Vehicle Description
As the American auto industry returned to civilian production in
1946, overwhelming demand, retooling efforts, and material
shortages forced hasty redesigns of pre-war models so that dealers
would have something to offer. New post-war era designs rolled out
gradually, but Chrysler Corporation lagged behind many of its
rivals, including GM, Ford, and Studebaker. At Chrysler, styling
fell under the realm of the engineering department, who worked
under the mandate that a gentleman should not have to remove his
hat when climbing aboard a Chrysler product. This old-fashioned
attitude led to a series of upright, stodgy designs at a time when
cars were becoming increasingly sleek and stylish. In the 1950s,
Chrysler boss K.T. Keller grew eager to shake the conservative
image once and for all, and company executives pulled out all the
stops to show the American public that Chrysler was getting serious
about style. Keller deserves due credit for hiring Virgil Exner, an
ex-GM and Studebaker designer whose recent falling out with Raymond
Loewy presented Chrysler with a perfect opportunity to revitalize
their image. Keller set Exner loose on a series of so-called "Idea
Cars" intended to inject some life into the Chrysler design
department and putting style back in the hands of the artists.
While Exner and Keller rebuilt Chrysler's image, they established a
relationship with Luigi "Gigi" Segre, the ambitious Commercial
Director of Carrozzeria Ghia in Italy. Segre, along with his boss
Mario Boano, initially met with the Chrysler men to discuss Ghia's
coachbuilding services. Segre and Exner hit it off, leading to a
long and productive relationship between these two unlikely allies.
Virgil Exner and Luigi Segre collaborated on designs, and the
latter's skilled Italian craftsmen provided affordable labor for
hand-building the prototypes, show cars, and exclusive models that
followed. Cars like the Chrysler d'Elegance, DeSoto Adventurer, and
Dodge Firearrow are considered some of the most beautiful and
influential American dream cars of the era. In 1952 they revealed
the Chrysler Special, a stunning one-off built for export division
boss C.B. Thomas. Later known as the Chrysler Thomas Special, this
car served as the inspiration for a limited run of highly exclusive
and stylish luxury coupes, known as "Ghia Specials." Chrysler
supplied Hemi-powered New Yorker chassis to Ghia, who hand-built
the coachwork to Exner's design, and completed cars were sold
exclusively through the official French Chrysler distributor,
Societe French Motors. Exner envisioned a run of 400 vehicles, but
more pressing domestic market issues meant Chrysler's official
interest gradually waned, and the $10,000 price tag didn't help.
Production was closer to just fifty cars in total, with three
versions ultimately offered - the 1953 Ghia Special, the 1954 GS-1,
and the 1955 ST - each rarer than the last. When Chrysler
officially bowed out, France-Motors took over production of the
final dozen or so cars. While the GS series was a commercial
failure, it succeeded in revitalizing Chrysler's image and giving
Exner and his team the confidence to create a line of beautiful
production cars in the coming years. Our featured 1954 Chrysler
GS-1 is a gorgeous example of this highly collectible
Italian-American hybrid. Chassis number 7252367 is one of
approximately 15 Chrysler Ghia GS-1s produced in 1954 and is among
a mere handful of known survivors. Distinguishing the GS-1 from the
1953 Ghia Special are the later car's larger bumpers, revised
grille treatment, and a pronounced swage line adding definition to
the body sides and accentuating the GS-1's low, long proportions.
According to a respected expert on these cars, chassis number
7252367 and its sister car (chassis 368) were completed by Ghia in
November 1953 and supplied together to the Chrysler Export
Corporation. While there are no official records regarding the
first owners, it is assumed Chrysler reserved these two cars for
executives. Our featured car is one of only two GS-1s with
individual bucket seats in the rear (all others had a bench seat),
and along with car 368, it features a unique grille design with no
horizontal bars. By the late 1950s, this GS-1 was on the West Coast
in the hands of Mr. Thomas Atherstone. Undoubtedly proud of his
beautiful new acquisition, Mr. Atherstone showed it at the 1959
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance when the car was only five years
old. The judges also appreciated the Ghia-Chrysler's beauty by
awarding it First in Class. The winner's ribbon is still in the
car's history file, as are period photos of Atherstone on the
Pebble Beach winner's podium, showing the distinct grille and
bucket rear seats. It changed ownership a couple of times through
the years, eventually coming into the hands of Martin Swig, a noted
enthusiast, entrepreneur, car dealer, and founder of the California
Mille. In the early 1980s, he sold the GS-1 to a fellow Californian
and Chrysler-Ghia enthusiast who cherished it until 2019. Along the
way, the GS-1 enjoyed consistent care and restoration work as
needed, while also being a regular participant in local shows and
events. Looking resplendent in medium metallic blue with superb
chrome wire wheels and detailed black wall Firestone tires, this
GS-1 has all the looks of glamorous 1950s auto show star. It
benefits from a recently freshened restoration and presents in
beautiful condition, displaying excellent paintwork and chrome.
Period details include the original Marchal Equilux headlamps,
front fog lamps, and the delicate pillar-mounted Marchal
side-marker lamps. The complementary blue interior is in similarly
fine order, with lovely blue leather displaying some very light
creasing from use that gives it an inviting character. The interior
is authentic down to the perforated headlining, tinted Plexiglas
visors, and original instrumentation. The same meticulous attention
to detail continues under the hood, where the 1954-spec,
235-horsepower 331 Hemi is in superb order, presented with
high-quality finishes and proper hardware. Available for the first
time in more than 30 years, this gorgeous Chrysler Ghia GS-1 is
beautifully prepared and ready for its next caretaker. It will
surely be a marvelous addition to any collection of significant
coachbuilt automobiles, as well as a welcome participant in any
number of motoring events the world over. Offers welcome and trades
considered For additional details please view this listing directly
on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/6462-1954-chrysler-gs1-coupe/
