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| − | Ghia (Carrozzeria Ghia SpA) is one of the most famous Italian The Italian Republic or Italy (Italian: Repubblica italiana or Italia) is a country in Southern Europe. It comprises a boot-shaped peninsula and two large islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia, and shares its northern alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia.
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| − | Automobile automobile is a wheeled vehicle that carries its own motor. Different types of automobiles include cars, buses, trucks, and vans, with cars being the most popular by far. Earlier terms for automobile include "horseless carriage" and "motor car." An automobile has seats for the driver and, almost without exception, one or more passengers.
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| − | History
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| − | Main article: History of the automobile
| + | '''Carrozzeria Ghia SpA''' (established [[1921]] in [[Torino]]) is one of the most famous [[Italy|Italian]] [[automobile]] design and [[coachbuilder|coachbuilding]] firms, established by [[Giacinto Ghia]] and Gariglio as '''Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio''', located at 4 Corso Valentino in [[Torino]]. |
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| | + | Ghia initially made lightweight [[aluminum]]-bodied cars, achieving fame with the [[Alfa Romeo 6C 1500]], winning [[Mille Miglia]] (1929). |
| | + | Between the world wars, Ghia designed special bodies for [[Alfa Romeo]], [[Fiat]], and [[Lancia]], |
| | + | one of the most famous was the [[Fiat 508]] ''Ballilla'' sports coupe (1933). The factory was rebuilt at Via Tomassi Grossi, after being demolished in an air raid during [[World War Two]] (1943). |
| | + | After Ghia's death (1944), the company was sold to [[Mario Boano]] and [[Giorgio Alberti]]. The [[Ghia-Aigle]] subsidiary was established in [[Aigle]], [[Switzerland]] (1948). |
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| − | Design and coachbuilding A coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for carriages or automobiles. Initially, the skills used to build the wooden and metal bodies of vehicles was so specialized that most manufacturers procured contracts with existing coachbuilders to produce bodies for their chassis. For example, Fisher Body built all of Cadillac's closed bodies in the 1910s.
| + | With [[Luigi Segre]] on his side, Boano saw many foreign firms ordering Ghia designs, such as [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] ([[Lincoln Futura]]) and [[Volkswagen]], the [[Karmann Ghia]]. Chrysler and its designer [[Virgil Exner]] became a close partner for 15 years, resulting in eighteen [[Chrysler Ghia]] Specials (1951-53), the K-310, the [[Chrysler Norseman]] and others. |
| | + | There are even a few Ghia-bodied [[Ferrari]]s. Ghia also participated in the short-lived [[Dual-Ghia]] venture. Production by Ghia was always in very low numbers, giving the company's products even greater exclusivity than those of the other Italian coachbuilders. |
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| − | in Turin Turin (Italian Torino) is a major industrial city in north-western Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the west bank of the Po River. The population of Turin city is 865,263 (2001 census), but its metropolitan area totals about 1.5 million inhabitants. The province is one of the largest in Italy, with 6,830 sq.
| + | In 1953, Boano left for Fiat, the factory moved to via Agostino da Montefeltro, and Luigi Segre took over. Ghia then bought [[Pietro Frua]] , appointing Frua as head of ''Ghia Design'' (1957-60), designing the [[Renault Floride]]. |
| | + | After Segres death (1963), Ghias was sold to [[Ramfis Trujillo]] (1966), who sold to [[Alejandro de Tomaso]] (1967), owner of a rival design house, who took over, but had difficulty in running Ghia profitably. In [[1970]], he sold his shares to the [[Ford Motor Company]]. During this transition period, Ghia had partial involvement in the [[De Tomaso Pantera]], a high-performance, mid-engine car with a 351 cu OHV Ford [[V8]]. |
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| − | Between the world wars, he designed special bodies for Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo is an Italian automobile manufacturing company, founded as "Darracq Italiana" by Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan in partnership with the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq. The partnership refurbished an idle Darracq factory in Portello, a Milan suburb, but at the onset of World War I the company converted to a munitions factory and the partnership was dissolved.
| + | Due to the prestige of the Ghia name, Ford soon began to work it overtime. From 1973 onwards, top-line models of various Ford car line-ups began to sport 'Ghia' badges. The trend began in Europe ([[Ford Granada|Granada]] Ghia, [[Ford Capri|Capri]] Ghia, [[Ford Cortina|Cortina]] Ghia, [[Ford Escort|Escort]] Ghia, [[Ford Fiesta|Fiesta]] Ghia, [[Ford Mondeo|Mondeo]] Ghia), but soon spread worldwide, particularly to the U.S and Australian markets. |
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| − | This article is about Fiat the automobile manufacturer. Fiat is also an English word meaning the exercise of authority; see Fiat money and military fiat. The Latin word fiat means "let it be" as well as a very short period of time, an instant.
| + | Today, the Ghia studios produce many various [[concept car]]s under the Ford banner. However, it will also forever be linked with [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]'s top-line models. |
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| | + | ==External links== |
| | + | *[http://www.team.net/www/ktud/ghia/ An enthusiast site on Ghia history] |
| | + | *[http://www.flickr.com/groups/ghia/ Some private photos of Ghia cars on Flickr] |
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| − | | + | [[Category:Coachbuilders]] |
| − | Fiat S.p.A. is an automobile manufacturer, financial and industrial group based in Turin, Northern Italy.
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| − | and Lancia Lancia is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia, part of the Fiat group since 1969. During the 1980s, the company cooperated with Saab Automobile, with the Lancia Delta being sold as the Saab 600 in Sweden. The 1985 Lancia Thema also shared a platform with the Saab 9000, Fiat Croma and the Alfa Romeo 164.
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| − | After World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is generally considered the most costly and intense war in human history.
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| − | The conflict began on September 1 1939 and lasted until 1945, involving many of the world's countries. Many foreign firms ordered Ghia designs, such as Ford (Lincoln Futura Lincoln Futura was never a production model, but was instead a concept car designed by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company. It was built by Ghia in Italy and displayed on the auto show circuit in 1955.
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| − | Futura's styling was extravagantly impractical even by the standards of the '50s, with a double, clear-plastic canopy top, exaggerated hooded headlight pods, and very large, outward-canted tailfins. Nevertheless, the Futura had a complete powertrain and was fully drivable, in contrast to many show cars then and now, which are nothing more than rolling shells. Its original color was white.
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| − | Chrysler (the Norseman The Chrysler Norseman was a concept car built in 1956. It was a four-seat coupe. Although designed by Chrysler Corporation's stylists, actual construction was contracted out to the Italian coachbuilding firm of Ghia. Ghia already had experience in the construction of low-volume vehicles and one-off prototypes. (It had built the very successful Lincoln Futura concept the previous year.) It took Ghia's craftsmen well over a year to build the complex Norseman.) and Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW) is an automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Germany. It forms the core of VAG, one of the world's four biggest car producers.
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| − | Origins in 1930s Germany
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| − | Though the origins of the company date back to 1930s Nazi Germany, the design for the car that would become known as the Beetle / "Käfer" date back even further, as a pet project by car designer Ferdinand Porsche (1875–1951).
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| − | The Karmann Ghia is a two-seater sports car marketed by Volkswagen, designed by the Italian firm Ghia, and built by German coach builder Karmann. Over 445,000 Karmann Ghias were produced between 1955 and 1974.
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| − | History
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| − | In the early 1950s Volkswagen was producing small, fuel efficient, reliable automobiles (Like the Volkswagen Beetle); but as the world recovered from World War II, consumers began to demand more stylish and elegant vehicles.
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| − | There are even a few Ghia-bodied Ferraris Ferrari is an Italian manufacturer of racing cars and high-performance sports cars formed by Enzo Ferrari in 1929. At first, Scuderia Ferrari sponsored drivers and manufactured racecars; the company went into independent car production in 1946, eventually became Ferrari S.p.A., and is now controlled by the Fiat group.
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| − | Ghia also participated in the short-lived Dual-Ghia Dual-Ghia It was a short lived, rare automobile make, produced in the United States between 1956 and 1958. The idea came from Eugene Casaroll,who formed Dual Motors in Detroit, Michigan to build an exclusive car on a moderate price. The design was based on an earlier showcar of Chrysler named Firebomb (designed by Virgil Exner).
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| − | Production by Ghia was always in very low numbers, giving the company's products even greater exclusivity than those of the other Italian coachbuilders. (The Karmann Ghia was actually assembled by Karmann Wilhelm Karmann GmbH in Osnabrück, Germany is an independent company in the motor vehicle industry. Over the course of more than a century, they have undertaken various roles, from design to production and assembly of components, for various well-known manufacturers of automobiles including Chrysler, Porsche, and Volkswagen.
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| − | In the 1960s, Alejandro de Tomaso Alejandro de Tomaso (1928-2003) was a racing driver and industrialist from Argentina. He participated in two Formula 1 grands prix, debuting on January 13, 1957. He scored 0 championship points.
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| − | Complete Formula One results
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| − | Yr Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Team
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| − | 1957 Ferr ARG MON IND FRA GBR DEU PES ITA Ferr
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| − | owner of a rival design house, took over, but had difficulty in running Ghia profitably. In 1970 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. 1970 is the Unix epoch time.
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| − | He sold his shares to the Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (often referred to simply as Ford; sometimes nicknamed Ford's or FoMoCo, NYSE: F is an automobile maker founded by Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan, and incorporated on June 16, 1903. According to Fortune magazine, DaimlerChrysler and Toyota Motor replaced Ford as the world's number two and three automobile manufacturers by revenue in 2004. For many years before that Ford was global number two behind General Motors. Ford remains one of the world's ten largest corporations by revenue.
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| − | During this transition period, Ghia had partial involvement in the De Tomaso Pantera Pantera was a sports car produced by the de Tomaso company of Italy from 1971 through 1996. The car was designed by famed stylist, Tom Tjaarda and replaced the de Tomaso Mangusta.
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| − | The first 1971 Pantera was powered by a 351 in³ (5.8 L) Ford Cleveland V8 which produced 330 hp (246 kW). This was linked to a five-speed manual transmission. Power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes and rack and pinion steering were also specified. The 1971 Pantera could accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.5 seconds according to Car and Driver high-performance, mid-engine car with a 351 cu OHV Ford V-8.
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| − | Due to the prestige of the Ghia name, Ford soon began to work it overtime. From 1973 onwards, top-line models of various Ford car line-ups began to sport 'Ghia' badges. The trend began in Europe (Granada Ghia, Capri Ghia, Cortina Ghia, Escort Ghia, Fiesta Ghia), but soon spread worldwide, particularly to the U.S and Australian markets.
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| − | Today, the Ghia studios produce many various concept cars A concept car is a car prototype made to showcase a new vehicle's styling, technology, and overall design before production. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced.
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| − | General Motors designer Harley Earl is generally credited with inventing the concept, or show, car, and definitely did much to popularize it through its traveling Motorama shows of the 1950s under the Ford banner. However, it will also forever be linked with Ford's top-line models.
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Carrozzeria Ghia SpA (established 1921 in Torino) is one of the most famous Italian automobile design and coachbuilding firms, established by Giacinto Ghia and Gariglio as Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio, located at 4 Corso Valentino in Torino.
Ghia initially made lightweight aluminum-bodied cars, achieving fame with the Alfa Romeo 6C 1500, winning Mille Miglia (1929).
Between the world wars, Ghia designed special bodies for Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia,
one of the most famous was the Fiat 508 Ballilla sports coupe (1933). The factory was rebuilt at Via Tomassi Grossi, after being demolished in an air raid during World War Two (1943).
After Ghia's death (1944), the company was sold to Mario Boano and Giorgio Alberti. The Ghia-Aigle subsidiary was established in Aigle, Switzerland (1948).
With Luigi Segre on his side, Boano saw many foreign firms ordering Ghia designs, such as Ford (Lincoln Futura) and Volkswagen, the Karmann Ghia. Chrysler and its designer Virgil Exner became a close partner for 15 years, resulting in eighteen Chrysler Ghia Specials (1951-53), the K-310, the Chrysler Norseman and others.
There are even a few Ghia-bodied Ferraris. Ghia also participated in the short-lived Dual-Ghia venture. Production by Ghia was always in very low numbers, giving the company's products even greater exclusivity than those of the other Italian coachbuilders.
In 1953, Boano left for Fiat, the factory moved to via Agostino da Montefeltro, and Luigi Segre took over. Ghia then bought Pietro Frua , appointing Frua as head of Ghia Design (1957-60), designing the Renault Floride.
After Segres death (1963), Ghias was sold to Ramfis Trujillo (1966), who sold to Alejandro de Tomaso (1967), owner of a rival design house, who took over, but had difficulty in running Ghia profitably. In 1970, he sold his shares to the Ford Motor Company. During this transition period, Ghia had partial involvement in the De Tomaso Pantera, a high-performance, mid-engine car with a 351 cu OHV Ford V8.
Due to the prestige of the Ghia name, Ford soon began to work it overtime. From 1973 onwards, top-line models of various Ford car line-ups began to sport 'Ghia' badges. The trend began in Europe (Granada Ghia, Capri Ghia, Cortina Ghia, Escort Ghia, Fiesta Ghia, Mondeo Ghia), but soon spread worldwide, particularly to the U.S and Australian markets.
Today, the Ghia studios produce many various concept cars under the Ford banner. However, it will also forever be linked with Ford's top-line models.
External links
