Mario's Tribute to 1953 Cadillac Ghia Coupe

1 1953 CADILLAC GHIA COUPE.

2 The car is a dead-stock Cadillac with a lighter weight aluminum body.

3 The interior is quite simple and classy, with a three-passenger front bench.

4 Due to the low roof line, the seat sits very close to the floor.

5 The most notable styling feature on the car is the quad headlamps.

6 Elegant leather interior although headroom is tight.

7 Other design elements worth noting are the angular, wrap-around back lights, thin pillars, split rear window and side trim.

8 The sun visors are tinted Plexiglas so that you can still see when they are down.

9 Italian coach builder Ghia looked to stabilize his business by developing concept cars. This Concept car the Ghia Coupe did with Cadillac.

10 Vent handle knobs sit on the dashboard.

11 Inspired by his success with Chrysler, Ghia constructed a pair of Cadillac based concepts for the 1953 Paris Auto Show.

12 A set of fitted luggage all in the same soft tan leather as the interior is nestled behind the seats.

13 A huge sweeping split rear window creates a sleek profile, while subtle fins on the back pave way for a few years later when fins would rise to epic proportions.

14 Making it a true “touring” car is a set of Italian-leather luggage, which matches the rest of the leather interior nestled behind the front seat.

15 A 210-hp, 331-cubic-inch overhead valve V8 with automatic transmission.

16 Two coupes were built on the 126-inch wheelbase Cadillac chassis, and they were both powered by Cadillac’s 331-ci V8.

17 Stated to be the first car with quad headlights.

18 Unique quad headlights set back inside the front fender.

19 Sloping back and a huge sweeping back window creates a sleek profile.

20 This 1953 Cadillac Ghia Coupe is currently owned and on display at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles, CA.

21 Quad headlights, something that wouldn’t become legal in the U.S. until sometime in 1957.

22 Small subtle fins enhance the rear. A trend that would be widely adopted in the coming years.

23 Underneath the Ghia bodywork is a conventional 1953 Cadillac Series 62 Coupé de Ville chassis, which means it came with a 331ci V8 making 210 hp.

24 Using a large Caddy as the base gave Ghia the freedom to build it as he saw fit without limitations.

25 Angular wrap-around back lights.

26 The fuel door was cleverly hidden among rear side louvers.

27 The car now belongs to the Petersen Automotive Museum in CA.

28 One of two such examples built by the famed Italian coach builder Ghia.

29 This coupe appeared in the 2010 Iron Man II movie with Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow.

30 The second Ghia coupe is Black and sold for $1,430,000 in 2016 to a private collector.

31 The Black 1953 Cadillac Ghia Coupe. This Ghia designed Cadillac resides in Las Vegas at the Imperial Palace.

32 One of two made, the maroon coupe was a gift to the Hollywood star Rita Hayworth from her husband Prince Ali Khan, then billed as the richest man in the world.