The Koroghlian Royale as a one-off shown at the Orange County International Auto Show in 1982. It clearly bucks some the trends of the time, and embraces others.
No info on what chassis it rides on.
Vintage Ad: 1982 Koroghlian Royale – “Less Streamlining, More Headroom”
– Posted on November 29, 2022
It is odd, I am hating this car less each time I look at it. I am not sure Southern California was the right place for this to make its debut, though. This has more of a New York vibe to me.
A circus horse imitating a Duesenberg.
Some will no doubt like it but It doesn’t do anything for me…
No info on what chassis it rides on.
Wouldn’t surprise me at all to learn that it’s riding on a pickup truck chassis, but I have nothing to support (or dispute) that theory.
Back when pickups were relatively cheap, mechanically simple, and 2WD versions weren’t so tall, I wondered why more kit car manufacturers didn’t use them as the basis for a retro-styled car body.
The only car at the time that could make the Continental Mark VI appear understated.
Looks interesting .
-Nate
Strangely this may be the most appealing of the neo-classical vehicles to come out of
the sixties through the eighties. Still rather tacky, but less than the others.
I suppose the use of a truck chassis precluded the coachbuilder from needing to comply with passenger-car safety features (i.e., shoulder belts and head restraints).
I can’t tell if that’s an imitation ’30 Cadillac hood goddess or a real one.
The 1969 O.C. Auto Show, in Anaheim across Katella Ave from Disneyland, was my first, at age 8. Saw my first Honda car, which is about all I can remember. It was the model before the one with the big black rubber rear window surround.
No disrespect to Mr. K., but at least the car itself is more attractive than its name. Imagine arriving at the country club and your society friends asking “Your car is a what, now?” 😉
This is actually MORE blocky than real ’20s cars. They had rounded window corners and a slight inward curve from beltline down to chassis.
Agree. There were so many design subtleties back then that imitators never seem to grasp, and their products look the worse for it.
I suspect this car was created to test the waters for the limited production of a retro-limousine. The company building it [Classic Coachworks] was a well-known maker of stretch Lincoln and Cadillac limousines. As to the location for the introduction, it made sense, the greater Los Angeles area was/is the second largest consumer of new limousines in North America.
I suspect with no serious interest in their “K-car” and no orders, the company declined to spend the money on taking it to NYC, and from that point on, the owner kept it as a one-off creation. I was in the vintage limousine rental business in the 1980s, and a member of the National Limousine Association, and I don’t recall ever reading about this limo. I don’t believe they ever tried advertising it in the limousine trade journals.
Mr. Koroghlian, as owner of the coachbuilder, probably wrote off the development and production costs, keeping it for himself. That said, I am unable to find anything on the Internet suggesting this vehicle survives today,
It reminds me of a Civil War reenactor who wears a faithful period uniform but wears plastic framed eyeglasses with tinted lenses and is always looking at his phone.
I have to agree with Hard Boiled Eggs and Nuts. You said it all. If it isn’t the real item, then it is a mockery. Good humor – and not the ice cream!
Looks like it drove off The Munsters set. The car Grandpa Munster would buy for himself as a retirement present. A more refined and sensible version the family Koach. Am I right or am I right?
I agree .
I’m sensing a lot of pushback against this thing, I like the overall look and figure it likely had modern fitments like A/C, PS, PB and so on .
-Nate
This was the predecessor of the new Cadillac Escalade! Actually all of the big American luxury SUVs.
For these retrocars to really look right, the wheels and tires would need to be period correct in rim size, overall diameter, and aspect ratio. With the recent trend towards large-diameter rims, I wonder if that would be possible.
It looks as though it has period headlights from an early ’30s Packard, Caddy or such. Can’t imagine they would be legal for a newly produced model, but you might get away with it on a prototype. Putting it on a truck chassis would have given it a ride commensurate with the the cars it aped.
My dad built this car from scratch when I was a baby. I would love to find our families car if it’s still around. Anyone know who the current owner is?