Quote:
Originally Posted by islero ID 379 is a Ghia 1500 GT
It was produced between 1962-1967. 925 examples were produced.
It ran a 1500cc Fiat engine which developed 67 bhp@5200 rpm.
Am I right? |
Yes @islero, you are right. ID:379 is a 1963 Fiat Ghia 1500GT.
This fastback was styled by Sergio Coggiola head of the prototypes shop at Carrozzeria Ghia, Turin. Ghia were Turin's most innovative independent coachbuilding company competing with the likes of Pininfarina and Bertone, also of Turin.
During the 1950s, Luigi Segre managing director of Ghia built many concept cars for Chrysler in Detroit. A famous concept car, Ghia built for Ford was the Lincoln Futura which achieved immortality when George Barris converted it into Batman's black "Batmobile" for the TV series.
In 1960, Luigi Segre created another concept-car coachbuilding firm: OSI (L'Officina Stampaggio Industriale SpA) funded by typewriter manufacturer Olivetti. They made @islero's beautiful 1967 OSI 20M TS coupe.
OSI's building was across the street (Via Agostino da Montefeltro) from Carrozzeria Ghia's coachworks, where the Fiat 2300S coupe and the Innocenti 950 Spider were built. [OT: PM me and I'll send you a keyhole markup file showing locations of these plants in Turin, Italy]
The 1963 Fiat Ghia 1500GT is a specially-bodied Fiat-based car.
It was built with a sheet steel box-section and tubular frame with the Fiat 1500 engine set further back than in the standard Fiat 1500. The wheelbase was shorter than standard, too. They built just 4 each day.
When Segre died in 1963 the firm was briefly held by racing driver Gino Rovere of Ford, Italia and then taken over as a hobby by Leónidas Trujillo, son of Rafael Trujillo the brutal dictator of the Caribbean Dominican Republic. Then deTomaso took control in 1967, finally selling Ghia out to Ford. [OT: 21 years ago, I used to enjoy a 1977 Ford Taunus 2.0 litre Ghia in Rotterdam, NL.]
Ram Work to live, or live to work? Candle's burning anyway!
Last edited by Ram : 23rd October 2007 at 10:08.
|