In the 1980s, Cadillac shipped its Allante convertible from Detroit to Italy as an integral part of its production. Pininfarina, the legendary Italian design house, built the Cadillac Allante - opens in new window or tab.’s beautiful coachwork. Completed shells were then air-freighted—via specially outfitted 747s—from Italy to Cadillac’s plant in Hamtramck, Mich., where GM merged the bodies with the rest of the car.
It wasn’t the first time an American automaker leaned on Italy to finish its bodywork. The incredibly rare 1962 Ghia L 6.4 for sale on eBay - opens in new window or tab. has a Mopar heart and Italian style.
World’s Longest Assembly Line
Eugene Casaroll, the founder of Dual Motors, was mainly in the business of transporting cars from factories to car dealerships. But Casaroll wanted more. Under the auspices of Dual Motors, which operated from 1956 to 1958, he purchased the rights to a Chrysler concept car and engaged Ghia, the Italian coachbuilder, to build a new version. The result was the famous Dual-Ghia.
Dual purchased a frame and engine from Chrysler, shipped it to Ghia in Turin for bodywork, and shipped it back to Detroit for finishing and final sale. It was an expensive journey.
After the Dual-Ghia, Dual worked with Ghia to build a successor in the early 1960s. This time, the Ghia L 6.4 used a unique body style instead of a rehashed concept car. It used a rear window from a Plymouth Barracuda - opens in new window or tab. and some other Chrysler trim, but much of the car was hand-built by skilled Italian craftspeople. The Ghia L 6.4’s use of a 300-horsepower 383 ci Chrysler V-8 - opens in new window or tab. made it a genuinely quick personal luxury coupe.
Sadly, the days of highly bespoke coachbuilding are gone. Body styling is now integrated into chassis design for safety and fuel efficiency. Ghia is still around, although Ford owns it - opens in new window or tab.. We don’t expect to see more American-powered fantasy vehicles rolling out of Ghia workshops.
Fit for Royalty
Both the older Dual-Ghia and the later Ghia L 6.4 were incredibly expensive for the time. The seller of this ’62 Ghia notes that it sold for around $13,000 new when the average new car was around $3,000. That explains why only 26 were produced and sold—typically to wealthy celebrities.
This particular car’s original and long-term owner was indeed wealthy, though much less known to the average American. A member of the Kuwaiti royal family purchased the vehicle, and it remained in their possession until about a year ago. It has been remarkably well preserved, which is unsurprising considering the dry Kuwaiti climate.
Classic Mopar muscle cars are valuable, but they are relatively common. With just over two dozen Ghia L 6.4s built, this is Detroit muscle in a custom Italian suit. The Buy-It-Now price is a cool $320,000, or best offer.
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