1955 Chrysler ST Special Is A Rare Combo Of Hemi Power And Ghia Design

These days Chrysler is closely allied with the Italian automotive industry. But Fiat’s modern merger with the American carmaker wasn’t the first time that Auburn Hills brought Italian flair to bear on its designs. And as you can see, this early collaboration yielded rather stunning results.

Our story starts in 1951 when Chrysler design chief Virgil Exner forged a collaboration with Italian coachbuilder Ghia to produce a series of concept cars. The partnership lasted for several years and gave birth to some rather spectacular designs. But it took the intervention of Chrysler’s French importer Charles Ladouch to actually put any of them on the road. And even then, they were only produced in extremely limited numbers.

One of the rarest of these Chryslers bodied by Ghia for private customers was the ST Special. Only four of them were made for wealthy European customers. They were based on the New Yorker, and in a best-of-both-worlds combination, they were powered by Hemi V8 engines and draped in splendidly elegant sheetmetal.

This example was among the stars at the Turin Motor Show in 1955, after which it was bought by French composites magnate Oscar Lacroix and registered in Paris. It passed through the hands of several owners until it was brought to the United States and comprehensively restored – both mechanically and cosmetically – in 2014.

Decked out in copper with an ivory roof and two-tone leather interior to match, this ’55 Chrysler ST Special by Ghia will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of RM Sotheby’s auction in Monterey this August.

Photos by Darin Schnabel courtesy of RM Sotheby’s