Test post...1950 Plymouth XX-500

[frankieflathead]

The XX-500 was rather sedate when seen against the previous idea cars but it was built mostly by hand, showing the automotive world what could be accomplished by the small Italian firm.

Italian coachbuilder Pinin Farina was looking for business after WWII, so he built a design proposal on a 1950 Plymouth chassis. This car never came stateside, however, and no photos are known to exist. The Ghia coachbuilding works of Torino, Italy, was also struggling in the postwar period, Mario Boano and Luigi Segre approached Chrysler Export Vice-President C.B. Thomas and offered to build a show car for just $10,000. Thomas, recognizing a bargain, had them proceed with what became the Plymouth XX-500 a four-door sedan on the 1950 P20 118-1/2in chassis. The result was a car looking much like the P19 fastback sedan with two additional doors and an Italian accent.

Edited January 20, 2013 by frankieflathead

[Plymouthy Adams]

Pinafarina...great design studio..

[greg g]

Pretty good photo for not existing. 

[BobT-47P15]

Hmmm.....first car did not materialize.  Second one, just barely it appears.

[frankieflathead]

Pretty good photo for not existing. 

HA! That's funny. The pic is of the Ghia-built car.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I thought Pinafarina at first based solely on the emblem (lower front fender)..it looks squared and thus my assigning it to Pina instead of Ghia..they are simialar in looks and you would need a closer shot to see for certain..or at least my eyes do...my error...not sure of Ghia history of produced cars but it seems everything Pinafarina had it design label on has been a timeless clasic..