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Thread: Chrysler Thomas Special by Ghia (GS-1) 1952-1954

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    Chrysler Thomas Special by Ghia (GS-1) 1952-1954

    Although quite conservative, Chrysler President K.T. Keller actually deserves much of the credit for the company’s legendary stylistic renaissance of the early 1950s. Keller, who was Chrysler’s President from 1935 to 1950 before moving up to become Chairman of the Board, was famous for his dictum that one should be able to enter and exit a Chrysler without knocking off one’s fedora. While certainly practical, this conservatism hampered Chrysler stylists from matching the exciting designs from the Harley Earl/Bill Mitchell GM Studios or even the Fords styled by Henry Ford’s postwar “whiz kids.” Nonetheless, in one of his final acts as President, Keller hired Virgil Exner away from the Raymond Loewy studios to design several Chrysler “Idea Cars,” contracting with Italy’s Carrozzeria Ghia to build them.

    Exner’s resulting Italian-built dream cars were all usable and running examples, based mostly on the production New Yorker chassis with stout “FirePower” Hemi V8 engines. The first product was the K-310 coupe of 1951, with the “K” being a silent nod to Keller, followed by the C-200 convertible of 1952. Next came the Chrysler Special, a three-passenger coupe on a shortened chassis, which debuted at Paris in 1952 with “Continental-inspired” styling elements including a long hood/short deck profile, knife-edge fenders and a trapezoidal grille. The car offered here, which was extensively displayed across America and abroad, retained the overall styling theme of the Chrysler Special but featured a smart notchback profile and seating for up to five, based upon the standard-length New Yorker chassis.

    The car soon became known at the “Thomas Special,” having been presented after its show duties ended to C.B. Thomas, then-President of Chrysler’s Export Division. Series-production of this highly acclaimed concept/show car was contemplated, with the responsibility for sales to be handled by Chrysler’s French distribution arm, Société France Motors.

    Ultimately, just six of these vehicles were produced for Chrysler, while Ghia built another 12 examples for themselves. Over the years, these Thomas Special-based cars were known alternatively as the GS-1, the Chrysler Special and the Ghia Special. With their beautiful proportions, fully exposed wheels, minimal brightwork and powerful engines, they provided a stylistic benchmark that continues to inspire designers today, most notably reflected in today’s Chrysler 300 series.

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    Chrysler Thomas Special #2
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    Chrysler Thomas Special #3
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    Chrysler Thomas Special #4
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    Chrysler Thomas Special #5
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    Chrysler Thomas Special #6
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    Chrysler Thomas Special #7
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