The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
The Ghia Selene I was designed by Sergio Sartorelli. shown at the Turin Motor Show in 1959 and had a lot of similarities with the Renault Project 900 concept, in that it had a cab forward design with a large rear area for the engine. This style would make the car look like the front was the rear and vice versa. The car could seat six people – two up front, and four in the back facing each other. No engine was fitted to this concept.
The Ghia Selene I: A very talented man called Sergio Sartorelli became one of GHIA’s main stylists, and he made a big impression with the 1959 Selene (which was designed with Sergio Sartorelli), a sort of super-sleek forward-control “people carrier’. Its follow-up, the Selene II of 1962 designed this time with the collaboration of Tom Tjaarda, had a central driving seat and two rear seats facing backwards. Two back seats, facing each other, give the back compartmenti a lounge-room effect, complete with bar. Sliding airplane-type steering wheel and double sets of instruments would allow the car to be driven from either side. The faith of the Ghia Selene I is unknown.
There are in the history of companies, just as in the history of nations, certain fateful episodes, which have an influence on the course of events well in excess of their actual importance. Chrysler’s request to Ghia to build for them, to their design, a special body on a Plymouth chassis, is one of these episodes.
Designer Sergio Sartorelli was born in Alessandria in 1928; he took the degree in Mechanical Engineering at the “Politecnico” of Turin and soon became interested in cars.
Read part 1 The revolution by Savonuzzi The succession of prototypes made on behalf of Chrysler undoubtedly influenced the 1951 project by Piero Dusio,…
