1961 Ghia L6.4 Hardtop Coupe

Eugene Casaroll, with some Chrysler cooperation, opened Dual Motors in Detroit in 1956 to build a gimmick-less 'Italian American car' to appeal to the Rat Packs on both coasts. Richard Nixon, Ronald Regan, Lyndon Johnson, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin all bought the Ghia-built-body-on-a-Dodge-frame car, the design based on that of Virgil Exner's Firearrow show car. The early Dual-Ghias were relatively light and most of the 117 cars produced went rapidly because of the 315 cubic-inch Dodge Hemi short-stroke V8 under the hood.

Limited production models in a niche market have always been a difficult arena, and Eugene Casaroll certainly fought the good fight. He had taken a Chrysler concept car and developed it into a limited-production convertible, complete with MoPar mechanicals and hand-built Ghia coachwork. It was successfully produced in only three short years after its 1956 introduction and was popular with many influential individuals of that era. The success, however, was short-lived, and by 1958, Casaroll was ailing, and business for the shipping line had slowed.

Realizing a new model was needed, Vice President of Dual Motors Paul Farago and the designers at Ghia 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 a 383 cubic-inch 'Wedge' V-8. Casaroll's Dual Motors involvement in the project continued to shrink, causing the new model to be known as the Ghia L 6.4, or '6.4 Liter', which is the metric displacement of its engine. The new car carried a price of $13,500 - a substantial figure for its era. The price alone determined its exclusivity, but it also meant the buyer was getting one of the finest-finished automobiles in the world.

Sadly, the glorious existence of the L6.4 came to an end after just 26 examples (plus a prototype) were built. The high cost of the automobile and the equally steep cost and complications of producing the car in Italy and selling it in the United States brought it to a premature end.

This particular car is chassis number 0309 and was the ninth L6.4 built. It is believed that this car was originally sold in Switzerland. The current caretaker imported the Ghia in 2006, and then the car underwent a complete restoration. The body was finished in deep black, with an interior in black and white leather (changed from the original olive green). At some in its life, it was fitted with incorrect taillights, but they were replaced with correct taillights that had been reproduced from an original pair. An original-style fitted luggage set was reproduced to match the interior, and period-style wire wheels replaced the after-market wire wheels that were on the car when acquired.

This Ghia was selected as a finalist for Best in Show at the 2014 Concorso Italian. It was also Best in Class at the 2014 Concours on the Avenue in Carmel.