1953 Chrysler Special Coupe by Ghia

1 of about 16, Survivor, 33k Miles, Fantastic!

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Harry's Thoughts

This is such an exciting and special car. The Chrysler Special Coupes by Ghia are some of the most brilliant designs of the era.

THE ESSENTIALS

Complete photos, videos, and inspection report available at www.ClassicPromenade.com.  It’s free to bid and only takes minutes to register.  

Classic Promenade is pleased to offer on behalf of its Southern California owner this stunning 1953 Chrysler Special Ghia.   Having been owned by our friend and client for the past 41 years, this has been a significant feature of his collection of important motorcars.  This is one of about 16 Chrysler Special coupes that were hand-built in Torino, Italy by Carrozzeria Ghia (production of these hand-built cars are not well documented).  These Chrysler Specials were show stoppers at the time of their introduction and were reserved for celebrities the world over.

This Chrysler Ghia has never been restored and has been incredibly well preserved by its owner, having amassed a total of 58,000 km (33,000 miles).  This Ghia was sold new in 1953 to the famous jockey Johnny Longden by France Motors in Paris.  Records indicate that by September 1953 Mr. Longden booked passage of the Ghia on board the SS Liberte.  He then registered it to his residential address in Arcadia, California.

Later in the 1950’s, it was owned by a woman in the affluent neighborhood of San Marino, California.  Under her ownership, the Ghia had received supplemental bumpers to protect the hand formed front and rear end features of the car for her suburban use.  Holes are still present where these additional bumpers had been mounted.

By 1960, the Ghia was acquired by a well-known Chrysler collector and authority, Robert Frumkin of Los Angeles.  Mr. Frumkin received a handwritten letter from Mr. Longden confirming the Ghia’s provenance as well as the original color combination of gray over maroon.  Mr. Frumkin retained ownership of the Ghia for two decades.

In 1979, this Ghia was acquired by our friend and client.  He has a wonderful collection of largely preserved cars that he has enjoyed for decades.  This Ghia has rarely ever been seen in public.

The livery of this Ghia is in an elegant Dove Gray.  The paint has a patina of originality, but it was presumably repainted long ago.  The chrome and stainless are all original and show well for 67 years of age.  We love the smooth and sexy lines that are timeless.  It is a truly impressive car no matter what angle its viewed from.

The interior is also very original, with the maroon leather seats and carpet having been redone at some point.  The rest of the interior appears to be in overall nice condition.  The interior is absolutely stunning in its design and execution.

The heart of the engine compartment is the venerable Chrysler 331 CID hemi V8.  The engine fires up willingly and sounds terrific through the dual exhausts. The motor has a 1954 4-barrel carburetor, though the original carburetor is also included. The Ghia has the Fluid-Matic automatic transmission that is smooth and confident. This car also has a new power brake booster, but it has not been installed. Sitting behind the wheel is quite a thrill.  It is obvious that this car was a design statement.

This Ghia is a largely original car that has been maintained in its present form for the past four decades.  Whether kept as a preservation example or used as the basis of an easy restoration, this is an incredibly rare opportunity to acquire an iconic motorcar.

For more details and information, please call or text Harry Clark at +1.602.245.7200 or email us at harry@classicpromenade.com.  The Ghia remains with its owner in the Los Angeles area.

1953 Chrysler Special Coupe by Ghia

Videos: 1953 Chrysler Special Coupe by Ghia

Comments


tonym
February 20, 2021

$117,000 Bid placed by tonym

bruce
February 20, 2021

$112,000 Bid placed by bruce

tonym
February 20, 2021

$106,000 Bid placed by tonym

motorama
February 20, 2021

$101,000 Bid placed by motorama

bruce
February 20, 2021

$100,000 Bid placed by bruce

tonym
February 20, 2021

$97,000 Bid placed by tonym

motorama
February 20, 2021

$96,000 Bid placed by motorama

tonym
February 20, 2021

$95,000 Bid placed by tonym

motorama
February 20, 2021

$94,000 Bid placed by motorama

tonym
February 20, 2021

$93,000 Bid placed by tonym

motorama
February 20, 2021

$92,000 Bid placed by motorama

tonym
February 20, 2021

$91,000 Bid placed by tonym

Old car nut
February 20, 2021

$90,000 Bid placed by Old car nut

tonym
February 20, 2021

$86,000 Bid placed by tonym

Old car nut
February 20, 2021

$85,000 Bid placed by Old car nut

tonym
February 20, 2021

$82,000 Bid placed by tonym

Old car nut
February 19, 2021

$80,000 Bid placed by Old car nut

Jassim
February 4, 2021

$75,000 Bid placed by Jassim

Nadeem Khan
January 28, 2021

$51,000 Bid placed by Nadeem Khan

 
1953 Chrysler Special Coupe by Ghia
1953 Chrysler Special Coupe by Ghia

Reserve price Not met!

VIN 7236150
BODY STYLE Coupe
FUEL Gasoline
MILES 33,000
GEARBOX Automatic
DOORS 2
INT COLOR Red Leather
EXT COLOR Gray
YEAR 1953
LOCATION Los Angeles, California
AUCTION STATUS:
SELLER
Location California
STARTED: January 21, 2021 4:41 pm
ENDS: February 20, 2021 3:00 pm
VIEWS 2835
BIDS 19 | Top Bid MarkM

Chrysler Special Coupe by Ghia

Unlike many dream cars of the era from Detroit, Chrysler’s Ghia Idea Cars were fully engineered and drivable machines, ready for the road. Yet despite the positive response and press accolades, Chrysler brass was reluctant to green-light mass production, as they were still feeling the sting from the failed Airflow project. But Chrysler’s export manager…
Unlike many dream cars of the era from Detroit, Chrysler’s Ghia Idea Cars were fully engineered and drivable machines, ready for the road. Yet despite the positive response and press accolades, Chrysler brass was reluctant to green-light mass production, as they were still feeling the sting from the failed Airflow project. But Chrysler’s export manager C.B. Thomas insisted he could sell Ghia-bodied Chryslers to wealthy buyers, and managed to get official approval to commission six “Styling Specials”, with further approval for Ghia to build 12 additional cars. All Chrysler Ghia Specials were powered by the 180 horsepower FirePower Hemi V8, backed by either a Fluid Torqe Drive four-speed semi-automatic transmission or a PowerFlite fully automatic unit. The first car was a sporty, short wheelbase fastback, while the second car, commissioned for C.B. Thomas himself, was a more elegant notchback coupe that inspired the limited production run of just 18 similar cars.

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