These days Chrysler is closely allied with the
Italian automotive industry. But Fiat’s modern merger with the American
carmaker wasn’t the first time that Auburn Hills brought Italian flair to bear
on its designs. And as you can see, this early collaboration yielded rather
stunning results.
Our story starts in 1951 when Chrysler design chief
Virgil Exner forged a collaboration with Italian coachbuilder Ghia to produce a
series of concept cars. The partnership lasted for several years and gave birth
to some rather spectacular designs. But it took the intervention of Chrysler’s
French importer Charles Ladouch to actually put any of them on the road. And
even then, they were only produced in extremely limited numbers.
One of the rarest of these Chryslers bodied by Ghia
for private customers was the ST Special. Only four of them were made for
wealthy European customers. They were based on the New Yorker, and in a
best-of-both-worlds combination, they were powered by Hemi V8 engines and
draped in splendidly elegant sheetmetal.
This example was among the stars at the Turin Motor
Show in 1955, after which it was bought by French composites magnate Oscar
Lacroix and registered in Paris. It passed through the hands of several owners
until it was brought to the United States and comprehensively restored – both
mechanically and cosmetically – in 2014.
Decked out in copper with an ivory roof and two-tone
leather interior to match, this ’55 Chrysler ST Special by Ghia will
undoubtedly be one of the highlights of RM Sotheby’s auction in Monterey this
August.
