenlease-Moore dealership to an adjoining bathroom, locked the door and shot himself in the side with a 12-gauge shotgun which had been given to him as a gift the previous Christmas. Moore was rushed to the hospital, but surgery failed to save his life; he lingered for two days before succumbing to his injuries. No suicide note was left and he had no reported problems to account for his behavior. Police ruled the shooting as either a suicide or an accident. Either way, Le Mans number two was certainly repainted an appropriate color – black seems to have served as an omen.

This article was partially compiled from my book, "GM's Motorama: The Glamorous Show Cars of a Cultural Phenomenon."