Carrozzeria Ghia

Carrozzeria Ghia SpA
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Automotive design, Coachbuilding
Predecessor	Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio
Founded	1 January 1916; 110 years ago in Turin, Italy
Founder	Giacinto Ghia, Gariglio
Fate	Acquired by Ford Motor Company
Headquarters	Turin, Italy
Area served	Europe
Key people	Giacinto Ghia (founder), Mario Boano, Luigi Segre, Giovanni Savonuzzi, Pietro Frua, Giorgetto Giugiaro, Sergio Sartorelli, Tom Tjaarda, Ercole Spada, Filippo Sapino
Products	Automotive design, Coachbuilding
Owner	Ford Motor Company
Parent	Ford Motor Company

Carrozzeria Ghia SpA is an Italian automotive design and coachbuilding company founded in 1916 in Turin by Giacinto Ghia and Gariglio, originally named "Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio". Based in Turin, the firm is now under the ownership of Ford Motor Company and caters to the European market through Ford's regional division.

Ghia has been responsible for designing vehicle bodies for a variety of manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Ferrari, Fiat, Ford, Jaguar, and Volkswagen.

History

Ghia initially focused on crafting lightweight aluminium car bodies and gained early acclaim with the Alfa Romeo 6C 1500, which won the Mille Miglia race in 1929. Between the two World Wars, the company produced custom bodies for brands like Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia, including the distinguished 1933 Fiat 508 Balilla sports coupe. After its factory was destroyed during an air raid in 1943, operations were relocated to Via Tomassi Grossi. Following the death of founder Giacinto Ghia in 1944, ownership transferred to Mario Boano and Giorgio Alberti. In 1948, Ghia expanded by establishing a subsidiary named Ghia-Aigle in Aigle, Switzerland.

When Boano left in 1953 due to internal conflicts, Luigi Segre, who was chief engineer, took over leadership in 1954. During Segre’s tenure (1953–57), Giovanni Savonuzzi guided design and production efforts, elevating Ghia’s position as a significant force in shaping Italian automotive styling worldwide. From 1953 through 1963, Ghia attracted international clientele including Volkswagen—notably with the creation of the Karmann Ghia—and Volvo. A close collaboration with Chrysler and designer Virgil Exner resulted in eighteen unique Chrysler-Ghia models between 1951 and 1953, featuring vehicles such as the K-310, the Chrysler Norseman, and Imperial Crown limousines favored by prominent individuals like Jackie Kennedy and Nelson Rockefeller. Ghia also produced limited series Ferrari bodies and was involved in the Dual-Ghia project. The company maintained low production numbers to preserve exclusivity.

In June 1953, Renault's chairman Pierre Lefaucheux enlisted Ghia’s expertise for the Renault Dauphine development.

After Boano moved to Fiat in 1953, the factory shifted to via Agostino da Montefeltro with Luigi Segre assuming control. Between 1957 and 1960, Pietro Frua served as head of design at Ghia, creating designs such as the Renault Floride. Following Segre’s death in 1963, ownership passed to Ramfis Trujillo in 1965 and then to Alejandro de Tomaso in 1967, who owned a competing design company. De Tomaso faced financial difficulties managing Ghia and sold it to Ford Motor Company in 1970. During this era, Ghia contributed partially to the De Tomaso Pantera—a high-performance mid-engine vehicle powered by a Ford V8 engine.

Eventually integrated into the styling division of Ford of Europe, Ghia concentrated on concept vehicles while also designing select production models—most notably the first-generation Ford Fiesta Mk1 (1976), styled by Tom Tjaarda. Over many years, Ford has utilized the Ghia name as a premium trim designation across various European models.

Ghia L6.4

Following the Dual-Ghia collaboration, the Ghia L6.4 was introduced in 1961 featuring fewer Mopar components but a custom design commanding a premium price. Production ceased in 1963 after only 25 (or possibly 26) units were manufactured. Equipped with a Chrysler V8 engine producing SAE horsepower, this model incorporated carefully selected Chrysler suspension and transmission parts. The seating arrangement included individual bucket seats both at the front and rear.

Ghia 450 SS

Ghia unveiled the Fiat 2300-derived G230 S at the 1963 Turin Motor Show, a two-seat model constructed on a tubular spaceframe by Gilco experts. Production was limited to just four units—comprising two coupés and two convertibles. Following the unexpected passing of owner Luigi Segre, the G230 S project was discontinued and never mass-produced. Nevertheless, in 1965, Burt Sugarman, after spotting its image in Road & Track, convinced Ghia to develop a comparable vehicle.

This initiative resulted in the Ghia 450 SS, which extended Ghia's partnership with Chrysler by incorporating Chrysler's "LA" V8 engine delivering . Numerous parts were borrowed from the Plymouth Barracuda, with initial vehicles even supplied with Barracuda owner manuals. While retaining the design ethos of the G230 S, the 450 SS featured hand-shaped steel body panels mounted on a conventional ladder chassis. Unlike its predecessor, it was designed as a 2+2 two-door roadster equipped with a standard hardtop.

Although Giorgetto Giugiaro is frequently credited—having joined Ghia late in 1965—the primary design work was done by Sergio Sartorelli; Giugiaro contributed refinements to the grille, bumpers, and rear section before its debut at the 1966 Turin show. Production ran until late 1967, totaling 57 units (some registered as 1968 models), though certain sources report as few as 52 cars produced.

The Ghia name

Starting in 1973, Ford adopted the Ghia nameplate as its premium trim level across many mainstream vehicles. This practice began in Europe and North America with models such as the Mustang II, Granada, Capri, Cortina, Escort, and later extended to the Fiesta, Sierra, Sierra Sapphire, Orion, Scorpio, Mondeo, and Focus—all offering Ghia variants. The designation also expanded internationally to South American markets (including Argentina’s Falcon and Taunus; Brazil’s Del Rey, Escort, Focus, Mondeo) and Asia Pacific regions with models like the Ford Laser, Fairmont, Fairlane, and Telstar. The UK Scorpio initially ranked above Ghia trim until 1994 when the Granada name was discontinued and Ghia resumed its position as the highest trim level.

In the United Kingdom, Ford phased out the Ghia badge by 2010 in favor of the Titanium trim as its global premium offering. The British Ford Fiesta held the longest continuous use of the Ghia name—spanning 31 years and 8 months from February 1977 through November 2008. Across Europe, Ghia trims were retired; beginning in 2013 Ford introduced Vignale as its new top-tier trim brand. Additionally, Ghia’s design studios were responsible for creating various concept vehicles for Ford.

Ghia cars

1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500
1933 Fiat 508 Balilla sports coupé
1947 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500
1950 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Supergioiello
1950 Ferrari 195 Inter coupé
1951 Ferrari 212 Inter coupé
1951 Renault Frégate
1952 Chrysler Special Coupé
1953 Abarth 1100 Sport Ghia Coupé
1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic
1953 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe by Ghia
1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 Supersonic 'Conrero'
1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 Coupe
1954 Dodge Firearrow III Sports Coupé
1954 Fiat 8V Coupé
1954 Jaguar XK120 Supersonic
1955 Jaguar XK140 Coupé
1955 Lincoln Futura
1955 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
1956 Aston Martin DB2/4 Supersonic
1956 Chrysler Norseman
1956 Chrysler Plainsman Two-door Station Wagon
1956 Renault Dauphine
1957 Dual Ghia Convertible
1958 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce prototype
1958 Renault Caravelle
1961 Fiat 2300 S Coupé
1961 Ghia L6.4
1962 Type 34 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
1963 Ghia 1500 GT
1963 Ghia G230 S (based on Fiat 2300)
1963 Chrysler Turbine Car
1966 Ghia 450 SS
1978 Ghia Microsport
1981 Intermericcanica Ghia Cabrio Mustang

Prominent Designers

External links

Comprehensive overview and models of Ghia at Coachbuild.com
Archived fan site dedicated to Ghia’s history