When Chrysler and Ghia designed a "supersonic" concept

Created as a tribute to the first supersonic jet (and to the figure of actress Rita Hayworth), the Ghia 'Gilda' continues to amaze.

Photo by: Gooding & Company

By: Alberto Carmone

Aug 24, 2024 at 3:29am ET

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The year was 1955, and suddenly a Chrysler appeared at the Turin Motor Show. The Ghia Gilda was certainly one of the most extravagant concepts ever produced, and its lines remain highly futuristic to this day.

Halfway between an aeroplane and a car, this coupé, fitted with a real turbine instead of an engine, is a tribute on four wheels to the famous Bell X-1 jet, the first plane to break the sound barrier in 1947.

Collaboration between the United States and Italy

Born of the vision of Giovanni Savonuzzi, head of the Ghia styling centre, the car's lines were also inspired by the curves of Rita Hayworth, the star of the 1946 film "Gilda".

Ghia Gilda Streamline X Coupé Concept (1955)

Gooding

Designed to house a futuristic gas turbine capable of propelling it up to 140 mph, an extraordinary speed for the time, the prototype was born in 1954, when Savonuzzi was struck by a clay model without wheels on the desk of Virgil Exner, Chrysler's design director.

This model, which according to witnesses at the time was more reminiscent of a speedboat than a car, embodied Exner's idea of aerodynamics. But what brought the Gilda to life was the collaboration between the American brand and Carrozzeria Ghia of Turin, who together produced the concept presented in Italy a year later.

The heritage

Its low profile and distinctive rear wings also had a major influence on later Ghia models, such as the Chrysler Dart and Ferrari 410 Superamerica Coupé, and left their mark on icons such as the Jaguar E-Type, Lamborghini Miura and Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto.

After its presentation in Italy, the Gilda was exhibited at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, in October 1955.

Ghia Gilda Streamline X Coupé Concept (1955)

Gooding

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In 2001, collector Scott Grundfor bought it for $125,000 and brought it back to Italy in 2009 to take part in the prestigious Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este in Cernobbio, where its timeless appeal once again attracted the attention of enthusiasts and connoisseurs more than half a century after its debut.

It is now on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, alongside many other incredible concepts and supercars that have left their mark on automotive history.