Post by ferrari512s on Apr 6, 2014 16:26:35 GMT -5
Chrysler/Ghia Diablo Convertible Concept Car
The Chrysler Diablo Convertible Coupe is a tremendously amazing car that was born during the era of inter-planetary travel, rocket ships, and outer space fixation.
It was a time when automakers desperately tried to envision of the future of the automobile and what design direction and technology would they employ.
As such, the cars were very futuristic and in many cases unrealistic.
They were show cars that grabbed the attention of curious onlookers and had them coming back into showrooms for more.
Detroit gave their talented designers free reign on these designs resulting in some of the more flamboyant and bold creations ever imaginable.
Chrysler's belief in showcasing these concept cars was to impress and to 'test the waters' to determine what features might appeal to the widest audience.
The list of Chrysler concepts (also known as idea cars or teasers), up to this point in history, included the Thunderbolt, Adventurer, Falcon, and Fire Arrow.
The 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt! Crowds at that time gathered around for this one....seriously.
The Chrysler Adventurer...
The backside view of the Chrysler Adventurer.
The Chrysler Falcon...
A trio of Chrysler concept cars...
The 1955 Chrysler-Ghia Falcon, foreground in silver, came very close to going into production as Chrysler’s answer to the Corvette and Thunderbird. With hemi-power, it could have been a formidable competitor. Exner was deeply disappointed at that decision. The 1954 Dodge-Ghia Fire Arrow (yellow), and the 1957 Chrysler-Ghia Diablo (red) were two more concepts in the string of Exner-Ghia collaborations.
The history of the Chrysler Diablo dates back to the mid-1950s. In 1956 it was unveiled as the Dart from Chrysler.
It was fitted with a retractable hardtop coupe and showcased many of the design team's visions of a future means of transportation.
After its 1956 tour was complete, it returned to Ghia where a convertible soft top replaced the original hardtop. The engine was tweaked and the suspension was improved.
It returned with a new name, the Dart II, and it was shown during the 1957 season, though with limited exposure. It was painted in Italiano Red and shown at a number of European venues.
Near the close of summer in 1957, the car returned to Ghia, where it was again given updates. This time, the modifications were more significant with several significant body features re-worked.
When it emerged from Ghia shops and destined for the US show circuit, the car wore the name 'Diablo.'
In the rear were well proportioned fins that were in sync with the rest of the car. It gave the sensation of an airplane meant for the ground.
It was a realistic concept that was clean, smooth, and well designed that could easily have been transformed into regular production.
The front featured a multi-curved windshield and an alluring grille designs. The chassis has a wheelbase size of 129-inches with a mammoth 218-inches in length.
Under hood is a Hemi V8 engine with a pair of four-barrel carburetors capable of generating 375 horsepower.
Mated to the engine is a Chrysler push-button operated Torque-Flite transmission.
The design was pure Virgin Exner craftsmanship with the coachwork performed by the legendary craftsman at Carrozzeria Ghia.
It is an aerodynamic masterpiece that is extremely innovation and equally attractive.
It was fully operation that was subjected to a number of performance and design tests under strict laboratory conditions.
It was put through extensive wind tunnel testing by one of the world's leading proponents in the field of aerodynamics.
Giovanni Savonuzzi, of 'supersonic' design fame, was the key individual in the aero testing of the Diablo.
The tests were performed at Chrysler's Chelsea Proving Ground in Michigan and the results were profound.
It had the lowest coefficient of drag ever seen on any automobile.
This magnificent vehicle achieved a rating of .17%, which was less than the Alfa Romeo B.A.T. cars produced by rival Italian coachbuilder Bertone at about the same time period.
This accomplishment led to Chrysler promotion of the Diablo as being a 'Hydroplane on Wheels.'
When the show touring days were over, the car returned to Turin, Italy and back to Ghia's shops.
Ownership transferred to Ghia who displayed the car at a number of European events and exhibitions before eventually selling it to a private owner.
It returned to the United States in the mid-1960s and was carefully preserved.
The next (and current) owner took possession of the car in 1988. It has been meticulously maintained and remains in fully functional condition.
It still retains is power steering unit, Chrysler power brakes, power operated windows in the doors, signal seeking radio, and air conditioning.
It rides on Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels, wearing period correct wide whitewall tires.
In recent years, the car has been the centerpiece at the Louis Vuitton Bagatelle Concours in New York City, shown at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana, the Gilmore Museum in Michigan and many others.
In 2008, the car was offered for sale at the 'Sports & Classics of Monterey' presented by RM Auctions.
It was one of the highlights of the event and bidding reached $1,200,000 (not the highest bid or price of the auction, but very respectable none-the-less), but this was not enough to satisfy its reserve. The lot was left unsold.
Source
www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z16557/Chrysler-Diablo-Concept.aspx
Barrett-Jackson Details
Barrett-Jackson Lot #5034 - 1956 CHRYSLER DIABLO CONCEPT CONVERTIBLE
1956 CHRYSLER DIABLO CONCEPT CONVERTIBLE
1956 CHRYSLER DIABLO CONCEPT CONVERTIBLE
1956 CHRYSLER DIABLO CONCEPT CONVERTIBLE
1956 CHRYSLER DIABLO CONCEPT CONVERTIBLE
Detailed Information
Lot Number: 5034 Auction: SCOTTSDALE 2013 Status: SOLD Sale Type: RESERVE Price: *$1,375,000.00 Year: 1956 Make: CHRYSLER Model: DIABLO Style: CONCEPT CONVERTIBLE VIN: 9999796 Exterior Color: Interior Color: Cylinders: 8 Engine Size: 392 Transmission: AUTOMATIC
Details
The director of automotive design for Chrysler in 1953, Virgil Exner Sr., was given the responsibility to design all of Chrysler's concept cars starting in 1954. Exner quickly collaborated with Ghia, one of the best body builders in Italy, to execute several of his now famous concept show cars designs on production Chrysler chassis. All of these cars became famous show cars that are now legendary in the history of automotive design. According to Virgil Exner Jr., a legendary designer in his own right, one of the greatest design works and the most elaborate design by his father that was ever produced with the collaboration of Chrysler and Ghia was the 1956/1957 Chrysler Dart/Diablo. Not only did Virgil Exner execute the design for this car on his own personal drawing board but also his design was highly aided by the fact that the car was designed in a wind tunnel. The Diablo is one of the largest custom bodied convertibles ever built by the Ghia body builder and in its second phase it retained a full convertible top, the basic Dart design, four bucket seats and a star wars dashboard. The chassis used for this build was a new off the production line 1956 Chrysler 300 with a special modified engine with two 4 barrel carburetors, automatic push-button transmission and a ton of chrome in the engine compartment. Every detail on this car was fastidiously gone over by Virgil Exner. Note the Diablo pitchfork emblems, even an emblem on the gas filler lid which is in the trunk area. Check out the sculpting on the exhaust tips, which reportedly took Virgil several days on the drawing board to get the design just perfect. The car is also equipped with power steering, power brakes, power windows, power top, power antenna and air conditioning. The car is of enormous size just under 21' long and extremely wide. This car has been in the same important collection for approximately 25 years and wears the crown of one of the most important American dream cars/concept cars ever.
If the Diablo was produced it would have probably been transformed and looked like this in 2014...
Then again, there's another company known as Lamborghini that also made the Diablo Model.
