Difference between revisions of "1953 Chrysler D'Elegance Show Car"

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[[Image:Chrysler-delegance1.jpg|center|400px|Period Photo of Chrysler D'Elegance]]
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The Chrysler D'Elegance was the second (the first being the [[Chrysler K-310]] of the [[Dream Cars]] [[Virgil Exner]] was responcible for at the [[Chrysler Corporation]]. The D'Elegance picked up where the K-310 had left off, sharing a similar front end design. It featured a lot of items that would later appear on production cars. A dash mounted shifter would later appear on the 55s. [[Power Steering]] and [[Power Brakes]] on the 56s. Gunsight Tail lights would appear on later Imperials, and the Toilet Seat/Bird Bath trunk embossing on all of the late 50s and early 60s Chrysler Corporation Makes.
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The Metallic Red sports car is said (by Exner's son to name one) to be Exner's favorite car. It is one of the fortunate ones not to have met its fate in a crusher or on a sunken ship. It was driven over 100,000 Miles by the owner who had it the longest, and the car has had at least five different engine/transmission combos.
  
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There is often confusion on if this car was a 1952 or 1953, or if there were even two different cars. It was considered a 1953 when it debut at the Paris Car show in October 1952. The best explanation is that the chassis was a 1952 Chrysler, while the body was considered a 1953. As such, the car has been referred to as both a 1952 and 1953. However there is only one Chrysler D'Elegance. Later there would be a [[1958 Imperial D'Elegance]] show car.
  
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{{Template:Openx}} <!-- Do not remove this line -->
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<!-- The below are the photos that line up on the right side. Use the Upload link to upload photos of this car model and replace the FilenameUploaded/description in the below -->
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[[Image:Chrysler-delegance7.jpg|thumb|300px|Chrysler D'Elegance at 2011 Auction]]
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[[Image:Chrysler-delegance8.jpg|thumb|300px|Chrysler D'Elegance at 2011 Auction]]
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[[Image:Chrysler-delegance9.jpg|thumb|300px|Chrysler D'Elegance at 2011 Auction]]
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[[Image:Chrysler-delegance2.jpg|thumb|300px|Chrysler D'Elegance Current 354 Hemmi]]
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[[Image:Chrysler-delegance3.jpg|thumb|300px|Chrysler D'Elegance Dash]]
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[[Image:Chrysler-delegance4.jpg|thumb|300px|Chrysler D'Elegance at 2011 Auction]]
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[[Image:Chrysler-delegance5.jpg|thumb|300px|Chrysler D'Elegance Interior]]
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[[Image:Chrysler-delegance-6.jpg|thumb|300px|Chrysler D'Elegance Interior]]
  
  
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This was the first of Virgil Exner's series of European influenced designs to be rendered by the Italian coachbuilder Ghia. Its sleek lines and spare ornamentation were the inspiration for a series of similar show cars. This one featured custom fitted luggage to fit the space behind the front seats, because there was no trunk. Instead, the car featured electro-hydraulic spare-tire deployment.
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== Background of The Exner Era Dream Cars == <!-- Do not remove this line As it is a heading -->
  
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Chrysler, fighting to overcome its long history of frumpy designs, hired Exner to enliven the brand. Exner, with his hand-picked team of young designers, began work on a very successful series of luxury coupés that toured the country as halo cars that pointed to great things ahead for Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge, and DeSoto. The first of these, the K-310, was a luxury coupé that would form the basis of a whole fleet of design experiments.
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=== Quick History of Exner ===
  
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During this time, Chrysler, like many of the Detroit car companies, was cultivating a relationship with the Italian carrozzeria that was re-emerging after World War Two. Chrysler and Ghia would work a series of cars together in the 1950s, and their design chiefs, Exner and Luigi Segre, would form a strong professional and personal relationship. The most significant of these co-developed models was an updated K-310 with a more sophisticated, continental-sounding name: D’Elegance.
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In 1932, A 23-year-old Virgil Exner was hired by GM's Art and Color Studio. Boss, Harley Earl immediately recognized Exner's design talent. Two years later Enxer was put in charge of the entire Pontiac Studio, a job he kept until 1939 when Raymond Lowry hired him to work on his studio's design contract with Studebaker. Exner worked with Lowry and Studebaker all through WWII, and when the highly advanced 47 Studebaker's were shown to the public in 1946, they were touted as "The First By Far With A Post War Car. It would be the 1949 Model year when the "Big Three" would catch up.
  
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The sporty coupé was a 5194mm-long and 1372mm-high three-seater with a long hood, a short nose, a fastback and a surprisingly long rear overhang. The D’Elegance featured a number of Exner design flourishes that would become staples of Chrysler styling for the next decade: full wheelarches trimmed in chrome, an embossed spare tyre on the rear deck with a spare mounted on a telescoping hydraulic assembly for easy removal, 17-inch wire wheels, and gunsight tail-lights.
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A dispute between Lowry and Exner over credit for the design of the 52 Studebaker caused Exner's firing. Studebaker wasnt impressed with the Lowry proposal for the 52s, and Exner showed them a design he'd been working on at home on his own time. Studebaker liked it and Lowry wanted credit for his employee's work. He was fired when he refused, but Studebaker picked Exner up for their in-house design team. There was little love between Lowry and Exner for the rest of each of their lives.
  
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The front of the car was a refinement of the K-310 with similar headlights and grille, albeit with a less apologetic expression and stronger overall appearance. The optimal view of the car seemed to be from the rear three-quarter, which displayed the sculpture of the car to greatest effect.
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In 1949, Chrysler President [[K. T. Keller]] hired Exner away from Studebaker for the purpose of designing cars that would improve Chrysler's stodgy image. The Chrysler Corporation was well known for its engineering firsts, but not its styling. The Chrysler Corporation's "Small on the Outside - Big on the Inside" designs looked ancient when compared to the 49 Ford and GM offerings. Keller wanted the cars designed to where a man could drive with his hat on. This made the cars appear too tall.  
  
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The interior had been sketched out in purely a schematic way, and although hardly an afterthought, was not as sophisticated as the exterior. Still, it featured a leather seat with a hidden pull-down armrest, leather trim on the dash and an aeroplane-like array of instruments for the driver to monitor. Included with the design was a bespoke set of luggage in matching trim, that fit snugly behind the front seats.
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At first Exner worked secretly on Advance Designs, but was soon promoted to head the studio. The model year designs were already locked in through 1954, so Exner began work on the 1955 model, the first year of the "Forward Look" designs.  
  
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The car was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 1952 and was a great success. However, despite rumours of a limited run of 25 cars for Europe, Exner himself confirmed that this was not the case and the D'Elegance would remain a one-off.
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Keller and Exner agreed that they should step up Chrysler's showing of Dream Cars to compete with Harley Earl's million dollar dream cars displayed in the Motorama shows. They felt this would create excitement with the public on updated designs that would hit the showrooms in the future. However, they would have to do it on a budget no where near the size GM had given Earl.
  
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The design, however, would live on through the connection between Ghia and the German coachbuilder Karmann. Volkswagen had a hit on its hands with the Beetle, but, like Chrysler, wanted a sportier car to bring attention to the brand. It turned to Karmann, who was building convertible bodies for VW at the time, and Karmann turned to Ghia, which came up with sketches that were essentially a scaled-down and simplified version of the D’Elegance, whose long rear overhang would be perfect for the rear-engined VW.
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=== Exner and Ghia ===
  
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The Karmann Ghia made its debut in Paris in 1955 and would go into production soon after. Chrysler design personnel were fearful of Exner’s reaction to the copied design, but when he saw the photographs of the little VW, Exner seemed pleased.
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While working on his first of the Chrysler Dream Cars, the [[K-310]], Exner and his design team were at an impasse. On a previous trip to Italy, K. T Keller commissioned both Pininfarina and Ghia to each build a car of his loose design specs, but allowed them design creativity. The purpose was not to test their design skills, but to test them for quality, fit and finish.
  
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The reason for Exner’s reaction are not recorded, but the most-likely reason was that Exner had already moved on from the long-tailed look of the D'Elegance, with the first of the 'Forward Look' Chryslers arriving in the same year as the Karmann Ghia, while the dramatic 1957 models, with their elegantly sculpted bodies and the first of a series of outrageous tail-finned designs, were only 18-months away. The D’Elegance, for all its classic looks, already seemed like the product of another era.
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Knowing that the Exner team was having trouble with K-310, Keller invited the team to view the cars that had just arrived from Italy. Pininfarina had closely followed the specs, while Ghia took great liberties with their allowed creativity. Ghia's car was very impressive. The Ghia submission was also far better in quality, fit an finish than the submission from Pininfarina. It was to became the [[Plymouth XX-500]] show car. In addition to Ghia's craftsmanship, their design abilities were a pleasant surprise.
  
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In a way though, the D’Elegance – and, by proxy, the Karmann Ghia – would arguably prove to be Exner’s most successful design. The latter was in production from 1957 to 1974, and almost half a million were built in Europe and Brazil. The design, which could be traced back to the 1940s, would outlast tailfins, and the Forward Look cars, and even the 1960s design languages of Exner’s successors at Chrysler.
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This began the long relationship between Chrysler and Ghia, and more importantly - collaboration between their designers.
  
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It is a long winding road from a glimmer of an idea at Studebaker, to a concept car from Chrysler and Ghia to production at Volkswagen. Yet the one-off coupé’s influential design remains eye-catching to this day, with the D'Elegance fetching $946,000 when it was sold at auction in 2011.
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== Designer ==
  
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[[Virgil Exner]] of Chrysler's Advanced Designs Studio and [[Luigi Segre]] of Ghia
  
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This car was so well received when it debuted in Paris in October 1952 that Ghia built an additional 25 examples, once again for Europe only, and a number of these do survive. However, this is the first example, and it is still a magnet for classic-car admirers wherever it appears. Few things are quite as tempting as a cross-cultural automotive hybrid, infused with American horsepower and a sexy Italian design. This Chrysler d’Elegance exudes such international character perfectly.
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== Chassis ==
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ADDENDUM
 
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Please note this car’s catalog description incorrectly asserts that Ghia built an additional 25 d’Elegances in Europe. There is only one Chrysler d’Elegance and this is it, as confirmed by Virgil Exner, Jr. Exner does confirm, however, that Ghia built a second notchback “Thomas Special” coupe, after the initial fastback SS, but its whereabouts are unknown. Although this, the Chrysler D’Elegance, was introduced in Paris for 1952, it is actually considered to be of model year 1953. In Mr. Exner’s words, “the D’Elegance was one of my father’s favorite cars.”
 
  
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Chassis 321953 is finished in a striking red metallic paint with black and cream leather interior. It is built on a New Yorker chassis, which was shortened 10 inches to 115 inches, and it is strictly a two-seater. The dash panel is perhaps the best of the Ghia designs, offset before the driver, with six large gauges with large speedometer on the left, large clock on the right and fuel, ammeter, oil and temperature gauges in the center. The dash-mounted gearshift is on the left, and there’s a Chrysler push-button radio on the right.
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* 1952 Chrysler New Yorker chassis number 321953 was used. It was shortened 10 inches to 115"
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* The original 17" tires on Wire Wheels were later replaced with 15" tires because of unavailability of 17" tires
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* The car was fitted with Power Steering, which some who have driven say it gives too little road feel
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* Rear brakes were 12" drum
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* Front brakes were Ausco Lambert 12" Disc
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* Brake system Vacuum Assisted Power Brakes
  
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Although it would debut in 1952, chassis number 321953 would actually have 1953 Ghia designed bodywork. It would come finished in red metallic paint. Its engine would be upgraded to a 354 cu. in. Hemi V-8 producing 280 horsepower. This would be over a hundred more horsepower than what it had originally debuted with back in 1952.
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== Body ==
  
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The car's interior would be where the obvious differences between the 1952 and 1953 designs would be found. Ghia would build the 1953 model on a shorter wheelbase; therefore making the car truly a two-seater. The car's interior has been finished in black and cream leather. This particular D'Elegance would be built on a shorter New Yorker chassis. The interior would also feature a Ghia-inspired instrument arrangement in which the speedometer is located to the left of the driver along with the dash-mounted gearshift for the Torqueflight transmission (a later addition as well).
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The body was the second built for Chrysler (the first being the [[Chrysler K-310]]) by Ghia in Turin, Italy. It was painted a bright Metallic Red, and featured the following:
  
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Pininfarina’s milestone 1946 Cisitalia (CC here) was hard to ignore, and few did. It is considered perhaps the single most important car in the development of design in the post-war era, and was widely praised and copied at the time. Exner’s D’Elegance (lower) is of course much more elongated,
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* It was a long hood, short nose fastback with a surprisingly long rear overhang
 +
* The spare tire embossment on the rear deck contained a spare mounted on a telescoping hydraulic assembly under it
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* Gunsight style tail lights
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* Front end looked similar, but refined, to the Chrysler K-310 previously build by Ghia
  
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Of course, the D’Elegance is credited with the inspiration for the Karmann Ghia, and rightfully so. Some books claim that the roof was a perfect copy, but even the most casual glance tells otherwise (KG CC and design history here). Frankly, the K-G roof is as least as different from the D’Elegance as it is from the Cisitalia. Everybody borrows, except the very few.
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== Interior ==
  
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The black and cream leather interior had a more "all Business" airplane cockpit look than many of the other Exner Dream cars of the time. It was not near as sophisticated as the exterior. Offset in front of the driver was six large gauges -- with a large speedometer on the left, a large clock on the right and fuel, amp, oil and temperature gauges in the center. The dash-mounted gearshift was to the left of the steering column, and a Chrysler push-button radio was to the right. The black and cream colored leather seat was advertised for three (but it was in all reality a 2-seater) with a hidden pull-down armrest. Black leather trimmed the dash. The Interior included a full set of matching luggage, which was stowed behind the seat, as the car lacked a trunk.
  
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== Drivetrain ==
  
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{{Template:Underconstruction}} <!-- This entire line is to be remove when page is 75% or better completed -->
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=== Original Drivetrain ===
  
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<!-- The below are the photos that line up on the right side. Use the Upload link to upload photos of this car model and replace the FilenameUploaded/description in the below -->
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* Engine 331ci Chrysler [[Hemi]] 2bbl with 180 Horsepower and 312 Foot-Pounds Torque
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[[Image:Moparwikiexp.jpg|thumb|300px|Replace the photo file name and description with appropriate for this car model]]
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* Transmission Chrysler's 4-Speed Semi-Automatic [[Fluid Torque]]
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[[Image:Moparwikiexp.jpg|thumb|300px|Replace the photo file name and description with appropriate for this car model]]
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[[Image:Moparwikiexp.jpg|thumb|300px|Replace the photo file name and description with appropriate for this car model]]
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=== Later Updated ===
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[[Image:Moparwikiexp.jpg|thumb|300px|Replace the photo file name and description with appropriate for this car model]]
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[[Image:Moparwikiexp.jpg|thumb|300px|Replace the photo file name and description with appropriate for this car model]]
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The second registered owner, after Chrysler disposed of the car in Italy to avoid tariffs was a man by the name of James Colee. He owned the car from 1955 until 1989 - driving it over 100,000 miles. During that time he installed many engine/transmission combos. They include:
  
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== Background == <!-- Do not remove this line As it is a heading -->
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* Olds OHV V8 with Turbo HydraMatic transmission
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* Highly Modified Pontiac 389
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* Mopar 440 Magnum with [[Torqueflite]] transmission
  
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<!-- This s an excellent place to put the story of the car model - from design to death -->
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The current drivetrain is a Chrysler 354 Hemi and [[Powerflite]] transmission
  
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== Designer ==
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== Who Copied Who? ==
  
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== Chassis ==  
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=== Karmann Ghia Stole D'Elegance's Design? ===
  
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== Body ==
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[[Image:Karmann.jpg|center|400px|Chrysler D'Eegance vs. Karmann Ghia]]
  
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== Interior ==
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In 1955, Karmann in Germany hooked up with Ghia to produce the Karmann Ghia on a rear engine Volkswagen chassis. The Karmann Ghia was in production, virtually unchanged, into the 70s. Most books on the topic credit the Chrysler D'Elegance as inspiration. There was a lot of screaming about it at the time, but Exner didn't appear to care. By 1955 he was into cars with big fins and he felt the styling to be dated. Additionally, the D'Elegance was in private hands, and Chrysler had long ago stopped showing it.
  
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== Drivetrain ==
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=== D'Elegance stole Pininfarina's Cisitalia Design? ===
  
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=== Original ===
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[[Image:Cisitalia.jpg|center|400px|Chrysler D'Eegance vs. Pininfarina's Cistalia]]
  
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* Engine 331ci Chrysler Hemi 2bbl with 180 Horsepower and 312 Torque
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What goes around, comes around.  Pininfarina’s 1946 Cisitalia was a beautiful and popular car when first built and shown. Many considered it the single most important car design in the post-war era. The D’Elegance appears similar, albeit more elongated,
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* Transmission Chrysler's 4-Speed Semi-Automatic [[Fluid Torque]]
 
  
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=== Updated ===
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== Car Shows ==
  
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The second registered owner, after Chrysler disposed of the car in Italy to avoid tariffs was a California machinist by the name of James Colee. He owned the car from 1955 until 1989 - driving it over 100,000 miles. During that time he installed many engine/transmission combos. They include:
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The car was unveiled as a 1953 at the Paris Motor Show in October 1952. It was received by the public with great success.
  
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* Olds OHV V8 with Turbo HydraMatic transmission
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== Just the Facts Ma'am ==
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* Highly Modified Pontiac 389
 
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* Mopar 440 Magnum
 
  
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The current drivetrain is a Chrysler 354 Hemi and [[Powerflite]]transmission
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At the 1952 Paris car show, it was rumored that a limited run of 25 cars for Europe. While there, Exner himself, assured everyone that the D'Elegance would remain a one-off.
  
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== Car Shows ==
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The rumors that 25 more being built continue to this day. This may have to do with a similar looking Chrysler Dream Car called the 1952 [[Chrysler Special]], later referred to as the [[Thomas Special]]. Chrysler's Head of Export Sales was [[C. T. Thomas]]. He, independent of Exner, contracted with Ghia to have a pair of "Chrysler Specials" to also be shown at the same Paris Auto Show as the D'Elegance. It was promised that 25 would be made for Export Only Sales. While that didn't come to happen, approximately six were reported to later be built for wealthy Europeans. They're referred to as "Thomas Specials".
  
 
== Ownership ==
 
== Ownership ==
  
 
* [[Chrysler]] [[Advanced Design Studio]]
 
* [[Chrysler]] [[Advanced Design Studio]]
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* Shipped back to Italy to Avoid high tariff placed on imported cars at the time
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* Shipped back to Italy in 1955, to avoid a high US tariff placed on imported cars at the time
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* Sold to an America by the name of Patushian who was a Machinist in Englewood, CA
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* Quickly sold to an American by the name of Patushian, who was a Machinist in Inglewood, CA
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* James Colee who owned from 1955-1999
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* Quickly sold to James Colee, who owned from 1955-1999
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* Don Williams of the Blackhawk Collection
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* Sold to Don Williams of the Blackhawk Collection in 1989, who had it restored to current condition
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* Owned anonymously and displayed at Behring Auto Museum
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* Currently owned anonymously (bought at auction in 2011 for $946,000) and displayed at Behring Auto Museum
  
 
== Magazine Articles ==
 
== Magazine Articles ==
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* MoparStyle.com http://www.moparstyle.com/forums/  
 
* MoparStyle.com http://www.moparstyle.com/forums/  
 
* Hemmings https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2012/12/23/sia-flashback-1953-chrysler-delegance-deja-vu-all-over-again/#&gid=1&pid=11
 
* Hemmings https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2012/12/23/sia-flashback-1953-chrysler-delegance-deja-vu-all-over-again/#&gid=1&pid=11
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Latest revision as of 19:21, 9 May 2023


Period Photo of Chrysler D'Elegance



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The Chrysler D'Elegance was the second (the first being the Chrysler K-310 of the Dream Cars Virgil Exner was responcible for at the Chrysler Corporation. The D'Elegance picked up where the K-310 had left off, sharing a similar front end design. It featured a lot of items that would later appear on production cars. A dash mounted shifter would later appear on the 55s. Power Steering and Power Brakes on the 56s. Gunsight Tail lights would appear on later Imperials, and the Toilet Seat/Bird Bath trunk embossing on all of the late 50s and early 60s Chrysler Corporation Makes.

The Metallic Red sports car is said (by Exner's son to name one) to be Exner's favorite car. It is one of the fortunate ones not to have met its fate in a crusher or on a sunken ship. It was driven over 100,000 Miles by the owner who had it the longest, and the car has had at least five different engine/transmission combos.

There is often confusion on if this car was a 1952 or 1953, or if there were even two different cars. It was considered a 1953 when it debut at the Paris Car show in October 1952. The best explanation is that the chassis was a 1952 Chrysler, while the body was considered a 1953. As such, the car has been referred to as both a 1952 and 1953. However there is only one Chrysler D'Elegance. Later there would be a 1958 Imperial D'Elegance show car.

Chrysler D'Elegance at 2011 Auction
Chrysler D'Elegance at 2011 Auction
Chrysler D'Elegance at 2011 Auction
Chrysler D'Elegance Current 354 Hemmi
Chrysler D'Elegance Dash
Chrysler D'Elegance at 2011 Auction
Chrysler D'Elegance Interior
Chrysler D'Elegance Interior


Background of The Exner Era Dream Cars

Quick History of Exner

In 1932, A 23-year-old Virgil Exner was hired by GM's Art and Color Studio. Boss, Harley Earl immediately recognized Exner's design talent. Two years later Enxer was put in charge of the entire Pontiac Studio, a job he kept until 1939 when Raymond Lowry hired him to work on his studio's design contract with Studebaker. Exner worked with Lowry and Studebaker all through WWII, and when the highly advanced 47 Studebaker's were shown to the public in 1946, they were touted as "The First By Far With A Post War Car. It would be the 1949 Model year when the "Big Three" would catch up.

A dispute between Lowry and Exner over credit for the design of the 52 Studebaker caused Exner's firing. Studebaker wasnt impressed with the Lowry proposal for the 52s, and Exner showed them a design he'd been working on at home on his own time. Studebaker liked it and Lowry wanted credit for his employee's work. He was fired when he refused, but Studebaker picked Exner up for their in-house design team. There was little love between Lowry and Exner for the rest of each of their lives.

In 1949, Chrysler President K. T. Keller hired Exner away from Studebaker for the purpose of designing cars that would improve Chrysler's stodgy image. The Chrysler Corporation was well known for its engineering firsts, but not its styling. The Chrysler Corporation's "Small on the Outside - Big on the Inside" designs looked ancient when compared to the 49 Ford and GM offerings. Keller wanted the cars designed to where a man could drive with his hat on. This made the cars appear too tall.

At first Exner worked secretly on Advance Designs, but was soon promoted to head the studio. The model year designs were already locked in through 1954, so Exner began work on the 1955 model, the first year of the "Forward Look" designs.

Keller and Exner agreed that they should step up Chrysler's showing of Dream Cars to compete with Harley Earl's million dollar dream cars displayed in the Motorama shows. They felt this would create excitement with the public on updated designs that would hit the showrooms in the future. However, they would have to do it on a budget no where near the size GM had given Earl.

Exner and Ghia

While working on his first of the Chrysler Dream Cars, the K-310, Exner and his design team were at an impasse. On a previous trip to Italy, K. T Keller commissioned both Pininfarina and Ghia to each build a car of his loose design specs, but allowed them design creativity. The purpose was not to test their design skills, but to test them for quality, fit and finish.

Knowing that the Exner team was having trouble with K-310, Keller invited the team to view the cars that had just arrived from Italy. Pininfarina had closely followed the specs, while Ghia took great liberties with their allowed creativity. Ghia's car was very impressive. The Ghia submission was also far better in quality, fit an finish than the submission from Pininfarina. It was to became the Plymouth XX-500 show car. In addition to Ghia's craftsmanship, their design abilities were a pleasant surprise.

This began the long relationship between Chrysler and Ghia, and more importantly - collaboration between their designers.

Designer

Virgil Exner of Chrysler's Advanced Designs Studio and Luigi Segre of Ghia

Chassis

  • 1952 Chrysler New Yorker chassis number 321953 was used. It was shortened 10 inches to 115"
  • The original 17" tires on Wire Wheels were later replaced with 15" tires because of unavailability of 17" tires
  • The car was fitted with Power Steering, which some who have driven say it gives too little road feel
  • Rear brakes were 12" drum
  • Front brakes were Ausco Lambert 12" Disc
  • Brake system Vacuum Assisted Power Brakes

Body

The body was the second built for Chrysler (the first being the Chrysler K-310) by Ghia in Turin, Italy. It was painted a bright Metallic Red, and featured the following:

  • It was a long hood, short nose fastback with a surprisingly long rear overhang
  • The spare tire embossment on the rear deck contained a spare mounted on a telescoping hydraulic assembly under it
  • Gunsight style tail lights
  • Front end looked similar, but refined, to the Chrysler K-310 previously build by Ghia

Interior

The black and cream leather interior had a more "all Business" airplane cockpit look than many of the other Exner Dream cars of the time. It was not near as sophisticated as the exterior. Offset in front of the driver was six large gauges -- with a large speedometer on the left, a large clock on the right and fuel, amp, oil and temperature gauges in the center. The dash-mounted gearshift was to the left of the steering column, and a Chrysler push-button radio was to the right. The black and cream colored leather seat was advertised for three (but it was in all reality a 2-seater) with a hidden pull-down armrest. Black leather trimmed the dash. The Interior included a full set of matching luggage, which was stowed behind the seat, as the car lacked a trunk.

Drivetrain

Original Drivetrain

  • Engine 331ci Chrysler Hemi 2bbl with 180 Horsepower and 312 Foot-Pounds Torque
  • Transmission Chrysler's 4-Speed Semi-Automatic Fluid Torque

Later Updated

The second registered owner, after Chrysler disposed of the car in Italy to avoid tariffs was a man by the name of James Colee. He owned the car from 1955 until 1989 - driving it over 100,000 miles. During that time he installed many engine/transmission combos. They include:

  • Olds OHV V8 with Turbo HydraMatic transmission
  • Highly Modified Pontiac 389
  • Mopar 440 Magnum with Torqueflite transmission

The current drivetrain is a Chrysler 354 Hemi and Powerflite transmission

Who Copied Who?

Karmann Ghia Stole D'Elegance's Design?

Chrysler D'Eegance vs. Karmann Ghia

In 1955, Karmann in Germany hooked up with Ghia to produce the Karmann Ghia on a rear engine Volkswagen chassis. The Karmann Ghia was in production, virtually unchanged, into the 70s. Most books on the topic credit the Chrysler D'Elegance as inspiration. There was a lot of screaming about it at the time, but Exner didn't appear to care. By 1955 he was into cars with big fins and he felt the styling to be dated. Additionally, the D'Elegance was in private hands, and Chrysler had long ago stopped showing it.

D'Elegance stole Pininfarina's Cisitalia Design?

Chrysler D'Eegance vs. Pininfarina's Cistalia

What goes around, comes around. Pininfarina’s 1946 Cisitalia was a beautiful and popular car when first built and shown. Many considered it the single most important car design in the post-war era. The D’Elegance appears similar, albeit more elongated,

Car Shows

The car was unveiled as a 1953 at the Paris Motor Show in October 1952. It was received by the public with great success.

Just the Facts Ma'am

At the 1952 Paris car show, it was rumored that a limited run of 25 cars for Europe. While there, Exner himself, assured everyone that the D'Elegance would remain a one-off.

The rumors that 25 more being built continue to this day. This may have to do with a similar looking Chrysler Dream Car called the 1952 Chrysler Special, later referred to as the Thomas Special. Chrysler's Head of Export Sales was C. T. Thomas. He, independent of Exner, contracted with Ghia to have a pair of "Chrysler Specials" to also be shown at the same Paris Auto Show as the D'Elegance. It was promised that 25 would be made for Export Only Sales. While that didn't come to happen, approximately six were reported to later be built for wealthy Europeans. They're referred to as "Thomas Specials".

Ownership

  • Chrysler Advanced Design Studio
  • Shipped back to Italy in 1955, to avoid a high US tariff placed on imported cars at the time
  • Quickly sold to an American by the name of Patushian, who was a Machinist in Inglewood, CA
  • Quickly sold to James Colee, who owned from 1955-1999
  • Sold to Don Williams of the Blackhawk Collection in 1989, who had it restored to current condition
  • Currently owned anonymously (bought at auction in 2011 for $946,000) and displayed at Behring Auto Museum

Magazine Articles

  • Special Interest Autos July/August 1993

Reference

  • Special Interest Auto
  • Hemmings

Internet Links

oldhippie.com

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