When a concept car’s time in the spotlight is done, its manufacturer typically adopts its design for production, or ushers it off the show stand and into storage…or the scrapyard. The Dual-Ghia Convertible is the result of an unlikely third outcome: A case where a visionary entrepreneur picked up a concept discarded by a major automaker and put it into production independently.

After Dodge decided not to pursue its striking, Ghia-bodied Firearrow concepts, Eugene Casaroll—owner of a Detroit-based new car-shipping company, proprietor of specialty vehicle manufacturer Dual-Motors, and an Indianapolis 500 car sponsor—acquired the rights to the design. In 1955, he unveiled an evolution of the Firearrow IV, which he dubbed the Firebomb. The production car that arrived the following year lost none of the Firebomb’s appeal, nor its winning combination of a Dodge chassis and V-8 running gear topped by Carrozzeria Ghia-crafted coachwork, but it gained a somewhat more prosaic name: The Dual-Ghia Convertible.

FIT FOR AN ARTIST’S EYE

Casaroll always intended for his creation to be ultra-exclusive, and a startling price tag of nearly $7,500 ensured that it would be exactly that; marque experts believe as few as 100 Dual-Ghia Convertibles were produced between 1956 and 1958. Customers were said to be hand-picked by Casaroll himself, with examples famously going to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Desi Arnaz, and Richard Nixon.

The dash plaque fitted to this Dual-Ghia, serial number 163, indicates that it was sold new to Austrian-American painter Count Rudolf Anton Bernatschke and his wife, Cathalene. Perhaps less of a household name than other Dual-Ghia clients, Bernatschke was nevertheless an accomplished artist whose portrait portfolio encompassed military leaders (including General Douglas MacArthur), US Senators, European royalty, and celebrities. He clearly had an eye for fine automobiles, too!

The convertible was refurbished under subsequent ownership, and it is now finished in attractive dark blue over a cream interior with blue piping and a tan top. Important details, including the original dash plaque and intricate engine-turned instrument panel, have been preserved, and beneath its hood is the correct 315-cubic-inch Dodge “Poly” hemi-head V-8 paired with a two-speed automatic transmission. Its restoration shows some age today, with mild wear to interior upholstery and some cracking exterior paint; it would benefit from cosmetic attention prior to exhibition.

A car admired in its era by members of the Rat Pack and accomplished fine artists alike, the Dual-Ghia is a timeless creation. Serial number 163 now awaits its next caretaker—someone with a keen sense of style seeking a remarkable Jet Age masterpiece in which to see and be seen.