Shipwrecks - Time Capsules of Human Civilization : Prototype Car of the Future Lost on the Andrea Doria

July 2006

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Prototype Car of the Future Lost on the Andrea Doria - Norseman

One of the "casualties" of the Andrea Doria sinking has received quite a bit of attention in the past decade; however, this casualty was not a person but a beautiful automobile called the Norseman. The Norseman was a special prototype car that was a joint project of Chrysler and Ghia. It is thought that the complete development of this automobile cost more than $100,000 1956-dollars. Normally, all passenger cars were placed in the garage section of the Andrea Doria that is slightly aft of the collision point where the Stockholm impaled the Doria underneath the bow wing bridge. These cars would have been placed on to the Doria by use of a crane and meticulously parked in the garage and arranged strategically for stability. However, the Norseman was no passenger vehicle and was specially packed and treated with extra care. The Norseman was put into a wooden crate and placed in the number 2 cargo area. While looking for a lost diver, I had an opportunity to see the Norseman for myself in the cargo hold. The crate had disintegrated and the car was in very, very poor condition. The ocean's salt water invaded the Norseman's metal and most of the car is rust, corrosion and a heap of indistinguishable junk. The tires are still there and have assisted to its identification.

I have been back to the cargo area several times (it is pretty scary in the cargo hold because the ship is lying on its starboard side) and visited the Norseman on a couple other occasions. I contributed to an article authored by a New York Times reporter that appeared in the Hemmings Motor News in the early 1990's. In 1996, a website in Germany translated part of this Hemmings article and added additional information. The link to this article is: http://riekmann.prohosting.com/magazin/chrysler_norseman/chrysler_norseman.htm
I have been interviewed about my dives to the Norseman several times since the original Hemmings article appeared. I have not been back to this cargo site since 1994 and with all the decay that the wreck has had over the past 10 years, it is doubtful if I will ( or anyone else) ever get a chance to see the remains of the Norseman again.

February 06, 2006 in Andrea Doria | Permalink

Comments

Mr. Bright,

A book just came out by the name of "The Last Shot" by Lynn Schooler. It is about a Confederate gunship sent to disrupt whaling expeditions in New England and elsewhere during the American Civil War. I was wondering if you have heard about it and if you have read it, your thoughts on it?

Jacob

Posted by: Jacob | February 08, 2006 at 05:49 PM

Hello Jacob,
It is good to hear from you again. I have heard that this book, "The Last Shot", is a very good read. I have placed this book on order from Amazon and will check it out for myself. Normally, I use my diving expeditions to get myself caught up with all the wonderful books that have been printed throughout the year. I am currently down in Florida diving the caves and have been trying out the audiobook collection that I received over Christmas. My first audiobook was "Dark Descent" by Kevin McMurray and I played it during a long drive back and forth to the United States Merchant Marine Academy in early December. Since my dives to the Empress of Ireland are profiled in Kevin's book, it was funny to hear the narrator use my name so often. I found this a wonderful and fun way to "read" a book. Currently, I am listening to two audiobooks on the Titanic which include the classic "A Night to Remember" by Walter Lord. I have known Walter for about fifteen years until he passed away. I have read his book numerous times but haven't picked it up in about a decade. What is fascinating about this audiobook is the description of the passengers and crew on Titanic and where they were on the ship at any given time. Being on the Titanic about 6 months ago, it is a great way to let the mind wander and the drive time go quickly.
Thank you for the book recommendation!

David Bright

Posted by: David Bright | February 09, 2006 at 12:01 PM