Cadillac Vakyrie

[G-Man]

1954 Cadillac die Valkyrie

[_Sheffjs_]

Order me up a set of emblems, I have an idea.   

[G-Man]

1954 Cadillac “Die Valkyrie” designed by Brooks Stevens, coachwork by Spohn

In 1952, a Cleveland real estate baron named Metzenbaum wanted a modern car with the spirit of the great early-1940s. He wanted the luxury of the Lincoln Continental and the power of Cadillac's brilliant overhead-valve V-8, first offered for 1949. Famed Milwaukee-based industrial designer Brooks Stevens did the rest. The result was called Die Valkyrie, after Brunhilde and the other mythical "sisters of the wind" immortalized in Wagnerian opera. Per Metzenbaum's wishes, Stevens began with the 125-inch-wheelbase chassis and 331-cubic-inch V-8 of the contemporary Cadillac Series Sixty-Two.

Leaving both pretty much alone, he replaced the stock body with a striking four-seat steel convertible shell bearing rakish long-hood/short-deck proportions and both a solid removable roof panel and a skimpy "rag top." The last, Stevens recalled, was only for "getting you home if it started to rain."

Die Valkyrie's most radical aspect by far was its huge, sharply vee'd combination bumper/grille, deliberately chosen to emphasize what was under the hood. One wag snidely termed it a "snowplow," but at least it was different. Small parking lamps were set into the V's wide outriggers, which bisected the headlamps before wrapping around to continue as side moldings.

Several elements make Die Valkyrie look a lot newer now than it actually is. Recessed cowled headlamps and a flat hood nearly level with the front fenders forecast Big Three styling by at least three years. In the 1960s, Cadillac itself would adopt taillights much like Die Valkyrie's compact, vertically vee'd units.

This was also Stevens' first use of the "Washington coach" door line with its distinctive upward sweep that not only concealed long door openings (for easier back-seat access) but made a natural two-tone color break — highlighted in the starkest possible way with white forward and black rearward. Fan-motif inner door panels were equally distinctive. The dash was stock 1953 Cadillac.

To build Die Valkyrie, Stevens enlisted the Spohn Works of Ravensburg, West Germany, mainly for its meticulous craftsmanship. Metzenbaum made noises about backing up 100 copies, and the car did cause a minor stir at the 1953 Paris Auto Show, but just six Die Valkyries would ever be built.

Stevens believes only three came to the U.S. The one shown here, number two, was once driven by Mrs. Stevens. You can see it at the Brooks Stevens Museum in suburban Mequon, Wisconsin, just north of Milwaukee.

One of the Die Valkyrie’s significant design features is the enormous “V” bumper at the front of the car. This was done because Brooks Stevens, an international car designer, wanted to have the car tour in Europe as well as the U.S. He wanted to show off the fact that most American high end cars were V8 while the Europeans engines were either straight six or straight eight. Brooks Stevens was also famously known for painting many of his other concept cars in his signature black and white color scheme.

Source: auto.howstuffworks.com; bortzcars.wordpress.com

[G-Man]

[Jess from VA]

All you need with that car is a full length white fur coat, a wide brim burgundy felt hat, and a couple loose women.  And some wide gangster walls on the tires.   

I could be wrong.  There's no back seat.

[¿spoom]

1954 Cadillac “Die Valkyrie” designed by Brooks Stevens, coachwork by Spohn

In 1952, a Cleveland real estate baron named Metzenbaum wanted a modern car with the spirit of the great early-1940s. He wanted the luxury of the Lincoln Continental and the power of Cadillac's brilliant overhead-valve V-8, first offered for 1949. Famed Milwaukee-based industrial designer Brooks Stevens did the rest. The result was called Die Valkyrie, after Brunhilde and the other mythical "sisters of the wind" immortalized in Wagnerian opera. Per Metzenbaum's wishes, Stevens began with the 125-inch-wheelbase chassis and 331-cubic-inch V-8 of the contemporary Cadillac Series Sixty-Two.

Leaving both pretty much alone, he replaced the stock body with a striking four-seat steel convertible shell bearing rakish long-hood/short-deck proportions and both a solid removable roof panel and a skimpy "rag top." The last, Stevens recalled, was only for "getting you home if it started to rain."

Die Valkyrie's most radical aspect by far was its huge, sharply vee'd combination bumper/grille, deliberately chosen to emphasize what was under the hood. One wag snidely termed it a "snowplow," but at least it was different. Small parking lamps were set into the V's wide outriggers, which bisected the headlamps before wrapping around to continue as side moldings.

Several elements make Die Valkyrie look a lot newer now than it actually is. Recessed cowled headlamps and a flat hood nearly level with the front fenders forecast Big Three styling by at least three years. In the 1960s, Cadillac itself would adopt taillights much like Die Valkyrie's compact, vertically vee'd units.

This was also Stevens' first use of the "Washington coach" door line with its distinctive upward sweep that not only concealed long door openings (for easier back-seat access) but made a natural two-tone color break — highlighted in the starkest possible way with white forward and black rearward. Fan-motif inner door panels were equally distinctive. The dash was stock 1953 Cadillac.

To build Die Valkyrie, Stevens enlisted the Spohn Works of Ravensburg, West Germany, mainly for its meticulous craftsmanship. Metzenbaum made noises about backing up 100 copies, and the car did cause a minor stir at the 1953 Paris Auto Show, but just six Die Valkyries would ever be built.

Stevens believes only three came to the U.S. The one shown here, number two, was once driven by Mrs. Stevens. You can see it at the Brooks Stevens Museum in suburban Mequon, Wisconsin, just north of Milwaukee.

One of the Die Valkyrie’s significant design features is the enormous “V” bumper at the front of the car. This was done because Brooks Stevens, an international car designer, wanted to have the car tour in Europe as well as the U.S. He wanted to show off the fact that most American high end cars were V8 while the Europeans engines were either straight six or straight eight. Brooks Stevens was also famously known for painting many of his other concept cars in his signature black and white color scheme.

Source: auto.howstuffworks.com; bortzcars.wordpress.com

Was Robert Bourke working with Stevens on the project? Because that just screams, "1953 Studebaker Starliner Coupe".

[¿spoom]

[Pappy!]

Above photo was exactly what I was thinking. Side profile looks almost identical to the Studebaker cars.
Brooks Stevens was also a designer for Johnson and Evinrude outboards in their vintage engine era. Quite an influential designer.

[..]

Expecting snow?

Or cattle on the road?

[John Schmidt]

Yup, Studebaker also came to mind. My buddy's dad had one, sucker would outrun just about anything on the road....except my '49 Olds. Totally stock....just ask me! 

[old2soon]

And the upper head light trim is Screaming 55  56 Packard. I've had occasion in the past to drive one each a Studebaker Golden Hawk and a Studebaker Silver Hawk. I really ENJOY the concept cars and trucks. If it weren't for innovation and advances in metallurgy electronics fuel management etc etc we would still be driving 4 cylinder flat heads with the vehicle mounted on something close to bicycle tires. RIDE SAFE.

[¿spoom]

And the upper head light trim is Screaming 55  56 Packard. I've had occasion in the past to drive one each a Studebaker Golden Hawk and a Studebaker Silver Hawk. I really ENJOY the concept cars and trucks. If it weren't for innovation and advances in metallurgy electronics fuel management etc etc we would still be driving 4 cylinder flat heads with the vehicle mounted on something close to bicycle tires. RIDE SAFE.

and as you probably know, those Hawks were the same basic body as the '53, with minor changes like grill changes, mylar fins, and anything else a $5 styling budget could handle. The 259 engine became the 289, then some 289s got blowers, etc.