Renowned for crafting lightweight aluminum bodies for prestigious brands like Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia, Italian coachbuilder Ghia briefly ventured into producing its own cars. This endeavor began in the 1950s through a collaboration with Dual-Motors Corporation of Detroit, stemming from Ghia’s innovative design work with Chrysler, particularly the Dodge Firearrow concepts.
The outcome was the Dual-Ghia D-500, a captivating two-door convertible that showcased Ghia’s distinctive styling atop Chrysler foundations. However, its existence was short-lived, with fewer than 120 units manufactured between 1956 and 1958.
In 1961, Ghia introduced the L 6.4, a meticulously crafted fastback coupe built on a custom chassis with minimal off-the-shelf Chrysler components. Exclusively made to order, this hand-built marvel was entirely produced by Ghia and marketed by Dual-Motors in Detroit. Propelled by a potent 383-cubic-inch Mopar V-8 generating well over 300 horsepower, the L 6.4 stood as one of the world’s finest automobiles. Yet, its extraordinary quality came at a staggering price exceeding $13,000.
Regrettably, the challenges associated with producing a car in Italy and distributing it in the United States, coupled with high production costs, resulted in a brief and illustrious existence for the L 6.4. Only 26 examples were built and sold, marking the end of an era as one of the last custom-bodied Italian/American GT hybrids.
Source: RM Sotheby’s
