Gaylord Gladiator

The [http://www.shorey.net/Auto/Miscellaneous%20Pictures/Gaylord/1956%20Gaylord%20%20Retractable%20HardTop%20Coupe.jpgGaylord] Gladiator was a concept car conceived by brother James K. Gaylord and Ed Gaylord in the mid-1950's.

The Gaylord brothers hoped to redefine what the automotive world expected from an American production car in terms of luxury. With its swept-back, jet-age comportment, German build quality and upper-crust interior appointments of rare, highly polished from impoverished third-world colonies, the Gladiator caught the attention of many at the 1955 salon de Paris. The intricately shaped luxo-coupe, sporting a retractable hardtop, was a super-exclusive luxury car. It cost nearly $17,500 at the time, which scared off potential buyers. Three pre-production model cars were built, but when the public failed to place orders for the 25 models the company needed to stay afloat, Gladiator production was shut down.