Dual-Ghia

Last updated
Dual-Ghia
Overview
Production1956–1958
Body and chassis
Body style
Layout FR
Related Dodge D-500
Powertrain
Engine 315 cu in (5.2 L) 4-bbl. Dodge "Poly" V8
361 cu in (5.9 L) Chrysler "B" V8 [1]
Transmission two-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase 115 in (2,921 mm) [1]
Length203.5 in (5,169 mm)
Width79 in (2,007 mm) [1]

Dual-Ghia is a rare, short-lived, automobile make produced in the United States between 1956 and 1958. The idea for a sporty limited production car came from Eugene Casaroll, who controlled specialized vehicle builder Dual-Motors Corporation based in Detroit, Michigan; the name Dual-Ghia is representative of the collaborative efforts between the builder and Carrozzeria Ghia. 117 examples were built.

Contents

Design

The design for a luxurious sports car was to be a modified version of the Ghia-built 1954 and 1955 Dodge-based concept cars known as the Firearrow I, II, III, IV and the nearly production-ready Firebomb; which had all been designed by Luigi Segre with some possible influence from Virgil Exner. With so many cars designed along the same theme, Chrysler may well have intended to produce the Firebomb and/or the Chrysler Falcon as a response to the Ford Thunderbird and Chevrolet Corvette; for whatever reason neither made it to production. After gaining rights to the Firearrow/Firebomb design, Casaroll asked Ghia's U.S. representative (and eventual Dual-Motors VP) Paul Farago to further develop the Firebomb into a production-friendly vehicle. The series-produced design utilized an even greater number of standard production MoPar fittings, the (road-legal) Firebomb two headlamp configuration, incorporated modest tail fins and was somewhat more slab-sided and square-edged in comparison to the Firearrow/Firebomb series. While a four-place convertible was the only official body type, one coupé prototype was also built. [2]

The "world's longest assembly line" involved transporting a Dodge frame and drivetrain to Italy, where the bodywork and interior was fabricated by the coachbuilders at Ghia; once the partially completed vehicles were back in the U.S. Dual-Motors handled the rest. Performance was excellent, due to the cars being powered by the 315 cu in (5.2 L) Dodge hemispherical-head short-stroke V-8 engine. Not all were built with the 315 CID Dodge hemispherical head engine. Some 1957s were built with the Dodge D-500 361 cu in (5.9 L) dual quad carburetor. [3]

Rarity

With a retail price close to $7,500 ($80,728 in 2022 dollars [4] ), the Dual-Ghia D-500 was about $200 more expensive than most American production luxury cars. It cost, for example, about $200 more than Cadillac's Eldorado Biarritz convertible. However, its price did not even come close to that of the ultra-luxurious 1956 Continental Mark II at $10,400, or the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham at $13,074, ($140,726 in 2022 dollars [4] ). Of the 117 cars produced, 32 still existed as of July 2006. The cars were mostly bought by American celebrities, such as Frank Sinatra, Sterling Hayden and Richard Nixon. Desi Arnaz owned one, but he wrecked it. Dean Martin had one at one point as well, according to his son Ricci. Dean Martin can be seen driving his Dual-Ghia in the film Kiss Me, Stupid . Musician Rick Danko from 1958 owned one, which was auctioned by Sotheby's for close to $350,000 in 2015. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continental Mark II</span> Motor vehicle

The Continental Mark II is an ultra-luxury coupé that was sold by the Continental Division of Ford for the 1956 and 1957 model years. The first product line of Continental, the Mark II was developed as the worldwide flagship vehicle of Ford Motor Company. Developed as a successor for the 1939–1948 Lincoln Continental, the Mark II derived its nameplate from European manufacturing practice, denoting a second generation of the model family; Ford would later use this nomenclature for the Mark Series of flagship personal luxury cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personal luxury car</span> American car classification

Personal luxury car is a North American car classification describing somewhat sporty, sophisticated mass-market coupés that emphasized comfort over performance. The North American manufacturers most often combined engineering, design, and marketing to develop upscale, distinctive "platform sharing" models that became highly profitable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadillac Eldorado</span> American personal luxury car

The Cadillac Eldorado is a luxury car manufactured and marketed by Cadillac from 1952 until 2002 over twelve generations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysler Royal</span> Motor vehicle

The Chrysler Royal was a full-size car produced by the Chrysler Corporation in the United States. It was first released in 1933 and continued being built until 1934. Then, the model ended production and did not return until 1937 - continuing until 1950.

Virgil Max "Ex" Exner Sr. was an automobile designer for several American automobile companies, most notably Chrysler and Studebaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imperial (automobile)</span> Defunct American motor vehicle manufacturer

Imperial was the Chrysler Corporation's luxury automobile brand from 1955 to 1975, and again from 1981 to 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrozzeria Ghia</span> Italian automobile design firm

Carrozzeria Ghia SpA is an Italian automobile design and coachbuilding firm, established by Giacinto Ghia and Gariglio as "Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio". The headquarters are located at Corso Guglielmo Marconi, 4, Turin. The company is currently owned by Ford Motor Company and focused on the European market through Ford's subsidiary in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysler TC by Maserati</span> Motor vehicle

The Chrysler TC by Maserati is a jointly developed car by Chrysler and Maserati. It was positioned as a grand tourer and introduced at the 1986 Los Angeles Auto Show. It is a "Q" body built on a modified second-generation Chrysler K platform. After two years of development delays, the TC became available in late-1988 and a total of 7,300 units were manufactured in Milan, Italy, through 1990. All cars sold as 1991 models were manufactured in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysler Saratoga</span> Motor vehicle

The Chrysler Saratoga is an automobile built by Chrysler. The nameplate was used from 1939 to 1952 and from 1957 to 1960 in the U.S. market, in Canada through 1965, and in Europe from 1989 to 1995. In the beginning, it was introduced as a sport luxury model, using the Straight Eight engine from the Chrysler New Yorker which was more formal, and the Imperial which had graduated to special order limousine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysler Windsor</span> Motor vehicle

The Chrysler Windsor is a full-size car which was built by Chrysler from 1939 through to the 1960s. The final Chrysler Windsor sold in the United States was produced in 1961, but production in Canada continued until 1966. The Canadian 1961 to 1966 Windsor model was for all intents and purposes the equivalent of the Chrysler Newport in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buick Limited</span> Line of upscale cars

The Buick Limited was Buick's flagship model line between 1936 and 1942, and, in celebration of GM's Fiftieth Anniversary, a single-year halo car for the Division in model year 1958. Since the 1960s Buick has intermittently used the term "Limited" as a designation denoting its highest level of trim and standard features in its various model ranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadillac Series 62</span> Motor vehicle

The Cadillac Series 40-62 is a series of cars which was produced by Cadillac from 1940 through 1964. Originally designed to complement the entry level Series 61, it became the Cadillac Series 6200 in 1959, and remained that until it was renamed to Cadillac Calais for the 1965 model year. The Series 62 was also marketed as the Sixty-Two and the Series Sixty-Two. The Series 62 was used to introduce the Cadillac Coupe de Ville and the Cadillac Eldorado which started out as special appearance packages that were later placed into production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeSoto (automobile)</span> Former American automobile brand

DeSoto was an American automobile marque that was manufactured and marketed by the DeSoto division of Chrysler Corporation from 1928 to the 1961 model year. More than two million passenger cars and trucks bore the DeSoto brand in North American markets during its existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retractable hardtop</span>

A retractable hardtop — also known as "coupé convertible" or "coupé cabriolet" — is a car with an automatically operated, self-storing hardtop, as opposed to the folding textile-based roof used by traditional convertible cars.

The Continental Mark series is a series of personal luxury cars that was produced by Ford Motor Company. The nomenclature came into use with the Continental Mark II for 1956, which was a successor to the Lincoln Continental of 1939–1948. Following the discontinuation of the Mark II, Ford continued the use of the Mark series on Continental-branded vehicles from 1958 to 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrysler Newport</span> Motor vehicle

The Newport was a name used by Chrysler for both a hardtop body designation and also for its lowest priced model between 1961 and 1981. Chrysler first used the Newport name on a 1940 show car, of which five vehicles were produced. From 1950 to 1956, the Newport name was then used to designate any Chrysler model with a hardtop body style. In 1961, Chrysler introduced the Newport as a new, low-priced model, offering large, comfortable two- and four-door Chrysler models that were modestly priced compared with the Chrysler 300, the Chrysler New Yorker and the Imperial. For 1961, the Newport was priced below the Chrysler Windsor in the Windsor's final year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Premiere</span> Motor vehicle

The Lincoln Premiere was a luxury car model sold by Lincoln in the 1956 to 1960 model years. Positioned below the company's Continental Mark II coupe during 1956–1957 and above the Capri which it shared from 1956 to 1959, it was produced in 2 and 4 door versions which could both accommodate up to six people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Capri</span> Motor vehicle

The Lincoln Capri is an automobile that was sold by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company from 1952 until 1959. A full-size luxury car, the Lincoln Capri derives its name from an Italian island in the Gulf of Naples. Introduced as a premium trim variant of the two-door Lincoln Cosmopolitan, the Capri was introduced in 1952 as a stand-alone model line serving as the premium Lincoln. With the introduction of the Lincoln Premiere, the Capri replaced the Cosmopolitan as the standard Lincoln product line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln K series</span> Car model

The Lincoln K series is a luxury vehicle that was produced by the Lincoln Motor Company between 1931 and 1940. The second motor line produced by the company, the Model K was developed from the Model L, including a modernized chassis on a longer wheelbase. In 1931, Lincoln also introduced a V-12, becoming a feature of the company for nearly 20 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Packard Mayfair</span> Motor vehicle

The name Mayfair was applied to the 1951-53 Packard 250 as a hardtop coupe nameplate built by the Packard Motor Corporation in an attempt to compete in this body style with the Oldsmobile 98 Holiday, Buick Roadmaster Riviera, Lincoln Capri and Chrysler New Yorker Newport hardtop coupes. It was named for the City of Westminster's luxurious district Mayfair in London, England. The coupe body style was also used for a convertible, while the Mayfair model name was exclusive to the hardtop.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Cheetham, Craig, ed. (2006). Ultimate American Cars. Amber Books Ltd. ISBN   0-7603-2570-7.
  2. "Lot S180: 1958 Dual-Ghia Convertible". Kissimmee 2021. Mecum Auctions. Archived from the original on 2023-11-25.
  3. Mecum Auctions, Phoenix 2019
  4. 1 2 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  5. "1958 Dual-Ghia Convertible | Arizona 2015".