De Soto Adventurer II coupe takes People’s Choice award at Elegance at Hershey - 
Designed and built by Ghia for Chrysler, the 1954 De Soto Adventurer II had a life that extended far beyond the global auto show circuit. Sold to a dealer in Casablanca, Morocco, the coupe was very nearly acquired by the King of Morocco before finding its way stateside. Once again in private hands after selling for $1.43 million at auction in 2012, the one-of-a-kind Adventurer II, now owned by Paul Gould, was chosen as the People’s Choice Award winner at last weekend’s The Elegance at Hershey.
Though many view the concepts created by Chrysler and Ghia in the 1950s as a joint effort, Ghia provided both design and construction for several models, including the Adventurer II. Based upon the “Supersonic” design language created by Ghia’s Giovanni Savonuzzi and first applied to concepts like the Ghia Fiat 8V Coupe, the lines and dimensions of the Adventurer II were ultimately defined by the 125.5-inch wheelbase De Soto chassis supplied by Chrysler to underpin the car. Like other Ghia concepts, the Adventurer II was roadworthy, and power came from a 276.1-cu.in. Hemi V-8, rated at 170 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque. For the car’s intended grand touring mission, such output was more than sufficient.
In 1956, when its time on the global show circuit was done, the Adventurer II was sold to a Chrysler dealer in Casablanca, Morocco, for the impressive sum of $20,000, then enough money to purchase virtually any luxury car on the market. The dealer’s madness had method to it, as he was aware of King Mohammed V of Morocco’s interest in the car; though the King drove the car for a week, he ultimately decided not to complete the transaction, as the Adventurer II’s seats proved to be too narrow for the monarch’s liking. The car was returned to the Casablanca dealer, who advertised it in his showroom at an asking price of $25,000.
- See more at:
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/06/18/de-soto-adventurer-ii-coupe-takes-peoples-choice-award-at-elegance-at-hershey/#sthash.9JnJVBvf.dpuf
See more at:
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/06/18/de-soto-adventurer-ii-coupe-takes-peoples-choice-award-at-elegance-at-hershey/#sthash.9JnJVBvf.dpuf
