Batmobile in a Tuxedo? It’s a 1958 Gaylord Gladiator!

The 1958 Gaylord Gladiator that co-owner Ralph Carungi calls “the Batmobile in a tuxedo” is believed to be a one-of-one car, the only example of its kind left in the world. Built by brothers Jim and Ed Gaylord in Chicago to challenge the finest luxury cars of the era, it stopped Lou Costabile in his tracks at an invitation-only concours. This may be the first video ever made of it. Watch to hear why it left such an impression.

Some cars whisper their rarity. This one arrives at a concours, parks among the ninety finest automobiles in the state, and stops a seasoned car guy mid-sentence with a single phrase he could not shake for a year. That car is a 1958 Gaylord Gladiator, finished in black and white, and its co-owner insists there is nothing else like it anywhere on earth. What kind of machine earns a nickname like “the Batmobile in a tuxedo,” and why had almost no one ever seen it on video until Lou Costabile finally caught up with it in a Phoenix suburb? The answer starts with two brothers and one impossible ambition.

One of One, and No One Else Comes Close

To owner Ralph Carungi’s understanding, this Gaylord Gladiator is a one-of-one car, the only survivor of its kind in existence. That claim alone would make it remarkable, but the context makes it staggering. Ralph first crossed paths with Lou at the 2016 Arizona Concours at the Biltmore Hotel, an event so exclusive it invites only ninety of the finest cars in the country. Getting invited is hard. Being the car that a lifelong enthusiast still remembers a full year later is something else entirely.

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The Brothers Who Wanted to Out-Cadillac Cadillac

The Gaylord was the work of Jim and Ed Gaylord, two brothers from Chicago who set out in 1957 to build a luxury car that could stand against the era’s very finest. This was not a hobby build or a one-off show piece thrown together for attention. The Gaylords wanted to compete with the establishment, and the black-and-white Gladiator was their statement. Its styling is unmistakably late-1950s American excess, but dressed up with a formality that separates it from the chrome-happy cruisers of the day.

Why Ralph Calls It the Batmobile in a Tuxedo

So why “the Batmobile in a tuxedo”? Watch the lines and the phrase makes sense; there is something dramatic and almost caped about the profile, yet the whole thing is finished with the restraint of formalwear. Lou has said outright that he loves this car, and the engine sound captured in the video adds a dimension the photos can never deliver. This is very likely the first video ever made of the Gladiator, which makes it a small piece of preserved history all its own. Watch the full video and share your thoughts below.

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