Gaylord Gladiator - 1955 / 1957

Contents:

• GAYLORD GLADIATOR: THE BTERSWEET TALE OF ‘THE WORLD’S BT CAR’
• THE GAYLORD GLADIATOR MIGHT HAVE THE STRANGT NAME IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY
• GAYLORD GLADIATOR
• 1957: A R THAT LOOKS LIKE A TUXEDO – HELLO GAYLORD GLADIATOR!
• THE GAYLORD GLADIATOR
• GAYLORD GLADIATOR SPORTS TOURG (1956)
• GAYLORD GLADIATOR - 1955 / 1957
• GAYLORD GLADIATOR SPECS
• GAYLORD GLADIATOR 1955-57 - AMERI'S FT SPORTS CAR?
• FROM THE GREAT WALL WGLE TO THE GAYLORD GLADIATOR: HERE ARE THE FIVE WORST CAR NAM EVER
• GAYLORD GLADIATOR: AMERIN IA, GERMAN EXECUTN
• GAYLORD

GAYLORD GLADIATOR: THE BTERSWEET TALE OF ‘THE WORLD’S BT CAR’

If thgs had worked out differently for the Gaylord brothers, the 1950s would have seen the birth of the ft r the world had ever seen.

As post-War Ameri got back to normal, brothers Jam and Edward (Jim and Ed) Gaylord were searchg for a way to create a legacy to outlast that of their mega-rich father, who vented the bobby p – those ridiculoly tratg metal hair clips that turn up lerally everywhere.

The brothers Gaylord wanted to be the power and style of the Amerin way wh the handlg and class om Europe. Gaylord, which was never officially registered as a r-buildg enty separate om the bobby p bs, need to sell jt 25 per year to make the project viable. Jim and Ed Gaylord wanted the shell to rell both the ntemporary Amerin trends, as shown the tail fs and the ntrastg si panels flung out rearwards om the ont wheels, and the pre-War Brish and German ins, terpreted wh a neo-classic twist one of the most strikg ont ends ever signed.

THE GAYLORD GLADIATOR MIGHT HAVE THE STRANGT NAME IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY

Havg chosen the German pany Luftschiffb Zeppel, former makers of the hydrogen-filled airships, to build the productn-spec Gladiator, the Gaylord brothers, already strsed to breakg pot by the procs of tryg to realise their dream r, were not happy wh the work done by the German factory. We’ll never que know what might have been if the relatnship between Jim and Ed Gaylord and Zeppel hadn’t gone south. Maybe, jt maybe, we’d be talkg about ultra-luxury triple-tts between a Rolls-Royce, a Maybach and a Gaylord.

GAYLORD GLADIATOR

CoupFrom the Hnburg to an Egyptian Kg to the Osr Mayer Wienermobile: the Gaylord Gladiator's story is strange than fictn. The story of the Gaylord Gladiator is one of the most unique the history of the classic r.

1957: A R THAT LOOKS LIKE A TUXEDO – HELLO GAYLORD GLADIATOR!

Jam and Edward Gaylord were the heirs to Gaylord Products Inrporated, a fay hairp manufacturg pany Chigo.

The Gaylord brothers promised to dial the enge up to 400 horsepower some advertisg material.

When Donut Media piled a list of the worst nam tomotive history, put the Gaylord Gladiator at the top. First, she revented the pany as “Gayla” an upsle fashn brand–still makg hairps.

THE GAYLORD GLADIATOR

Then, she changed her name to Ruth Gaylord and nvced all of her children to change their nam as well.

They likely chose Gladiator bee of worked wh this sword and allerated wh Gaylord. They first advertised the Gaylord Gladiator at $10, 000 and eventually raised the price to $17, 500.

The Gaylord brothers hoped to refe what the tomotive world expected om an Amerin productn r terms of luxury. Jim and Ed Gaylord were two Amerin brothers that had a soft spot for rs and everythg that was fast and expensive.

GAYLORD GLADIATOR SPORTS TOURG (1956)

Lookg at the featur of the r, one uld tell that the Gaylord brothers did not only have a fe taste. The Gaylord Gladiator also me wh a nvertible roof that uld be fold down pletely to the tnk at the touch of a button.

GAYLORD GLADIATOR - 1955 / 1957

Also the key of the Gaylord Gladiator was a sword, aga provg the exquise and luxur approach of the r. Only one of the 25 rs was ever built, markg the Gaylord Gladiator a te one of s kd on this earth. 20 to the dollar 1957, the Gaylord Gladiator st more than DM 73, 500 1957.

GAYLORD GLADIATOR SPECS

The unique Gaylord Gladiator therefore was never replited, stayed the only tomobile of s type the world. In total, only three chassis of the Gaylord Gladiator were produced all, wh the bodywork only beg pleted on one of them. One of them got pletely lost and was never found aga, the other one was the posssn of the Gaylord fay (together wh lots of spare parts).

As time went by, the Gaylord Gladiator and the sgle remag chassis were part of the Gaylord fay and therefore prerved very well. In the mid-90’s, the Gaylords cid to put the Gaylord Gladiator rtoratn so that the r would be prerved for many more years to e. After the ath of Jim Gaylord, his wife and widow beme owner of the Gaylord Gladiator and the sgle remag chassis 1999.

Together wh the chassis, the Gaylord Gladiator is a major attractn for the cy of Friedrichshafen and at the same time historil evince of the cy’s great novative strength. Drop by the Zeppel Mm Friedrichshafen to have a glance at the historil and unique Gaylord Gladiator and the sgle remag chassis! The 1955-1956 Gaylord Gladiator two door upe was an Amerin tomobile that offered luxury r refements and sports r performance.

GAYLORD GLADIATOR 1955-57 - AMERI'S FT SPORTS CAR?

The German achbuilr Herman Spohn was selected to build the Gaylord Gladiator. There were two different mols of the Gaylord Gladiator, the two door wh the disappearg top and a four door. Now if the Gaylord brothers had been payg much attentn to patents they would have patented their retractable hardtop (though I thk a French pany offered that before WWII).

Like the Chrysler powered Dual Ghias, the prototype Gaylord Gladiator had a Chrysler V8–a 365 cubic ch 305 horsepower un nnected to a Hydra-Matic four speed transmissn.

FROM THE GREAT WALL WGLE TO THE GAYLORD GLADIATOR: HERE ARE THE FIVE WORST CAR NAM EVER

But those days Cadillac was also thought to have a powerful enge so 1956 the Gaylords were displayed at the 1956 New York to show wh Cadillac V8s. The chassis, signed by Jim Gaylord, was purpose built, of chrome molybnum, pennt ont, g il sprgs and tube shocks.

The tailfs aren’t as bad (as tall) as a ’59 Caddy or some ‘50s Chrysler but fely date the sign if they brg back (aren’t there any Gaylord grandchildren that want to revive Gramp’s signs? But don’t hold your breath, even the Gaylord Gladiator was obsolete stylg before the pat was dry….

SummaryArticle NameThe Gaylord GladiatorDcriptnThe Gaylord brothers cid they didn’t jt want a Jaguar or Ferrari, no, they would sign their own luxury r and did. Brothers Jim and Ed Gaylord, a qut for the ultimate sports r, missned the famed Brooks Stevens for the 1950s Gaylord ncept rs sign.

GAYLORD GLADIATOR: AMERIN IA, GERMAN EXECUTN

Stevens was an dtrial signer, and the brothers asked him to build the first of their Gaylord ncept rs for the 1955 Paris Auto Salon.

In this, the Gaylord was a full year ahead of Ford’s 1957-59 Skyler, which was nsirably more chassis was Jim Gaylord’s own sign, a strong chromemoly tube type wh il sprgs and A-arms ont and a beam axle on leaf sprgs at the rear, all very well first prototype rried a 331-cubic-ch Chrysler Hemi, but Cadillac V-8s were stalled two later rs (which also had full ont fenrs) as well as one unibodied chassis. Gaylord Gladiator - 1955 / 1957 The 1955-57 Gaylord "Gladiator" is one of the rart and most unique of the 1950's rs. Developed by the super-rich Gaylord Brothers of Chigo to pete wh the world's bt vehicl, cludg Rolls-Royce, the ptivatg shape of this ultra-luxury sports r was penned by legendary signer Brooks Stevens, who later went on to create the "neo-claissil" Exlibur rs of the 60's and 70's.

GAYLORD

(Jim Gaylord was such a perfectns that he is mored to have had a nervo breakdown as the project neared pletn. The Gaylord weighed over 4, 000 pounds, yet uld h 120 mph easily and accelerate om 0-60 mph 8 sends, which was pretty spectacular for the day.