Chrysler GS-1 coupe by Ghia 1953 rl3q.jpg Chrysler GS-1 coupe by Ghia 1953 fl3qThumbnailsChrysler Windsor Highlander 4-door sedan 1948 fr3qChrysler GS-1 coupe by Ghia 1953 fl3qThumbnailsChrysler Windsor Highlander 4-door sedan 1948 fr3qChrysler GS-1 coupe by Ghia 1953 fl3qThumbnailsChrysler Windsor Highlander 4-door sedan 1948 fr3qChrysler GS-1 coupe by Ghia 1953 fl3qThumbnailsChrysler Windsor Highlander 4-door sedan 1948 fr3qChrysler GS-1 coupe by Ghia 1953 fl3qThumbnailsChrysler Windsor Highlander 4-door sedan 1948 fr3q
Chrysler GS-1 coupe by Ghia 1953
2015 Coppa Classic - Westerlo (B)

My personal favorite of the show. In 1952 Chrysler introduced a one-off show car designed by Virgil Exner and made by Italian coachbuilder Ghia: the Styling Special, or SS for short. It was a 2-seater coupe on a shortened standard Chrysler chassis. The car looked so appealing that Chrysler executive C.B. Thomas ordered one for himself that same year; this car became known as the Thomas Special.
The Styling Special also attracted attention in Europe and French Chrysler importer Charles Ladouch got permission to place an order at Ghia for a small series of this design. In 1953 the first batch of 18 were made and sales were restricted to Europe only. These were known as Chrysler Ghia Specials or GS-1 and had a full length chassis with a larger roof section. Subsequently new batches were made up to 1955, some even ordered by the Chrysler Company itself. Later editions featured full width bumpers, different styles of grills and brightwork and even full 4 seater interiors. In all around 40 Specials were made.
The first 18 Ghia Specials, like the car shown here, appeared most like the original design and are the most elegant. Some say the 1952 Chrysler Styling Special even inspired the looks of the original Volkswagen Karmann Ghia...
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André Ritzinger
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Make NIKON CORPORATION
Model NIKON D600
DateTimeOriginal 2015:06:14 13:34:48
ApertureFNumber f/9.0