A few days ago, I was browsing the listings on ClassicCars.com and came across a car that is eligible for any concours event you can think of, has a decent chance of getting a class award, and also is somehow affordable. My Pick of the Day is that car: a 1953 Chrysler Ghia Special Coupe by Ghia located in Auburn, Indiana.
At the sharp end of world of collector cars—more specifically potential concours winners—there are very few bargains. Even to get a class award at many of these events often requires spending a million dollars. I have shown at many concours events over the past 10 years, and every single car we won an award with cost in excess of $400,000 (and most cost over $1 million). This is the sad truth, but when you consider the reason people attend these concours events is to see cars they have never seen before, it starts to make more sense.
The Chrysler-Ghia relationship is an interesting one. The two companies collaborated for over a decade to create some of the most stunning Chrysler-badged products in the entire history of the company. This effort was the result of Chrysler design chief Virgil Exner being tasked with bringing some glamour and excitement to the brand. The end result were the Chrysler Ghia cars.
This Chrysler Ghia collaboration was called the Special Coupe, with just 18 examples crafted by Ghia for Chrysler. Although the company’s board was hesitant to approve the model, Export Manager C.B. Thomas thankfully was able to convince them to go ahead with the build.
This specific car is finished in its original color of Dove Gray and is believed to have received only one professional exterior respray in the correct color since it was sold new in 1953.
The interior is also largely original, with comfortable maroon leather seats that look quite nice. There is wear, but I could call that patina and, in my opinion, it is something that should not be changed, redone, or even redyed. It is almost impossible to come across almost any car of this era with an original interior, and it would be a shame to mess that up by renewing it.
Under the hood is the correct Chrysler 331ci Hemi V8 engine, which is mated to a 1954 PowerFlite automatic transmission that shifts smoothly. I would personally inquire about the original transmission but, if it is indeed lost, I would not let this deter me from purchasing the car. This Special Coupe is currently equipped with a 1954 four-barrel carburetor, but the original carburetor accompanies the sale.
Like most of the Chrysler Ghia cars, this example has an interesting history. The car was first sold new by France Motors in Paris in 1953 to famous jockey Johnny Longden. Longden shipped the car on the SS Liberte to his residential home in Arcadia, California, in September of the same year. By the 1950s, this Ghia had passed to a resident in the affluent neighborhood of San Marino. Under her ownership, this Special Coupe received supplemental bumpers to protect the hand-formed front and rear body, which explains the holes present today. This Ghia then made its way to the home of well-known Chrysler collector and authority Robert Frumkin of Los Angeles in the 1960s. Frumkin retained this wonderful example for two decades, during which he received a handwritten letter from the original owner confirming the Ghia’s provenance, as well as its originality and color. In 1979, this example traded hands for the last time to the current owner and became a welcome addition to his own collection.
Chrysler Ghia Special Coupes are absolutely spectacular in person. I have shown a 1954 model myself and have won First in Class awards with it at every concours in which it was shown. In addition, these cars possess the “easy button” when it comes to participating in concours tours and classic car events, as the Chrysler underpinnings make them simple to fix and maintain.
The best part about this specific car is the asking price which, at only $299,000, I am going to call a steal. No, the car is not likely in good enough shape for Pebble Beach, but I can practically guarantee that at any other concours you would come away with some hardware.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
