A producer from Rome who came to my home in Michigan for an interview observed, “It seems like everyone has a connection to the Andrea Doria.”  In my authorial journey I have found this to be immensely true.

My gentleman Richard Haskin and I attended Detroit’s North American International Auto Show. So, where’s the link to the ship that brought me to America?  The Chrysler brand. It is explained in chapter 12 , “Diving the Doria” in Alive in the Andrea Doria:

“One fascinating ‘casualty’ of the Andrea Doria sinking was a beautiful, one-of-a-kind automobile called the Norseman. This special prototype, with an unusual cantilevered roof and no side pillars, was designed by Chrysler and built by the Italian company Ghia. The estimated cost was $150,000 ( in $1956). It was on its way to New York on the Doria, in tenet for the 1957 auto show circuit. But sadly, it would never be seen by  the public.”

The beautiful Norseman is now in a larger cargo hold: the Atlantic Ocean. If only its long, sleek design, a glimmer of beautiful models to come, had been an inspiration for 2010 models! Whatever happened to creativity at Chrysler—and a majority of American cars for that matter?