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History 1956 Chrysler Norseman

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by James Maxwell, Aug 25, 2009.

  1. jimi'shemi291
    Joined: Jan 21, 2009
    Posts: 9,499

    jimi'shemi291
    Member

    I'm with FurBiscuit. This concept car probably actually had more real-world impact on bigger MoPar vehicles of the early and mid-'60s than other Chrysler show cars of the '50s, IMO.

    But, yes, once you commit to a long WB hardtop, you have to support the overall structure in ways you never could in a pillared sedan. And that wouldn't have applied just to MoPars, either.
     
  2. WQ59B
    Joined: Dec 14, 2005
    Posts: 2,618

    WQ59B
    Member

    Wondering what you've seen to prove these are under structural stress. The A-pillar is dead vertical and supports the weight of the roof easily, and the top edge of the windshield is almost completely un-shrouded. I pulled the windshield (& rear glass: 2-dr hardtop) from my '59 without issue or breakage, and it was not difficult.
    I had always heard the reluctance of installers was nothing about the difficultly/stress, just the cost/difficulty of locating the glass itself.
     
  3. rod1
    Joined: Jan 18, 2009
    Posts: 1,324

    rod1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I'm seeing a lot of Marlin in that one.Cool car.
     
  4. jimi'shemi291
    Joined: Jan 21, 2009
    Posts: 9,499

    jimi'shemi291
    Member

    Ditto, rod1. Probably helped determine wheelbase, too, on the Marlin. Stylist Richard Teague had wanted to see it produced more on a "pony car" type of wheelbase, but it was issued as a pretty large car instead.
     
  5. sumner41
    Joined: Oct 2, 2009
    Posts: 32

    sumner41
    Member

    I beg to differ about glass as a structual component. All the modern cars do so. In modern cars if you remove windshield and back glass ,the roof will wooble like a feather in a windstorm. As the glass is indeed used as a structural component
     
  6. Koderboy
    Joined: Jun 30, 2012
    Posts: 50

    Koderboy
    Member
    from Monroe ia

    First time ive seen this car or heard about it pretty good looking car imo! Someone should try to make another one!
     
  7. Grim-Reaper
    Joined: Feb 4, 2013
    Posts: 6

    Grim-Reaper
    Member
    from Atlanta

    My Mother worked at Chrysler in Highland park as a secretary when Norseman was being built by Ghia. She did the paperwork for the shipping that arraigned it being put on the Andrea Doria.

    She swears that there were two and both were destroyed. The other came off a trailer as it was being towed back from a show in Detroit. I think she has it mixed up and it was one of other concept cars since I have never been able to find any mention of a second Norseman. Maybe it was one of the 55 Falcons. She had the chance to sit in one of them and described it to me well enough for me to find pictures for her to confirm it was the car she had sat in.
     
  8. tfee
    Joined: Oct 10, 2006
    Posts: 140

    tfee
    Member

    Yesterday I went to Bill Brownlies estate sale here in Dearborn Michigan. Bill was the lead designer on the Chrysler Norseman among many other projects and amid some of his illustrations was a photograph of the clay model of the ill fated Norseman. It's too bad the car never made it to production because it sure is sexy with its wrap around glass. I can't wait to get this picture up on my wall, it's a full 32" wide and the detail in the model is quite incredible.
     

    Attached Files:

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  9. lawman
    Joined: Sep 19, 2006
    Posts: 2,665

    lawman
    Member

    Great story and picture's !!!!
     
  10. sololobo
    Joined: Aug 23, 2006
    Posts: 8,378

    sololobo
    Member

    Thanx for a cool shot of info on this obsolete and remarkable car. Like so many prototypes we have seen, this is an absolute gem. The interior is really special. Great stuff ~sololobo~
     
  11. My Dad was a Chrysler executive at the Export-Import Division and headed up the shipping for that car. It was a very sad day at our dinner table that night after hearing about the car going down in that wreck.
     
  12. Ask your mother if she knew my Dad, Bill Keiser from Export-Import. Just a side note....there was and is only one actual Chrysler Falcon. It was painted Silver for one show, red for another show and black for a third show. It is a common mistake to think that there were three of them. There was only one Norseman.
     
  13. Roger Walling
    Joined: Sep 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,149

    Roger Walling
    Member

    In attachment #Attachment 740843, I think I see a couple of HAMB'ers pulling it out from the wreck! :rolleyes:
     
  14. Nads
    Joined: Mar 5, 2001
    Posts: 11,862

    Nads
    Member
    from Hypocrisy

    Utter nonsense, I chopped my 59 El Camino and even in its less than perfect channel my wife and I put the windshield in in about 20 minutes.
     
  15. Nads
    Joined: Mar 5, 2001
    Posts: 11,862

    Nads
    Member
    from Hypocrisy

    And that Chrysler Concept Cars book is outta print, it's fantastic.
     
  16. stangman05gt
    Joined: Mar 12, 2011
    Posts: 171

    stangman05gt
    Member
    from illinois

    I have a friend who dives that wreck every couple of years and i contacted him on this to see if he has pictures of the wreck and if he has ever seen remnants of a car among the wreckage. stay tuned.
     
  17. Nads
    Joined: Mar 5, 2001
    Posts: 11,862

    Nads
    Member
    from Hypocrisy

  18. Grim-Reaper
    Joined: Feb 4, 2013
    Posts: 6

    Grim-Reaper
    Member
    from Atlanta

    I asked her and shes racking her brain. Its been a while LOL.

    She worked in purchasing (systems and procedures) Art Yarnold was the head she answered too. He answered to JD Moran. JD is who showed her the Falcon and let her sit in it when it was in the Executive Garage. She remembers seeing that had Something like $100k in the car.

    She also did stuff for Cook. She was the one that got to take dictation and knew about stuff (who was about to get fired/promoted) way before others. LOL She torqued up some engineer when they were looking at doing something with BMW. They had one in the executive garage they were looking at one idiot said "British Motor works"...she corrected him and embarrassed him (My Dad rode BMW's) it made the rounds she though she was going to get fired over it LOL .

    side Note she just told me: Richard Petty use to come down there every once in a while. His sister worked there and they knew each other and he would visit with her. She got to meet him when he swung by.
     
    Last edited: Feb 28, 2013
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  19. Here's a copy of Chrysler's July 26, 1956 press release:

    Chrysler Memo - Norseman lost in Andrea Doria.jpg
     
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