Chrysler’s relationship with Carrozzeria Ghia during the Fifties and Sixties produced a spectacular array of concept cars, Chrysler Specials and, later, the Imperial Crown Limousines that even most casual enthusiasts can identify. But the Chrysler/Ghia partnership spawned lesser-known one-off creations with Mario Boano—thanks to several events involving key players from various companies during the same time—that left us with the car gracing these pages: the 1956 Chrysler Boano Coupe Speciale. How it came to be, and why it still exists today, requires us to turn the clock back.
The President of Chrysler throughout the late 1940’s was K.T. Keller. It was Keller who claimed that a man should be able to wear a hat comfortably while sitting in a car. Admittedly, this led to rather stodgy, upright styling despite Chrysler’s prowess in engineering advancements. Following the marketing disasters of the Airflows of 1934-1937, the company was not taking any chances.
