Ghia L6.4 History

The L6.4 debuted at the 1961 Paris Motor Show as Ghia's answer to European grand tourers: a long-wheelbase (115-inch) steel coupe built entirely by hand in Turin around Chrysler's 383-cubic-inch V8 wedge engine producing 335 hp, backed by a TorqueFlite automatic. The designation referenced the engine's 6.3-litre (nominally 6.4-litre) displacement. At $13,500 — roughly twice the price of a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud — the L6.4 was deliberately exclusive.

Virgil Exner's influence carried over from the Dual-Ghia era; the car's long snout, chrome-rimmed headlights, and bold fins balanced American proportion with Italian craftsmanship. Each car took months to build: the coachwork was hand-formed aluminum and steel, the interiors trimmed to individual owner specifications. Front disc brakes were a notable feature for the period.

Only 26 examples were completed across the 1960–1963 production run. Owners included Frank Sinatra (who took delivery of the first car), Lucille Ball, and Dean Martin — a roster that reflected both the car's glamour and its prohibitive price. The L6.4 remains one of the rarest and most collectible Ghia-bodied production cars.