Chrysler GS Special Ghia

The 1954 Chrysler GS Special by Ghia, chassis 7252857, is a limited-production vehicle resulting from Chrysler’s brief collaboration with Carrozzeria Ghia in Turin. Emerging from the design initiatives led by Virgil Exner, the car was part of a small series of export-oriented coupes created to explore the potential of European craftsmanship applied to American platforms. While the GS-1 series remained numerically restricted, this example is distinguished by its unusual frontal design, featuring low-set quad headlamps and a wide, rounded grille not found on its contemporaries. The construction method and metalwork indicate these elements were original to the car, likely executed at the time of its assembly in Italy. Before entering a prolonged period of obscurity, the car was owned by French industrialist Léon Coulibeuf. During this period, it was presented at the 1953 Concours d’Élégance in Enghien-les-Bains, suggesting its completion may have preceded its formal designation as a 1954 model. The vehicle was subsequently exported to Argentina, where it remained undocumented for several decades. In the late 1990s, it was located and repatriated to the United States by collector Robert Pass. A full restoration was undertaken in California between 2000 and 2010. Finished in dark blue over tan leather, the GS Special was restored to a high standard and has been shown sparingly since. Its most notable appearance occurred at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2012. As a result of its limited production, unique bodywork, and obscure provenance, chassis 7252857 is regarded as a rare example of mid-century cross-continental automotive experimentation.