Chrysler corporation concept cars

[1978 NYB]

The Venom concept car was produced in 1994. It was based on Neon platform with a 260 hp V-6.

Hennessy Performance makes a "Venom" Viper with 1000 hp twin turbo's. Around 2010 they made a 1450 hp version trying to set a standing mile speed record of 230 mph. They have reached 225 mph so far.

 

[polara71]

The Venom concept car was produced in 1994. It was based on Neon platform with a 260 hp V-6.

And there it is.........

 

[strokerpost]

How about the concept that America never saw? Anyone remember the Chrysler Norseman? Story and pic. v v v
Chrysler Norseman, 1956

1956 Chrysler Norseman concept

You could think of the striking Norseman as handsome lad who never made it to his prom. Here's the story. Chrysler chief designer Virgil Exner was working overtime in the early 1950s to help transform his company's dowdy product styling. Among the steps taken, Exner began a relationship with the Italian design house, Ghia. The relationship resulted in several concepts and a handful of low-volume production models.
During 1955-56, one of Ghia's main projects was to bring the Norseman to life based on sketches and models created by Exner's studio. The body was to be fully functional and placed over a Hemi-powered Chrysler chassis. Working more than a year, the talented Italians handcrafted every element of the exterior and interior, struggling a great deal with the striking cantilevered roof. Nearly all of the roof's mass needed to be supported at the rear so that the leading edge did not to place any stress on the delicate wrap-around windshield. Completing the roof structure was further complicated by the innovative power-retractable sunroof (think Porsche 911 Targa).


On schedule, the completed Norseman was carefully loaded onto the Andrea Doria, a modern and luxurious ocean liner. The Chrysler design team back in
Highland Park, Michigan eagerly awaited the car's arrival. It was July, and the trans-Atlantic trip would deliver the Norseman to the states in plenty of time for the 1957 auto show circuit.

The Norseman never made it. In an accident chalked up to human error, the Andrea Doria collided with a passenger ship, the MV Stockholm, off the coast of
Massachusetts. The liner sank within hours, taking all of its cargo to the sea floor. Few Americans ever saw Exner's clean, nearly chrome-free design at full size. Perhaps, if the Norseman had completed its crossing, the design would have positively impacted Chrysler's styling as the company dealt inelegantly with the transition from the "fin" to "no-fin" era.

 

[1978 NYB]

Nice looking concept car.

 

[has2bmopar]

.............. '56 Chrysler

 

[detmatt]

Could you imagine walking into somebodies old barn on there back 40 and finding something like one of these last 2?

 

[70NPORT]

Just how deep are the waters off Massachusetts?? I guess the "Norsemen" is nothing more than a rusty hulk by now after all these years....and sea water. It was a fabulous looking car for its day.

 

[detmatt]

I'd be willing to bet these cars were scrapped long ago.

 

[strokerpost]

Just how deep are the waters off Massachusetts?? I guess the "Norsemen" is nothing more than a rusty hulk by now after all these years....and sea water. It was a fabulous looking car for its day.

Oh yeah, remember what the "Buried Tulsa 57 Plymouth" looked like after spending its whole life submerged in fresh water, I would have to believe there is WAY less of this one being in salt water.............unless of course it was in some kind of sealed shipping container, which I doubt, not to mention being tossed around during and after the collision and sinking. Maybe we should contract with "Unsolved Mysteries" to go have a look.

 

[70NPORT]

Oh yeah, remember what the "Buried Tulsa 57 Plymouth" looked like after spending its whole life submerged in fresh water, I would have to believe there is WAY less of this one being in salt water.............unless of course it was in some kind of sealed shipping container, which I doubt, not to mention being tossed around during and after the collision and sinking. Maybe we should contract with "Unsolved Mysteries" to go have a look.

Hey, yeah -- there's a thought. UM might just go for something like that, interesting. I remember seeing that Plymouth after being dug up, WHAT a freakin mess. Damn shame, too. Why the hell did the not build the vault strong enough so that it would not become deteriorated as time went by?

 

[cm23uoc]

There also was a load of these Lancia Aurelia Spiders for US export aboard the Andrea Doria. These are traded well in the six digit dollar range today.

Concerning that Plymouth station wagon concept called Plainsman if I remember correctly I think that one turned up some years ago, but can't remember exactly. Edit: There it is and the 440 conversion is already done.http://www.rodauthority.com/news/ebay-find-of-the-day-1956-plymouth-plainsman-concept-car/

 

[strokerpost]

Hey, yeah -- there's a thought. UM might just go for something like that, interesting. I remember seeing that Plymouth after being dug up, WHAT a freakin mess. Damn shame, too. Why the hell did the not build the vault strong enough so that it would not become deteriorated as time went by?

I believe the idea and the vault itself was fine, I remember looking at all the pix and vid back when that was going on and some close ups of the lid hanging there and the mating surface where the lid would sit didnt look like there was much of a seal there. They sprayed the entire inside with some kind of foam looking sealer, but the seal at the lid/vault mating surface looked practically non existant. If they were relying on the weight of the lid to seal it, the lid should probably have been thicker, I'm no engineer, just thinking out loud. The biggest drawback was just the lack of good materials like we have today. Would have been very cool though had it survived.
Here is a link to some interesting discusion about the Norseman. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=392013