Much like the Hudson Italia, Chrysler also had a stunning factory two-seater meant to compete with the Corvette and the Thunderbird. This sweet roadster, like the Italia, had an American designer, Vir... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
compared to the T-Bird or Corvette ... I think it is a bit heavy on the front end styling. of course it probably would have been toned down a bit if it went into production. HEMI32 should be here any minute with a full history and pics.
Anyone else think the stance looks really high in the second and third photos? Kinda reminds me of the hoopties on 20" wheels today...
For 1955... thats fantastic... because when i look at it... I see early 1965 ford mustang- stance and porportion... It would look great lowered- Chrysler in the fiftes had some of the finest industrial design that actually got put into production... just look at all the forward look designs... amazing.
I think that beefier look would have carried it far if it had been produced. It looks more muscular, which thunderbird, to me, always looked a little "danty". Our old 57 Compared to
Huh? ... 1955 Chrysler Falcon? ... HEMI? ... Virgil Exner? ... Carrozzeria Ghia? ... Bortz Auto Collection? ... never heard of 'em! All joking aside ... @StillOutThere is the better authority on the '55 Chrysler Falcon ... he's forgotten more about the Exner "Idea Cars", than I could ever dream of knowing. Also ... the Internet is rife with info/pics of about the subject car ... just click HERE.
OK ... I couldn't resist ... here's a couple video clips with footage of the '55 Chrysler Falcon: NOTE: The '55 Chrysler Falcon footage starts @ the 2:08 mark.
I'm not sure why but I can see it racing up Pikes Peek or the running the LaCarrera Panamerica. Maybe a hardtop would be better for racing. Jeff
I can definitely see the tbird resemblence. I like it and would love it if it were lowered a bit. Thanks for the great post!!!
If ONLY Chrysler management had given the go ahead to produce this sports car, I personally think it had the absolute potential to give the combination of Thunderbird and Corvette equal competition in the American sports car market place of '55-56. Incredible styling. HEMI. The only reason the early Birds you see today don't sit as high as this Chrysler Falcon is that so few restorers have replaced the sagging factory coil springs after fifty five years of use. Those Birds were all nose high also. There is ample evidence that Chrysler did in FACT produce three prototype Falcon roadsters. References that say there was just one that was painted three colors over time are incorrect. There are not good records of the destruction of any and only one is known to exist. So keep checking those sheds because another Chrysler Falcon could be STILL OUT THERE. If you find the BLACK one, email me.
Nose is a bit heavy reminds me of a Studebaker Lark, but the taillights are a custom builders dream piece.
Hey, Chrysler Corporation was from its early days a company very much run by its engineering department. The Chrysler Airflow sales debacle cost millions in depression era dollars to the company and for years prompted company management to go ''safe'' on new designs. It was not until 1955, when they let Exner off the leash, so to speak, that design was even openly spoken of in management. Exner's obsession with the tail fin and his on going firefights with management over design control ( some say that these are what lead to his near fatal heart attack in the late fifties) would ultimatly lead to his job loss. The corporation's cronic money troubles coupled with internal management "conflict of interest'' charges ment that the Falcon, like so many other Exner Ghia/concept vehicles would never make it to a show room. If only Exner had had Earl's design budgets to work from, history would have probably been much different! " The one thing all nations share is the fear that a member of the family will want to be an artist "
Is it just me or are the fins, windshield and fender louvers a little "too close for comfort"... Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Exner designs, but...wow.
See, thats immediately what I saw. But I would take the chrysler because my personal opinion is more towards the bigger "looking" car.
This is a great looking car. Too bad it never made production. Here are a few color renditions with a lowered stance and simplified grill.
Chrysler more or less used that grille in the early sixties,Cadillac borrowed the taillights,and the headlight treatment looks like a cross between an Avanti and a Riviera.
Those look great, I always thought lowering would go a long way to making the Ghia Falcon work. Id actually like to see the side exhausts dumped as well. Theyre a little tacked-on looking. Exner seems to have liked things busy (60 Valiant, anyone?), but overall Id say the Ghia Falcon was a success. I would love to have one. Especially with an early Hemi or a dual-quad 413. Somebody with deeper pockets than I want to have Marcel DeLay whip one up? -Dave