Car Moon

A unique 1953 Chrysler "Thomas Special" coupe with coachwork by Ghia, far bettered its pre-sale estimate of $350,000 to $500,000 bringing a top bid of $858,000 at this past weekend's RM Auctions Vintage Cars of Meadow Brook sale in Michigan.

One of Chrysler's first "Idea Cars" of the 1950s, the dazzling coupe was designed by Virgil Exner and crafted by famed Italian coachbuilder and stylist, Ghia. Only six of these vehicles were produced for Chrysler, while Ghia built another 12 examples for themselves.