Dual-Ghia Convertible

The Dual-Ghia Convertible: While touring the 1953 New York Auto Show, Eugene Casaroll was stopped in his tracks by a stunning new dream car by Chrysler – the Ghia-designed Dodge Fire Arrow. Chrysler’s head of design, Virgil Exner, had cultivated a fruitful relationship with the Italian carrozzeria, but he struggled to convince Chrysler’s conservative board that the cars were worthy of production. Mr. Casaroll, on the other hand, had no board to answer to, an idle factory, a pile of cash burning a hole in his pocket, and a dream to see his name in chrome. He acquired the rights to the Fire Arrow design, and Carrozzeria Ghia was more than happy to supply him with as many bodies as needed. Casaroll incorporated the new venture as Dual-Ghia and commissioned a prototype, and once the curiously named “Fire Bomb” hit the show circuit, orders for this opulent new boulevard cruiser soon came in. Casaroll struck an agreement with Chrysler to supply bare 1956 Dodge chassis, which were shipped to Torino, Italy, to receive their coachwork. They then returned to the USA to be fitted with either a 315 cubic-inch Hemi or 315 cubic-inch Poly-head V8. Naturally, this was an extremely costly endeavor, translating into an exorbitant sticker price. Such exclusivity appealed to a select clientele, which included such names as Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Debbie Reynolds, and Lucille Ball. While exact production numbers have long been a source of debate, marque historian Dr. Paul Sable estimates 100 Dual-Ghia Convertible s were built, including one or possibly two hard tops, of which 80 complete cars are known. Its quotation is between $550,000 and $650,000.