1955 Chrysler ST Special by Ghia

Estimated at $600,000 to $800,000

Back in the 1950s, it wasn’t uncommon for mighty U.S. automakers to team up with esteemed European design houses in order to add a little bit of continental panache to their offerings. It also signaled European buyers that stateside marque’s were capable of producing more than just big cars with big engines. The 1955 Chrysler ST Special coupe is one such machine. The example offered for sale by RM Sotheby’s is, in fact, the 1955 Turin Motor Show car, a vehicle truly meant to showcase Chrysler’s finest before Italian buyers who were used to cars with stunning lines.

Based on the Chrysler New Yorker, this vehicle featured a reworked interior that took the luxury quotient up a notch while retaining the powerful V-8 that produced 250 hp. But what’s perhaps most significant about this car is that it’s even still here.

“Most show cars never survived, they were often chopped up or forgotten,” says Duff. “The market for a car like this is actually double. You’ll have fans of vintage Chryslers who will see this as a unique model in the company’s history, and fans of Ghia who might want to add this U.S. car to their collection.”

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The Ghia-bodied Chrysler ST Special coupe to cross the block was displayed at the 1955 Turin Motor Show.

Photo by Darin Schnabel ©2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's.