Image via Daniel Schmitt & Co. Classic Car Gallery
Old Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, once purchased this stylish Midnight Blue 1957 Dual-Ghia Convertible for his wife, Ava Gardner. Wonderfully well preserved, this celebrity-owned classic car is on the market and looking for a new home. We think it would make a fantastic addition to any collection, even without its star-studded history.
Hemi Superbird auctions for a fraction of what it sold for three years ago.
The reason why every nook and cranny of this vehicle looks amazing is it went through a no-expenses-spared restoration recently. As a result, coupled with the fact this was owned by Sinatra and his wife, plus only 34 of these rides have survived to the modern era, you could take this to some high-end shows and be competitive.
After all, this vehicle was designed by Carrozzeria Ghia to be a real looker, turning plenty of heads, especially among the elite shoppers in the US. He was hired by Eugene Casaroll, who owned Dual Motors Corporation, to create something beautiful.
Casaroll wanted to transform how the public viewed his company. Up to that point, it was famous for making military trucks and industrial generators, not luxury cars. After purchasing the rights to the 1954 Dodge Firebomb concept car, he got to work.
The frames and drivetrains were built in the US, then were shipped to Italy. Ghia shortened the long chassis, fitted handmade body panels, and installed the breathtaking interior. Then the cars were shipped back to the US where the last pieces were installed.
Because of this transcontinental assembly process, the Dual-Ghia Convertible wasn’t exactly cheap. But for buyers like Sinatra, it was a status symbol to be driven with pride.
But the high production costs also doomed the car. Out of the 150 originally planned for the production run, only 117 were made. Out of those, it’s believed just 34 have survived. In other words, if you can swing purchasing this car, you not only have something Frank Sinatra and his wife Ava owned and drove, you also get a rare ride.
This classic that at one time was displayed in the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles could be sitting in your garage.
See this car’s listing here.
Images via Daniel Schmitt & Co. Classic Car Gallery
