Mysterious 1955 Chrysler Falcon concept car makes rare appearance. Is it the only one left?
The elegant Falcon was conceived to elbow Chrysler into the spotlight shining on the new and exciting Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Thunderbird, graceful two-seaters drawing acclaim and buyers to Chrysler's crosstown rivals in Detroit.
'The car is significant as a window into what might have been if Chrysler had decided to match the Corvette and Thunderbird with a two-seater of its own,' said Matt Anderson, transportation curator at The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
'The Falcon blended the sportiness of the Corvette with the personal luxury of the T-Bird quite well.
'Whether there was a market for that mix, we'll never know.'
The Chrysler Falcon is part of the Bortz Auto Collection of concept cars preserved by enthusiast Joe Bortz. His cars are not permanently displayed anywhere, but make the rounds of leading museums and auto events.
The Chrysler Falcon is unrelated to the 1960s Ford compact sedan of the same name.
Off-the-shelf parts
Chrysler styling lost its edge when it resumed passenger-vehicle production after World War II.
Chairman J.T. Keller charged design chief Virgil Exner with revitalizing the brand. Exner enlisted Italian coachbuilder and designer Ghia to build what he called his 'idea cars.'
The string of concept cars for Chrysler included the K-310, Norseman and Imperial Crown. They were one-off projects, show cars designed to fire the imagination, not for production and sale.
'The Falcon changed that,' Stellantis historian Brandt Rosenbusch told me. 'It was conceived to compete with the Corvette and Thunderbird, so it used off-the-shelf parts for easy production.'
That included a shortened 1955 Chrysler 300 chassis ― 105 inches long, 11 inches less than the production sedan. Other production features included a Hemi V8 and power steering, brakes and windows. The car is drivable.'It's a stunning car. The proportions are perfect,' Bortz said. 'It's unusual for its time because it had so little chrome.'
But committing to produce the low, graceful Falcon was too much to ask of a chairman who once declared every Chrysler's roof must be high enough that a gentleman could wear his hat while driving.
The car never made it to the assembly line. Nobody's entirely certain how many Ghia's old-world workshop in Turin built. It was once believed Ghia built only one Falcon, but we know now there were at least two. Maybe three, according to a Ghia memo citing a build order from Chrysler.
Where can I see the 1955 Chrysler Falcon concept?
Somehow, they vanished
Supporting the three-car theory, Chrysler archives have photos of Falcons in three different colors:
'There's a lot of guesswork,' Bortz said.
The Falcon was first shown to the public in New York in August 1955, alongside Chrysler's Flight Sweep I and II concept cars.
Nobody knows what happened to the Flight Sweeps. Many early concept cars were sold to private buyers and driven till they died.
The Falcon lived on. Its grille inspired the 1998 Chrysler Chronos concept car and the sensational 2005 Chrysler 300.
The car will be on the 18th fairway at Pebble Beach this year, one of several Exner cars that are part of a tribute to Chrysler's centennial. Bortz will display it with the convertible top up, a seldom seen configuration.
'Exner will always be remembered for the 'Forward Look' Chryslers of the late 1950s,' Anderson said. 'Those cars absolutely remade the company's image from old fashioned to cutting edge.
'The 1957 ad campaign said it best: 'Suddenly it's 1960!'
'While he didn't invent the tailfin, Exner employed it to greater effect than any of his contemporaries.'
The Falcon 'was considered Exner's finest car,' Bortz said. 'He kept a model on his desk.'
1955 Chrysler Falcon at a glance
Built in Turin by Carrozerria Ghia SpA
Wheelbase: 105 inches
Length: 182 inches
Width: '68½ inches'
Height: '51 1/8 inches'
Engine: 'Special Chrysler Corp. V8 hemispherical combustion chamber
Tires: 15-inch
From Chrysler's description:
Interior:
Source: Stellantis archives
Contact Mark Phelan: mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
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