Dual Motors Corporation
Eugene Casaroll, owner of Automobile Shippers, Inc., a Detroit trucking firm that moved most of Chrysler's cars from the factory to dealers and distributors, was the force behind the Dual-Ghia car. Impressed with one of Chrysler's Italian designed (Carrozzeria Ghia in Torino) dream cars that Chrysler had commissioned, The Fire Arrow, he acquired the design and production rights from Chrysler. Casaroll hired a then well-known Detroit Italian-born mechanic, stylist, racer and car builder, Paul Farago, to produce with Ghia of Italy a more practical family car using the styling of the original Fire Arrow show cars.
Dual Motors only existed for eight years, but in that time, the marque was able to combine the essence of Virgil Exner's uniquely American design with Ghia's hand built Italian coachwork. These flamboyant cars were based on a modified Dodge chassis with a 315 cubic-inch V8. Unfortunately, the cost to build a Dual Ghia exceeded the selling price, and less than 200 were built. Many were owned by celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
In the early 1950's, Chrysler designer Virgil Exner had created a series of striking 'Firearrow' concept cars crafted by Italian coachbuilder Ghia. Eugene Casaroll - who owned Dual Motors Corporation - bought the rights to the Firearrow design. By 1956, Casaroll's first car, the Dual-Ghia, was in production. Casaroll built about 100 Dual-Ghias through 1958 priced at $7,646.
Performance was excellent, especially in the cars powered by the high performance, Dodge Hemi D-500, a 315 cubic-inch V8. Out of the cars produced, only 32 are believed to still exist. Over 1,500 man-hours were said to have been lavished on each car before it left the factory. Reportedly, Ronald Reagan owned one, which he lost in a high-stakes poker game with then-President Lyndon Johnson.
However, Chrysler soon abandoned the idea and Detroit industrialist Gene Casaroll stepped in. Casaroll was the head of Auto Shippers Company and Dual Motors Corporation, an enterprise that built twin-engine vehicles for the military during the war.
Dual-Ghia Engine Compartment Casaroll acquired the rights to the Firearrow. ... The health of Casaroll, the Dual-Ghia's originator, began to fail and he chose to concentrate on his shipping business.
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