In the two years it was produced, the Gaylord Gladiator redefined 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 many at the 1955 salon de Paris with their chinos down.
The intricately shaped luxo-coupe, sporting a retractable hardtop, was a super-exclusive luxury car rivaling the highest-end Rolls imaginable — at least in price. (It cost nearly $18,000 in mid 1950s dollars - more like $150,000 today). After failing to sell the 25 models the company needed to stay afloat, the Gladiator took a spear to the chest in 1956.
1955 Gaylord Gladiator V8 [Supercars.net]
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