The 1950s marked a period of important output for Carrozzerria Ghia, as the Turin-based firm bodied or designed a fascinating array of concept cars, one-offs, and unique production models. Among this body of work, the company clothed perhaps two dozen Alfa Romeo 1900 chassis during 1954 and 1955. While these cars were generally built upon the performance-oriented short-wheelbase 1900C chassis, the featured car is one of far fewer 1900 examples built on Alfa Romeo’s long-wheelbase 1900L lungo chassis.

Chassis number 01089 is likely the first of at least nine similarly styled cars that were sometimes badged as Ghia Specials, and the only one built on the lungo chassis. With aluminum alloy coachwork designed by the noted Giovanni Savonuzzi, these cars featured curved front bumperettes, bulbous fenders with protruding headlamps, squared wheel-well openings, a wraparound front windscreen that fed into an airy canopy, and delicate rear fender fins. But while the design fits somewhat awkwardly on the short-wheelbase platform, necessitating particularly long front and rear overhangs, it more elegantly complements the lungo chassis, which provides greater aesthetic balance and a smoother ride quality to boot.

Dispatched to Ghia in April 1954, the Alfa Romeo was completed with coachwork finished in Bleu Marino and delivered three months later to a buyer in New York. While very little is currently known of the 1900L’s interim history, by 2006 the car was owned by a resident of Sacramento, California, who presented it at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Later acquired by a respected dealer on the East Coast, the Alfa Romeo was sold to the current owner in October 2016.

Since domiciled in long-term storage, the Ghia Special still presents with character, continuing to benefit from a prior restoration in rosso paint over gray leather. In addition to being equipped with a rare column-mounted five-speed factory gearbox, the Alfa Romeo retains its matching-numbers type 1306 engine, further enriching the car’s authenticity.

Ideal for collectors of coach-built Alfa Romeos or enthusiasts of Ghia’s seminal design output of the 1950s, this car would make a strong candidate for touring use, while claiming design provenance worthy of museum display or concours exhibition.