Chrysler President C.B. Thomas hired Virgil Exner to re-make Chrysler’s image in the early ‘fifties, and “Ex” responded with a series of fully functional Ghia-built show cars that still look great today. The 1951 K-310 and 1952 C-200 were followed by a “Chrysler Special” (the official name) that was so gorgeous that Thomas had a second one built for his personal use. Chrysler’s Paris distributor then had 400 more (with a different front clip and side trim) built for sale only in Europe. Thomas’ car is now in Chrysler’s museum, and was obviously the reference for this superb resincast miniature by Matrix Models; its lines and details all match photos perfectly. The gleaming off-white paint and workmanship are as good as anything we’ve seen in 1:43 scale; the photo-etched tiny winged hood badge and very thin side/wheel arch moldings are especially well done, while the legible “Chrysler Special” scripts and badges are chrome and colored printing on thin clear film. A look inside shows authentic upholstery with silver-printed relief handles and trim on the door panels, detailed instruments, chrome-painted switches, radio fascia, and steering wheel with a truly thin photo-etch horn ring. There’s a lot of high-relief chassis detail in the baseplate, too. Dimensions are right on 1:43 scale — it was a big car — and one Chrysler should have built. — Wayne Moyer
1:43 | $89.99
