01-15-12 ??

[balthazar]

The woman was an accomplished designer.

The car was a limited-production, aluminum-bodied sports car.

In it's day it saw national exposure.

What is it?

Edited January 15, 2012 by balthazar

[vonVeezelsnider]

I wanted to say Muntz Jet but the cladding is all wrong.

[ocnblu]

Female designer. Aluminum body. Limited PRODUCTION, not a concept. This is an interesting one.

[Hudson]

I wouldn't call the Chrysler Thunderbolt "limited production" as much as five copies of a concept car.

[balthazar]

^ Therefore the judicial use of the word 'limited'. IMO, building more than 2 is 'limited production', esp if they were sold. Not 'regular', but limited. Kinda like the threshold for a serial killer (more than 2 victims).

Of course Hudson, you have ID'd the car correctly.

• • •

BTW, if anyone cares, the woman is Gloria Vanderbilt. She was 17 yrs old in the above pic. Rather attractive in her early youth.

The gentleman bears a strong resemblance to Rock Hudson, but Rock was a year younger than Gloria- guy above doesn't look 16 to me.

[Camino LS6]

Interesting.

This car is a new one on me, but I sure wish the manufacturers would do limited runs of some concepts. There are so many that would be great to see out in the real world.

[Robert Hall]

I've read about the Thunderbolt..had a lot of interesting details...fully integrated fenders in an era when cars still had separate fenders...hidden headlights, bottom-breather grille design, retractable roof (I think?)...

[ocnblu]

Oh man, I was close but no cigar, thinking Newport when I sawr it. Was too scared to answer, for good reason, it turns out.

So that's Anderson Cooper's old lady?

Roof has to be retractible, it's missing in the photo Balthy originally posted, would they make it simply removable on a concept?

Edited January 17, 2012 by ocnblu

[balthazar]

Yep- retractable hardtop:

[ocnblu]

Is dude drunk?

Srsly tho, NINETEEN FORTY-ONE! Awesome, that Thunderbolt.

Edited January 17, 2012 by ocnblu

[balthazar]

Forgot to detail : the national exposure the Thunderbolt saw was in pacing that year's Indy 500.

[Hudson]

Forgot to detail : the national exposure the Thunderbolt saw was in pacing that year's Indy 500.

Wasn't the '41 pace car the Chrysler Newport Dual Cowl?

[balthazar]

^ yeah, you seem to be right. I think some sources mix these 2 cars up together, because I know I saw that somewhere.