The development stories of automobiles always take surprising turns. A good example of this is the Ghia 450 SS, which combined American technology with Italian design flair in the second half of the 1960s.
A man with a vision
Special projects usually require a free-thinking mind and liquid funds. Burt Sugarman had both. And he had connections, for example with John DeLorean, who was working in a leading position at Pontiac at the time. Born on January 4, 1939, Sugarman was not short on glamor either, after all he was already in a relationship with the actress Ann-Margaret (Olsson) at a young age, who could be seen in various Hollywood and later television productions.
| sldkfjsdlfk | May 1974 to Aug. 1975 | from Sept. 1975 |
|---|---|---|
| Power hp | 90 | 90 |
| at 1/min | 5500 | 5800 |
| max. Torque mkg | 14.5 | 14.3 |
| at 1/min | 3500 | 3700 |
| Compression | 8.6 | 8.3 |
| ROZ requirement | 95 | 91 |
| MOZ requirement | 84 | 82 |
| Carburetor Solex | 38 PDSI | 32-32 DIDTA |
| Start assist | Choke | Automatic |
Sugarman was interested in cars, knew his way around the quarter mile as an active “drag racer” and he also read the relevant magazines. The cover of Road & Track in March 1965 showed the Ghia Coupé Fiat G230 S.
The Fiat G230 S from Ghia as inspiration
Burt Sugarman was enthusiastic about the shape of the Ghia design and more or less got on the next plane to visit Ghia. His plan was to have a small series of the pretty Coup built and to sell it in the USA.
On site, the Ghia people told him that small series production would not be cheap, but above all that he would have to rely on a large series manufacturer to supply the mechanics. Ghia was definitely interested in this order, especially as Fiat had shown little interest in the further development of the Fiat 230 S.
At Ghia, Sugarman discovered the open-top version of the 230 S, as it was also shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1965. And he imagined that such a model with American mass-produced mechanics would meet with interest in the USA. And so he decided to become an entrepreneur.
