Gaylord Gladiator 1955-57 - Ameri's Ft Sports Car? — Curbsi Car Show Calendar

Contents:

• GAYLORD GLADIATOR: THE BTERSWEET TALE OF ‘THE WORLD’S BT CAR’
• GAYLORD CAR
• 1955, 1956, 1957 GAYLORD
• HISTORY MATTERS: GAYLORD MOTOR CAR COMPANY STARTED 110 YEARS AGO
• THE GAYLORD UTILY R - PRI OF GAYLORD, MICHIGAN (PART II)
• HISTORY MATTERS: REMEMBERG THE MAN WHO SAVED THE GAYLORD CAR
• THE GAYLORD GLADIATOR MIGHT HAVE THE STRANGT NAME IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY
• THE GAYLORD GLADIATOR
• GAYLORD GLADIATOR SPORTS TOURG (1956)
• GAYLORD GLADIATOR
• AUTO MANUFACTURG USED TO THRIVE IN GAYLORD, TRAVERSE CY, AND AROUND THE NORTH
• GAYLORD GLADIATOR 1955-57 - AMERI'S FT SPORTS CAR?
• 1957: A R THAT LOOKS LIKE A TUXEDO – HELLO GAYLORD GLADIATOR!

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.

GAYLORD CAR

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. Addnal rmatn about the Gaylord Motor Car Corporatn n be found at the Otsego County History Mm which is loted across the street om the Visor ia for a r pany Gaylord me the sprg months of 1910. At the time Gaylord had been a cy for ltle more than 35 years and was both a center between loggg mps and a stop on the Michigan Central Railway.

Detro machist Guy Haton had e to Gaylord on a fishg trip and shortly after he had gotten off the tra, he and Comstock met over a cup of ffee a fe perhaps by fate.

1955, 1956, 1957 GAYLORD

The two men discsed the possibily of brgg a tomobile factory to Gaylord that would go on to sell not only tomobil but also a "utily" type vehicle aimed at farmg needs and the abily to navigate the rough terra Northern Michigan. ImagGaylord Car built 1911The r was the 94th produced out of approximately 350The Gaylord tomobile at the New York Auto ShowThe Gaylord factory cir 1910Backstory and ContextThe ia for the Gaylord Motor Car Company me om a chance meetg between Detro machist Guy Haton and lol bsman A. Gaylord, MI had been lookg for an dtry to replace the dyg lumber bs and both men agreed that the cy uld bee the “new Detro”.

Haton had worked both the -operated bs and the tomotive bs varyg rol cludg chief engeer for Demotr Detro prr to g to Gaylord. The Gaylord was featured at the New York Auto Show on New Year’s Eve along wh several other Michigan manufacturers. The stylg of the 1955, 1956, 1957 Gaylord, by Brooks Stevens Associat, wasn't up to the engeerg, maly bee of a ntradictory goal: "a morn r wh classic overton.

HISTORY MATTERS: GAYLORD MOTOR CAR COMPANY STARTED 110 YEARS AGO

For example, the Gaylords had wanted P-100 headlamps -- but they ma the r look like a malevolent four-foot owl, and had to be scbbed.

The door sign of the 1955-1957 Gaylord, which Stevens lled the "Washgton ach door, " looked terrific -- a sleek upward cut, openg along the le of the ivory two-tone lor panel, self spired by the classics. Fal touch of novelty on the 1955-1957 Gaylord were a retractable hardtop which disappeared to the ck, and a spare tire that slid out om a rear panel and flopped upright on the road, where uld easily be rolled to posn. The retractable top on the 1955-1957 Gaylord -- much simpler than the later Ford Skyler's -- required only one motor for the whole operatn, and the sequence uld be reversed at any pot.

When GM's chairman saw the Gaylord top retract at the Paris Auto Salon 1955, he remarked to his dre of engeers, "You bastards told me this uldn't be done.

THE GAYLORD UTILY R - PRI OF GAYLORD, MICHIGAN (PART II)

Shown wily Ameri and Europe durg 1955-1956, the Gaylord was orred by everybody om Dick Powell to Kg Faro, but the project lgered, whered, and fell apart -- the end only a show chassis and three plete rs were built. Tremendo problems of f and fish occurred wh the bodi on the 1955-1957 Gaylord, built by Spohn (prototype) and Luftschiffb Zeppel (later mols). In the midst of a lawsu agast Zeppel for failg to perform, the stra got to Jim Gaylord and he had a nervo breakdown.

The prototype 1955-1957 Gaylord wh open wheel wells was broken up, and one "productn" r disappeared Europe -- may still exist.

The third r, along wh a magnificently crafted show chassis, is on display at the Early Amerin Mm Silver Sprgs, Florida, to which was donated by the Gaylords. One hundred ten years ago, a group of people Otsego County, Michigan, pooled their money to create the Gaylord Motor Car Company (GMC) lumberg dtry was drawg to a close and the lol enomic future was lookg bleak. ) The funds would be enough to build a factory and purchase to parts so that a few rs uld be assembly plant was built 1910 on 6 acr of vant land the southern part of the village of Gaylord near the Bagley Township Cemetery.

HISTORY MATTERS: REMEMBERG THE MAN WHO SAVED THE GAYLORD CAR

Durg May and June 1910, the headl of the Otsego County Herald and Tim (now named Gaylord Herald Tim) touted all the excg news. This feature was pecially appropriate for fort cut over lands Northern Gaylord Motor Car Company experienced typil growg pas of a new bs.

The price of the Gaylord Car was $1, 250 which was double what Ford was three years of productn, the Gaylord Car Company went bankpt 1913.

THE GAYLORD GLADIATOR MIGHT HAVE THE STRANGT NAME IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY

” We n assume stock refers to ventory and not shar the rporatn sce the two men owned the Gaylord Auto Repair one Gaylord Car is known to exist and is on display at the Gaylord Area Chamber of Commerce’s Visor Center. So even though the pany failed fancially, still succeed creatg muny more rmatn about the history of the Gaylord Motor Car Company, check out the new webse addn to photos, documents and tra journal advertisements, this onle rource featur a recently acquired 20-page sal booklet. By Ivan PolThis story of the Gaylord r origally appeared the March-April 1968 edn of Horsels Carriage 1911, the public was offered the D-S 30 Tourg Car, a Roadster, and the Mol R-20 Utily 1912, several improvements were ma to the two typ of tomobile.

Bee of fancial difficulti the Gaylord Motor Car Company reanized 1912 unr new productn year of 1913 saw the new Mol D Runabout and Tourg r roll out of the Gaylord assembly plant.

THE GAYLORD GLADIATOR

This seri sold for only $1, 000 and was the last mol built by the Gaylord Motor Car is uncerta as to what firms supplied the eng is believed many chassis parts such as axl and wheels were obtaed om the makers of the E-M-F r.

Headlamps were supplied by the E&J 1913, sad to say, was realized that $50, 000 was sufficient pal to operate an tomobile factory, a predictn that had been ma by the lol loggg firm when Gaylord operatns were first started. Still, the loggg firm would have vted heavily at a later date if they uld have had assurance that stock would also have been sold large amounts beg able to raise more pal the last Gaylord motor r was built 1913. Th passed to history the dreams of the Gaylord Motor Car Company to supply both rs and jobs for the people livg the area.

GAYLORD GLADIATOR SPORTS TOURG (1956)

A great amount of the rmatn ncerng the history of the Gaylord tomobile was obtaed thanks to Herbert Hutchs, an old-timer and a great historian who has been engaged bs Gaylord for many years. Acunts differ but is believed that as many as four or five pani may have built motors for the Gaylord pany. However, I was not able to fd out what eng they did e as the rerds are gone and no one seems to know for the more than 350 rs supposedly built the majory were probably pated eher black or navy the 1930s there were still two or three survivg Gaylord rs e around town.

GAYLORD GLADIATOR

Eventually he achieved that goal and years later the r he affectnately lled “The Pri Of Gaylord” returned to s hometown. As fate would have , Ivan stopped to ask for directns and durg that nversatn learned a nearby farmer had a Gaylord thought of fally fdg a Gaylord Car was almost too much for Ivan — pecially by such cintal circumstanc. ”Ivan paid the man $50, soped up all the r parts, and head years later, Ivan and his fay moved to Montana, takg wh them the remnants of the only known Gaylord Car.

AUTO MANUFACTURG USED TO THRIVE IN GAYLORD, TRAVERSE CY, AND AROUND THE NORTH

Ivan also shared his knowledge of the Gaylord Motor Car Company’s short life of 4 years and his hope to brg the r home sometime the near though his offer to sell the r to the Gaylord Chamber of Commerce didn’t materialize, a later purchase did occur wh a subsequent owner. A muny fund raiser 1981 generated the money need to buy the fully rtored gem time for Gaylord’s centennial celebratn.

The Gaylord Car returned home 70 years after rollg off the assembly the only remag Gaylord Car turned 100 years old 2011, Ivan was ont and center at a special program held at the Otsego County Library. He ptured the attentn of the packed dience as he relived the excement, challeng, and many twists and turns he experienced wh the Gaylord Car. Thankfully that prentatn was rerd so future generatns will be able to hear Ivan’s story beg told as only he Gaylord Car is now on display at the Visor Center downtown Gaylord.

CoupFrom the Hnburg to an Egyptian Kg to the Osr Mayer Wienermobile: the Gaylord Gladiator's story is strange than fictn. Jam and Edward Gaylord were the heirs to Gaylord Products Inrporated, a fay hairp manufacturg pany Chigo. 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?

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.

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

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?

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. 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.