Topic: SOLVED: WTH # 430 - Ghia 230S Spider aka Ghia 450SS Prototype w power by Fiat 2300

[sixtee5cuda]

This car has been displayed under two different model names.  For one point, specify both model names of this car, along with describing the engine used.

[sixtee5cuda]

Up!

Easy Expert point?

[als15]

Ghia G.450?

[sixtee5cuda]

Ghia is part of both names, but  "G.450" is not one of the names

[als15]

So, the G.230 spider?

[sixtee5cuda]

As one of the names I am looking for is "G230S (aka Ghia 230S)", and I guess "G.450" could be interpreted as "Ghia 450SS",

LOCKED for als15, having provided most of both names this car carried.

To earn your point, what engine does it have?

[als15]

This is the easy part. The engine was from Fiat 2300 S Coupé (the one that Ghia was manufacturing - trough OSI - for Fiat).
The G.230, originally the coupe, was a proposal to evolve the product, but Fiat refused it as they were already working on the new Dino.
The G.450 (or 450SS) was the attempt to sell the project to Chrysler (at that time, they were still a competitor of Fiat  ).

[sixtee5cuda]

One point for als15.

I have never seen "Ghia 230S" abbreviated as G.230, only as G230S.  Similarly, I have never before seen a "Ghia 450SS" referred to as G.450.  Unfortunately, it isn't possible to do a Google search for "G.230" or "G.450", as punctuation is ignored.

The puzzle car was shown as a prototype Ghia 450 SS.  Following restoration, it is currently labeled as a Ghia 230S Spider.

[Carnut]

As als15 says, it was originally the 230S with the 6 cylinder Fiat engine, but Fiat backed out so Ghia instead fitted Chrysler V8s to the Plymouth Barracuda-based car for a dealer in California in an attempt to keep it going, but in the end only 52 450SSs were built.  Giuigiaro was asked to clean up the design for the 450SS, but he limited the changes to the leading edge of the bonnet, which became a straight line instead of curving down at the sides, and the fitting of rectangular Alfa 1750 Spider (and later Giulia saloon) rear lights instead of the circular Fiat units of the 230Ss.  Below are pictures of the 230S and 450SS to show the differences.

[sixtee5cuda]

Carnut, your picture "Ghia 230S Spider 1965" does not show the puzzle car.  The puzzle car has a dashboard which resembles that of a Corvette, with high sections to the left and right, and a low section in the middle.  The puzzle car also has rectangular tail lights, like any 450SS.    (Note: The car 1963_Ghia_G230S_02 with narrow fender slits, also has this Corvette-style dash)

Your B&W image shows a different 230S Spider, which has the same dashboard as the green 230S, as well as the round tail lights from the 230S.

The "production" 450SS cars were larger than the 230S cars, because the 273 V8 would not fit in the 230S.

If you find an image of a red Ghia 230S coupe, it is the same car as the bright green one.

[Carnut]

I know, it wasn't meant to be the puzzle car, which I thought was a 450SS (?) but was a 230S just to show the different rear lights..
So was the puzzle picture also a 230S but with Alfa rear lights?  The 230S dated from 1963, i.e. before the Alfa Spider gained those units..

[sixtee5cuda]

I do not know the source of the tail lights on the puzzle car.  They appear to be identical to the lights on a 450SS.  Here is a rear shot of the puzzle car, in recent, restored form:

[Djetset]

The tail lights in the latest posted photo are taken from an Alfa Romeo Giulia Berlina S1 (105 Series), if this helps...

[Carnut]

The tail lights in the latest posted photo are taken from an Alfa Romeo Giulia Berlina S1 (105 Series), if this helps...

Yes, they seem to have experimented with various different ones, but I suspect maybe those Giulia Super lights were fitted later on in the car's life.  The pure rectangular shape doesn't fit in quite as well as the Alfa 1750 Spider ones with sloping sides on the outer edge!