The
C-200 was the second in a series of cars that were designed
by Virgil Exner snr and his small team at Chrysler, and built
by Carrozzeria Ghia SpA of Turin, Italy at a reputed cost of
just $20,000. In essence, this is the convertible version of
their first collaboration, the K-310. Both cars featured Exner's
admiration of Italian car styling and his love of the wheel.
He accentuated functional elements of the car instead of hiding
them - elements like the wheels, radiator grille, spare tire
and lights. Clever two-tone paintwork integrated the upper and
lower body, enhancing the optical impression of a lower, longer
car. Circles were the keynote and were used extensively on the
interior design. The large wire wheels were housed in radiused
wheel-arches and the rear of the C-200 featured the imprint
of the spare wheel which was originally planned to go under
the trunk lid, and those famous 'microphone' tail lights. Given
the prefix 'C' for convertible and 200 for the hoped for horsepower,
(the actual 331ci Firepower Hemi V8 used gave 180bhp) the subtle
blend of American and simpler Italian sports car design created
a classic convertible that looks as fresh today as it did when
it was released in 1952.
Text by Peter Grist
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