Ghia Dual-Ghia History

The Dual-Ghia grew out of Ghia's Dodge Firearrow concept series (1954–1955) — a set of show cars designed by Luigi Segre and Virgil Exner that the public loved but Chrysler would not build. Detroit entrepreneur Eugene Casaroll of Dual Motors stepped in: he licensed the design, sourced Dodge chassis and running gear, shipped them to Turin for Ghia to hand-fit bespoke steel bodies, and sold the finished cars back in the United States at roughly $7,500 — nearly twice the price of a Cadillac.

From 1956 to 1958, just 117 Dual-Ghia convertibles were completed. The combination of Italian coachwork and reliable Chrysler mechanicals — Dodge's 315-cubic-inch V8 backed by a TorqueFlite automatic — produced one of the most desirable American-Italian collaborations of the era. Famous owners included Frank Sinatra (who gave one to Ava Gardner), Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Desi Arnaz, earning the car a reputation as the Rat Pack's ride of choice.

Production ended in 1958 when Casaroll shifted attention to the follow-on L6.4 project. The Dual-Ghia's rarity and celebrity provenance have made surviving examples highly sought by collectors.