01 July 2022
|
Brausi 1955 Cadillac Series 60 Die Valkyrie - Brooks Stevens
PRICE: £129.99
REF NO: 2102
SCALE: 1/43
Brooks Stevens is one of America’s great industrial design masters. He is perhaps best known for his work with Studebaker. But one of his earliest contributions to the motoring industry came in 1955, with a car that he hoped would introduce American V8 power to the European marketplace - the 1955 Cadillac Die Valkyrie.
Stevens began with a new 1955 Cadillac Series 60 Special, chassis #556078063, and designed a flamboyant new body from the ground up. Coachwork and construction was handled by Hermann Spohn of Ravensburg, Germany. Most consider the Valkyrie the finest bodywork and execution done by Spohn. Why exactly Stevens selected a Cadillac chassis, and how he convinced GM to supply him with one, remains unclear, but an undocumented story surrounding the car suggests that Cadillac officials at the time were exploring the possibility of entering the European market and saw Stevens' project as a way to test the waters while maintaining plausible deniability should it fail.
Die Valkyrie was a big car, sharing the same 133-inch wheelbase, but it also shared Cadillac’s OHV, 331 cubic inch dual-quad engine that made a solid 270 hp, so performance was not lacking.
Ultimately, the project never went beyond two cars, the first was purchased by Stevens himself as a gift for his wife. Nothing is known about the whereabouts of the second car.
An absolutely incredible debut for this new brand with this sumptuous resincast. Detailing and finish is totally top notch throughout. Limited edition of 200.