Chrysler Norseman
| Chrysler Norseman | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Chrysler |
| Production | 1956 (Concept car) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Full-size |
| Body style | 2-door fastback |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 331 cu in (5.4 L) V8 |
| Transmission | Powerflite automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 129 in (3,277 mm) |
| Length | 227.5 in (5,778 mm) |
| Width | 80 in (2,032 mm) |
| Height | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
The Chrysler Norseman was a four-seat fastback coupe built in 1956 as a concept car. Although designed by Chrysler's stylists, actual construction was contracted out to the Italian coach-building firm of Carrozzeria Ghia. The concept car was lost during the sinking of the SS Andrea Doria.
Virgil Exner working in Chrysler's Advanced Styling Group developed lower, sleeker, and more aggressive looking automobiles for Chrysler in the 1950s. Exner also wanted maximum all-around visibility from the car's interior and he took the design of the Norseman to the limit. The dream car was named for Exner's ancestry.
The Norseman was designed by the Chrysler Corporation Engineering Division and built by Ghia of Turin, Italy. Ghia had experience in the construction of low-volume vehicles and one-off prototypes. Chrysler wanted a fully drivable vehicle, not just a rolling mockup, so all normal systems for the powertrain, braking, suspension, were installed. Power was from a modified 331 cu in (5.4 L) Chrysler Hemi engine producing 235 hp (175 kW; 238 PS) with a pushbutton-controlled Powerflite automatic transmission. The body panels on the car were made of aluminum with "a sharply sloping hood, upswept tail fins and a covered, smooth underbody for aerodynamic efficiency." The Norseman combined a "sweeping fastback rear end design and Chrysler's own take on a tailfin and bumper treatment."
More difficult to fabricate was its unusual cantilevered roof, which was secured to the body only at the rear C pillars. There were no side pillars, and at the front the roof rested only lightly on a fully frameless windshield. An advanced 12 square foot power sliding glass panel sunroof feature was difficult to integrate into a slender roof structure lacking A-pillar support at the front. The windshield and roof glass was specially made by PPG Industries to provide strength and be shatterproof. The door glass was ventless (having no small vent window at the front), a styling theme that would become popular some ten years later. The interior featured four bucket seats and the reel-type seatbelts were mounted in the door and fastened across the occupants to the full-length center console. Other features included concealed automatic headlights, door handles, and concealed trunk lid opening device.
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