Warehouse Discovery: The 1968 Kershaw “Cruiseaire” Toronado Limousine

This is the Kershaw “Cruiseaire,” it was built in 1968 on the chassis of an Oldsmobile Toronado as a new kind of limousine and/or mobile office for the well-heeled businessman.

Interestingly, the design of the Cruiseaire is said to have been designed by Glenn Pray with input from Gordon Buehrig – one of the most celebrated automobile designers of his time. Just one example of the Cruiseaire was made, and it’s now being offered for sale out of longterm storage in Montgomery, Alabama.

Fast Facts – The 1968 Kershaw Cruiseaire

• The Kershaw Cruiseaire was developed in the late 1960s as a new kind of luxury limousine and office on wheels for well-to-do businessmen. Inside it was equipped with a TV, intercom, 8 track player, a fridge, couches and armchairs, drinks cabinets, and even a stove.
• The design of the Cruiseaire is said to have been the brainchild of Royce Kershaw Sr, who hired Glenn Pray to do the styling. Pray is perhaps best-known for his Cord 8/10 replicas, but interestingly he also worked with Gordon Buehrig on the Cruiseaire design. Buehrig is one of the most significant American car designers of the mid-20th century.
• The Cruiseaire is based on the chassis, running gear, and drivetrain of a 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado. The project started with a brand new Toronado onto which the new body was fitted, and it’s still powered by the Toronado’s 425 cubic inch V8, sending power through an automatic transmission to the front wheels.
• The Kershaw Cruiseaire is now being offered for sale for the first time in decades as part of the “Royce G Kershaw Jr” Estate Collection. Bidding started at just $1 and at the time of writing it’s up to $11,250. The vehicle is registered as a 1968 Oldsmobile and it comes with Alabama registration.

Building The Kershaw Cruiseaire

The Kershaw Cruiseaire concept vehicle was developed in the late 1960s by Royce Kershaw Sr as a completely new form of vehicle – a cross between an RV and a luxury limousine targeted at wealthy businessmen and celebrities who wanted something more than your standard, run-of-the-mill limo.

I some respects it could be argued that Kershaw Sr was ahead of his time. In recent years we’ve seen traditional limousines largely replaced by luxury SUVs like the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Bentley Bentayga, Cadillac Escalade, Lamborghini Urus, Ferrari Purosangue, Aston Martin DBX, and countless others.

Though it’s not an SUV, the Cruiseaire does represent a similar concept – a much larger vehicle with ample power, more interior space, an elevated ride height, and a comprehensive luxury fit out.

The projet to build the Cruiseaire began in earnest when Royce Kershaw Sr bought a new 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado to use as the platform for the new vehicle. The Toronado was seen as ideal at it had a large-displacement V8 and an unusual front wheel drive system. This meant that there was no driveshaft running to a rear axle/differential – this allowed the floor in the rear to be lower, resulting in more interior space.

The body of the Cruiseaire was designed by Glenn Pray with input from Gordon Buehrig, as noted above. Buehrig had designed a slew of important cars earlier in his career including the Stutz Black Hawks entered at Le Mans, the Duesenberg Model J, the 851 Boattail Speedster, the Cord 810/812, and many others.

The Cruiseaire was given a sleek, aerodynamic body with a relatively low profile. Thanks to this and the hefty 425 cubic inch V8 it was said to be capable of a 101 mph top speed and a cruising speed of 90 mph.

Tragically, Royce Kershaw Sr would die before the interior fit out was completed, though he did live to see the body complete and the design come to life. The luxury interior was later fitted out by Howard Areo Aircraft Interiors in San Antonio, Texas who had ample experience fitting out private and corporate executive aircraft.

Though the Kershaw Cruiseaire had a solid use case and great potential, it would never reach production. As a result just one example was made, and it spent decades sitting largely forgotten in a Kershaw family warehouse, a testament to what might have been.

Buying The 1968 Kershaw Cruiseaire

The Kershaw Cruiseaire is now being offered for sale for the first time, out of long-term storage in a warehouse with many other vehicles, including cars, boats, RVs, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, and even trains.

The Cruiseaire is in dusty but original condition throughout, it is listed as being in running condition which is good news, but any buyer would need to budget for a full recommissioning, if not a full restoration. It’s worth noting that the name is spelled both “Cruiseaire” and “Kruise-Aire” from different sources, so we’ve used the same spelling as the auction house.

The vehicle has a blue body with a wood grain stripe down the sides, and a roof rack on the rear section of the roof – presumably for additional luggage. There are chrome bumpers front and back, steel wheels with chrome hubcaps, and just two doors – one on the left side for the driver, and another on the right side for the passengers in the rear.

The interior appears to be in generally pretty good condition considering how long it’s been sitting. There is one long couch down the left side, a smaller couch in the rear, and two swiveling arm chairs. There is plenty of cabinet space, a fridge, and a stove to boot.

The auction is being held by Pearce in Montgomery, Alabama and it ends on the 21st of February. Bidding is now live online and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.

Images courtesy of Auction by Pearce and the Kershaw Estate