A unique Chrysler coupe co-designed between the car company and the coachbuilder Ghia in 1952 will cross the auction block in mid-August. Designed by none other than the legendary Virgil Exner, it may bring its owner between $500,000 and $650,000.
The Styling Special was the third joint design effort between Chrysler, Exner and Ghia. It experimented with the traditional U.S. vehicle design by introducing European notes to it. Later on, the company produced a small batch of street-legal cars inspired by this one, called the GS-1. As for the Styling Special that debuted at the Paris International Motor Show in 1952 – and is now going on sale – it remains a one-off.
Chrysler used the standard New Yorker chassis for the build, but had to shorten its wheelbase to around 3 meters (9.8 ft.) to achieve better body proportions. Even with this modification, the coupe ended up over 5.4 meters (17.7 ft.) long. Its interior was outfitted with just one bench seat for three.
It is generally believed that all Chrysler-Ghia joint projects had the same engine model under the hood – a 5.42-liter V8 rated at 180 PS (178 hp / 132 kW). However, the Styling Special apparently received an engine swap in 1955. Its exterior has also been repainted multiple times over the years, so whoever buys it may want to revert it to the original color.