This Unrestored 1953 Chrysler Ghia Special Coupe Is Looking For A New Home

Automakers pump out special editions like clockwork, but most of them aren’t very special.

That’s certainly not the case with this 1953 Chrysler Ghia Special Coupe which is being auctioned by Gooding & Company.

Following the unveiling of the C-200 and K-310 concepts, Chrysler and Ghia teamed up to build about 16 Specials. They featured a sensuous design with flowing bodywork, a compact greenhouse and a massive grille.

Also Read: 1953 Chrysler Ghia Special Is Italian-American Teamwork At Its Finest

The model is still cool nearly 70 years later and Gooding & Company said the car had one of the “most exclusive and influential designs of its decade.” Unfortunately, not that many made it stateside as “most, if not all, of the Chrysler Specials were retailed by France Motors, a Chrysler subsidiary in Paris.”

That’s where this particular car was bought by jockey Johnny Longden in 1953.  While the name probably doesn’t ring a bell, Longden who the 1943 Kentucky Derby, 1943 Preakness Stakes and 1943 Belmont Stakes. That’s the so-called “Triple Crown” of horse racing and Longden is one of only 13 jockeys to win that honor.

After purchasing the car, he had it shipped to the United States aboard the SS Liberte in 1953. Longden then registered it in California.

Longden later sold the car to a San Marino woman who installed “steel guards to protect the car’s irreplaceable, hand-formed bumpers and distinctive single-piece grille surround.” They have since been removed, but the openings are still visible today.

The car was eventually sold to Chrysler enthusiast Robert Frumkin, who held onto it for nearly two decades. During his ownership of the car, Longden wrote to him and confirmed he purchased the model in Paris.

In 1979, the car was acquired by its current owner who is described as a “lifelong automotive historian and collector, who has preserved it in largely the same condition for over four decades.” They’re now selling after keeping it out of the public eye for years.

The car is a little rough around the edges, but it has only been driven around 36,040 miles (58,000 km) in the past 67 years. The model has never been restored and it’s believed much of the interior is original.

While the Special could obviously use some work, it appears to have the original 5.4-liter FirePower V8 engine. It presumably produces 180 hp (134 kW / 182 PS) and is connected to a four-speed semi-automatic transmission.

The car is believed to be one of eight remaining examples in existence and it comes with “original and important” documentation as well as correspondence. Bidding is currently at $275,000 (£209,646 / €231,861), but the car has an estimate between $550,000 – $650,000 (£419,361 – £495,608 / €463,723 – €548,037).

Picture credits: Gooding & Company