Equipment
331/180hp, column shift automatic, chrome wire wheels, whitewalls, pushbutton radio. Leather upholstery.
Condition
#3 Good
Runs and drives well. Flaws not noticeable to passersby. Most common condition.
One of 19 built. Restored in the 1990s. The paint is gorgeous, but they didn’t have this kind of metallic finish in 1953 and it looks a little off on this car. There is a light scratch behind the passenger’s door. There is a small ding on the right rear as well. Tidy underneath. Lightly worn leather. The pillar-mounted signal lenses are dull and loose-fitting. Rare and inherently pretty, but it has some issues. And, oddly, Chrysler Ghia shoppers are spoiled for choice in Scottsdale this week.
Market commentary
There were three Ghia-bodied Chryslers in the Scottsdale auctions and another one at Mecum Kissimmee a week ago, an embarrassment of choices among rarely-seen specials. Better known as the "Thomas Special" 19 examples of this series were built whereas other Chrysler Ghias were unique show cars or in single digit quantities. Few were as attractive as this, however, and the price reflects its appeal and rarity. It sold for $121,000 at The Auction in Las Vegas in 1998, $145,500 at Christie's Pebble Beach five months later and 198,000 at RM Arizona in 2003, all good prices, but nothing like what it brought here.