Vehicle Description
"Luxury that Moves with you."This bit of generic American
marketing-speak announced an exclusive multinational luxury Grand
Touring car, the Ghia L 6.4. Officially a product of Dual Motors,
the Ghia-badged L 6.4 followed-up the beautiful but flawed Dual
Ghia, with roots back to the long and fruitful relationship between
Chrysler's flamboyant design boss, Virgil Exner, and Ghia's
ambitious leader, Luigi Segre. Like the Dual-Ghia, the L 6.4 set
its sights on Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, and Cadillac at
the pinnacle of the luxury car market. Boasting muscular Chrysler
power in a striking Italian suit, the L 6.4 was another nuanced
Ghia interpretation of an Exner design. The L 6.4 conveyed Exner's
exuberant sense of mid-century glamor but with restrained
sophistication courtesy of the Italiancarrozzeria. Virgil Exner
championed the use of bodyside panels as a styling point, and the L
6.4 reflected his aesthetic with its deeply rolled sills and subtle
upswept swage line on the quarter panel. The cockpit blended
American Jet-Age styling with European austerity - a far cry from
the dark timber-lined cabins of its British competition, yet no
less luxurious. The running gear was all MoPar, in the form of the
383 cubic-inch "Wedge" V8, mated to a robust TorqueFlite automatic
transmission. With 335 horsepower on tap, the L6.4 had proper
continent-crushing performance ability. The L 6.4's shocking
$13,500 price limited the audience, though Frank Sinatra, Lucille
Ball, and Dean Martin each owned L 6.4s (Martin owned several),
trading up from their Dual-Ghias. At least the L 6.4 was
beautifully crafted, so the few lucky owners got their money's
worth. However, like similar Italian-American hybrids of the era,
even the outrageous price tag could not overcome the ballooning
production cost. Rising labor rates in Italy combined with the
complexity of shipping bodies across the ocean, and ultimately, the
gorgeous Ghia L 6.4 was destined to a glorious flash in the pan.
After Ghia completed just 26 examples, the project met its demise.
This spectacular Ghia L 6.4 is the sixth of twenty-six produced and
is offered fresh from a concours-quality, nut-and-bolt restoration.
Presented in a stunning shade of warm metallic silver over a
parchment leather interior, this striking Ghia is one of the finest
examples of the type available. According to information compiled
and provided by Dr. Paul Sable and Dyke W. Ridgley, chassis 0306
was originally delivered to Switzerland to an unknown private
buyer, finished in dark amaranth over a camel-colored leather
interior. The car remained in Switzerland for most of its life and
is believed to have been in the care of the original owner until
about 2000, when it was sold to Peter Rau, proprietor of Touring
Garage AG, in Oberweningen, Switzerland. Registry notes show it was
a sound and complete original car needing minor service. From
there, it passed to an American collector who held it in his
private collection for the next 16 years but never restored it. As
offered here, the Ghia is returned to its original splendor. The
warm metallic silver paintwork is exquisitely finished, and the
shade highlights the coachwork's elegant form with a sense of
mid-century sophistication. The chrome and brightwork are superbly
restored, and the car rides on period-correct Good YearSuper
Cushionwhitewalls, with the restored original Ghia hubcaps in
place. Opening the large door reveals a comfortable, bright, and
airy cabin. With its brightly polished aluminum and
aircraft-inspired layout, the stylistic antithesis to the leather &
wood of its British contemporaries. The polished alloy fascia
dominates the interior as it sweeps from the instrument panel and
down the center console. Gorgeous parchment leather piped in brown
covers the seats, door panels, quarters, and dash, and the dark
brown carpets tie in with the warmth of the silver paint. Equipment
includes electric windows, a full array of bespoke instruments,
Ghia-branded radio, and a gorgeous Ghia-badged Nardi steering
wheel. The boot features the same brown carpet piped in parchment
leather, with leather side panels and a quilted deck lid pad. Power
comes from the original, matching-numbers Chrysler-sourced
6.4-liter (383 c.i.) V8. It is exquisitely detailed and wears the
proper Ghia-script valve covers in the correct black wrinkle-finish
paint and an original air cleaner. Other touches include the
correct MoPar hose clamps, quilted underhood pad, and polished
alloy shut panel. The finish quality under the bonnet is as fine as
the rest of the body, as the car has little more than a few
shakedown miles on it since being completed. Dual Motors produced
just 26 examples of the L 6.4, and few of the survivors are
restored to this level. This superlative Ghia is undoubtedly one of
the finest of its kind extant, ready for its concours debut at any
number of exclusive events worldwide. Offers welcome and trades
considered For additional details please view this listing directly
on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/5797-1961-ghia-l-6-4-coupe/
