Cheers or Jeers: 1955 Flajole Forerunner

[wildmanjoe]

Cheers or Jeers: 1955 Flajole Forerunner

Link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Phenominal-one-off-concept-car-Bill-Flajole-Hyman-Ltd-/370620086566?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item564aadb926

One of the most beautiful and innovative concept cars of the 1950's, The Flajole Forerunner was stylist Bill Flajole's vision of the future. Featured on the cover of Motor Trend magazine in September 1955, the Forerunner was the result of over 7000 hours of design and construction, and over $80,000 in build cost, and keep in mind this was 1955! The subject of numerous magazine articles, Motor Trend featured the Forerunner on the same cover as Ghia's groundbreaking Gilda design study. Sports Cars Illustrated gave the Forerunner a three-page feature article in October 1955, Mechanix Illustrated wrote about the car in September of 1955, and the car was recently featured in Octane Magazine. Designed and built by automotive designer Bill Flajole, then Advance Styling Consultant for American Motors, and a well known industrial designer, the Forerunner incorporates many futuristic design elements like its retracting tinted Plexiglas roof, headrest bucket seats and contrasting color fender coves, well before any of these items were put on a production car. Its chassis is among the best of its day, Jaguar's high performance 180 horsepower XK 120M with an SCCA race class win to its credit while Flajole's studio was creating the Forerunner's body. The glass fiber body employed molded-in open louvers and elaborate compound curves never before attempted in fiberglass. Its windshield header-mounted rear view mirror foreshadows later designers' use of periscope optics. This important one off automobile has been completely restored, and was shown at Amelia Island in 2010. The car is complete with magazines that featured the car when first built as well as photos of the car taken during its construction in the Flajole studios in the 1950's that have been supplied by Bill Flajole's daughter. A fabulous one off concept car with an impeccable history .

[balthazar]

Always disliked this. The fender scallops remind me of the first Gaylord, which I greatly prefer.

[Blake Noble]

It looks like something you'd use in foreplay. Jeers.

[ocnblu]

That shifter is wrong wut?

[daves87rs]

Yuck!

[G. David Felt]

Sorry guys, but this is a Cheers. Nothing else like it on the road. I love standing out and this just catches my eye. I love the Jag engine. That is freakin Sweet!!!

Balt I know what you mean about the fender scallops but that is also what I think makes it look so fresh and different. I know the design language is not perfect, but if your looking for something different to stand out from the rest, this does fit the bill.

Only problem is the price, it is so over priced.

[balthazar]

It's not the scallops per say, I like a well-done scallop. Gaylord, Mercer Cobra, DeSoto Cella I all did them a bit better tho.

The Flajole is very visually heavy- it doesn't flow well, but it sags wonderfully.

Details aren't well integrated, either: tails tacked on, tube bumpers are weak, hidden headlights don't work here, greenhouse is sinking into the rear clip, continental has to go, needs a backlight. I just don't like it. :shrug: My 2 cents.

[Camino LS6]

It has goiter of the rump - Jeers.