1950s 'Rat Pack' Convertible 1958 Dual-Ghia at Scottsdale Auctions

1950s 'Rat Pack' Convertible 1958 Dual-Ghia at Scottsdale Auctions

1958 Dual-GhiaCoachwork by GhiaEstimate: $385,000 - $425,000Chassis: 195

Believed to Be One of the Last of Approximately 100 BuiltCollector-Owned for 50 YearsRecent Restoration by Marque SpecialistsOne of the Most Exclusive Automobiles of the Era

315 CID Dodge D-500 Hemi V-8 EngineSingle Carter 4-Barrel Carburetor260 BHP at 4,400 RPM2-Speed Chrysler Powerflite Automatic Transmission4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum BrakesIndependent Front Coil-Spring SuspensionLive Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs

PROVENANCELyman Loomis, Port Washington, New York (acquired new in 1958)William Sampol, Brooklyn, New York (acquired from the above in 1961)Dan and Fred Kanter, New Jersey (acquired in 1980)Current Owner (acquired from the above)

THIS CARWhen Chrysler decided against building the 1954-55 Dodge Firearrow show cars, Detroit trucking magnate Eugene Casaroll bought the design and built the Dual-Ghia, a limited-production luxury convertible that he aimed at Hollywood and the jet set. The car on offer is believed to be one of the last of approximately 100 examples built.

At $7,646, the Dual-Ghia cost $900 more than a Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible, and Casaroll selected his customers by name. Dual-Ghia owners included movie stars Glenn Ford, Sterling Hayden, and future President Ronald Reagan – who reputedly lost his car to Lyndon B. Johnson in a poker game. Dual-Ghias were favored by Frank Sinatra and his “Rat Pack” friends Dean Martin and Peter Lawford, and they became an indelible part of their 1950s Las Vegas image.

The Dual-Ghia name sprang from a combination of Dual Motors, Casaroll’s twin-engine truck company, and Ghia, the Italian carrozzeria, where designer Virgil Exner created the Firearrow and Firebomb concepts. The most popular engine was the 260 bhp, 315 cid Hemi V-8, coupled to Chrysler’s two-speed Powerflite automatic transmission, which had a floor-mounted shifter, instead of “typewriter” push buttons.

Despite the prestige, the Dual-Ghia was not a profitable enterprise for Casaroll. He insisted on the best trim and equipment, with Connolly leather interior, full instruments in a chrome-framed dashboard with engine-turned background, and full carpeting. Each convertible body took 1,300 hours to fabricate and 200 hours to assemble on the Dodge chassis. Casaroll lost money on every one.

This Dual-Ghia was bought on April 18, 1958, by industrialist Lyman Kenyon Loomis from Sanders Motors Incorporated, a Cadillac dealer in Port Washington, New York. Mr. Loomis drove the convertible until 1961, then sold it to William Sampol of Brooklyn, who is believed to have been a New York politician.

Expert Dual-Ghia collectors and restorers Dan and Fred Kanter of New Jersey bought this car in 1980, and later sold it to a friend. It received a sympathetic restoration immediately before it was acquired by the consignor in 2014.

The car was determined to be sound and original throughout. The original engine was rebuilt, while the excellent transmission was serviced. The convertible body was disassembled and repainted, with chrome replated, and correct taillights recast. Period-correct chrome wire wheels were fitted, and the car was detailed to as-new condition.

This Dual-Ghia, finished in an attractive color scheme and lovingly restored by the Kanter brothers, is sure to appeal to the discriminating collector looking for one of the great luxury coachbuilt convertibles of the late 1950s.


Related Market and Auction Articles

4,931 articles