Gaylord Cars from Chicago was established by enthusiasts Ed and Jim Gaylord (sons of the inventor of the bobby pin). The company presented an ambitious luxury sportscar model named Gladiator at the Paris Motor Show 1955. It was styled by a renowned designer Brooks Stevens while the chassis was the work of Ed Gaylord. It was a backbone tube frame with an A-arm front suspension and a live axle at the rear. The prototype's all-metal body was made in Germany by coachbuilder Spohn. The car was powered by a Chrysler V8 and coupled with a 4-speed automatic transmission. This spectacular high-end car was rivaling even the best of Rolls-Royce of the period.

The original prototype was scrapped and the production chassis planned for Cadillac V8 was also made in Germany by Zeppelin. Unfortunately, only one chassis was bodied before the project was quickly discontinued. The Gaylord introduced many innovations including retractable hard-top and variable-assist power steering.