1962 Ghia L6.4 Hardtop Coupe

Detroit businessman Eugene Casaroll transformed a Chrysler concept car into a limited-production convertible, employing MoPar mechanicals and hand-built Ghia coachwork. Though the car was short-lived (in production for just three years since its 1956 introduction), it did become the favored automobile of many Hollywood royalty such as Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and Peter Lawford.

By 1958, Casaroll's shipping line, which was the company's bread-and-butter, had slowed. As the end of production came into sight, Ghia designer Paul Farago drew up a second-generation model, a 'two-plus-two' fastback coupe, with lines refined by Chrysler's Virgil Exner. Ghia hand-built the body and the entire car, including the chassis, which was based on 1960 Chrysler suspension and powered by a 383 cubic-inch 'Wedge' V-8. As Casaroll's Dual Motors' involvement dwindled, the new model was simply christened the Ghia L6.4, or '6.4 liter' which is the metric displacement of the engine.

The Ghia L6.4 was priced at an astonishing $13,500. The cost of production was partly due to complications of building a car in Italy and selling it in the United States. In the end, just 26 examples of the L6.4 were built.

This car is chassis number 0305. It was the factory's New York Auto Show car in 1962. It was sold off the show floor to Bernard Berman, of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Berman retained this car until the early 2000s when it was sold to its second owner. Since that time, it has traded hands just twice.

The car has nearly perfect original paint, interior, and chrome. All the original Sekurit glass is in place, as are all the original wiring and decals under the hood. The factory air conditioning is still in working condition. It has the original fitted luggage, with which this car was supplied when new. The luggage is also preserved in near-perfect condition. The odometer currently shows 28,000 miles.

The engine is a 383 cubic-inch Chrysler overhead-valve 'Wedge' V8 fitted with Carter four-barrel carburetors. There is a Torqueflite three-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2014