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Chassis:
Among the visitors of Ghia's 1953 Paris Motor Show stand was American Howard 'Dutch' Darrin. He accompanied Italian-American entrepreneur Paul Farago, who acquired the prototype 8V Supersonic on the spot. Darrin then travelled to Turin to visit the Ghia factory and also to meet the already legendary designer Giovanni Savonuzzi. He was impressed and acquired two 8V Supersonics, to be finished in ivory and white respectively. Both cars were shipped to New York where they were shown on the Kaiser-Darrin stand of the February, 1954 World Motor Sport Show. The ivory car was subsequently sold to actress Lana Turner, while this car was bought by none other than Briggs S. Cunningham for his wife.
The car was delivered to Cunningham during the 1954 Sebring 12 Hours where an OSCA entered by his team and shared by Stirling Moss and Bill Lloyd won the race outright. Lucie Cunningham drove the car for the remainder of the year before selling it on for $5,500 to a Hartford CT. dealer, which was $4,000 less than what her husband had bought it for just a few months earlier. The car remained in the United States for much of its life and among subsequent owners was marque specialist Jarl de Boer. During the early 1960s, the engine had been replaced by an easier to service Chevrolet V8.
The car finally left the United States in 2012, when it joined the collection of a Belgian enthusiast. He managed to track down the original 8V engine and had the car comprehensively restored by Dutch specialists Strada e Corsa. It was then first shown at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Early in 2018, it was displayed at the Retromobile show where it was acquired by a prominent British collector. He then consigned the car to the 2019 Bonhams Quail Lodge sale.
| Chassis details |
| Manufactured in |
1953 |
| Engine number |
104*000*000068 |
| First owner |
Briggs S. Cunningham |
| Last known location |
British Private Collection |
| Appearances |
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| Most recent auction(s) |
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8V Ghia Supersonic Coupe
