1955 Flajole Forerunner

After designing cars like the Nash Metropolitan, Bill Flajole started his own independent design consultancy which produced this Forerunner prototype. The design was influenced by its Jaguar XK120 underpinnings, but had tall fenders and a sloping fastback design with a retractable roof.

Bonhams sold the sole Flajole Forerunner prototype at their 2009 Exceptional Motorcars and Automobilia at the Quail Lodge Resort. They described it as “In addition to the dramatic dropped hood profile it had a sharp translucent Plexiglas roof panel and dramatic recessed cove panels behind the wheels. Painted light beige to contrast with the Forerunner’s original dark green paint (probably Spruce Green, which Bill Flajole later identified as his favorite color), the Forerunner marked the first appearance of coves, before Chevrolet applied them to 1956 and subsequent Corvettes.