Dodge   Firearrow  I   and  II,   1953-54;  Dodge   Firearrow  Sport
 Coupe, 1954; Dodge Firearrow Convertible, 1954                     
      The  Ghia-built Dodge  Firearrow roadster  first appeared  as a
 two-seat  mockup  that  rode atop  a '54  Dodge chassis.  Bright red
 and  circumscribed  by  a  dramatic  gray  molding  that  culminated
 up front in a  handsome, blade-like  bumper split  by a  single (and
 rather phallic)  pod, Firearrow  I carried  dual headlamps  and full
 wheel  covers.  Exposed  exhaust pipes,  two per  side, rode  low on
 the car's flanks. Inside, the seats were well-padded  yellow leather
 adorned   with   narrow  maroon   piping.  A   wood-rimmed  steering
 wheel brought an additional touch of Italian style.                
      Firearrow II, a modified version of the original  car, retained
 the  mockup's  two-place  seating  and  striking   frameless wind-
 shield  when it  appeared in  1954. Riding  on a  119-inch wheelbase
 and  painted  a  subdued yellow,  Firearrow II  sported chrome-plat-
 ed wire wheels instead of  the previous  full-wheel discs.  The body
 molding  was  no  longer  a  wraparound  affair,  but  ended  at the
 headlamps  and  taillights.  In  front,  the  dual   headlights  had
 become  single  units,  and  the original's  gracious-looking split-
 bumper  design  was  replaced  by  a  more aggressive  "mouth" hori-
 zontally  bisected  by  an   uninterrupted  bumper.   Five  vertical
 design elements on the bumper gave the grille a toothy look.       
      Later  in 1954,  the two-seat  Firearrow Sport  Coupe appeared.
 As with the earlier roadster,  the metallic  blue coupe  was essex'-
 tially  a  '54  Dodge. Dual  headlights returned,  and now  flanked a
  concave  grille  cut  with narrow  verticals. Crash  protection front
  and   rear  was   provided  by   modest  bumperettes.   A  wraparound
  backlight  gave  the Sport  Coupe a  particularly rakish  aspect. And
  the car went as good as it looked (with a modified engine,  that is):
  Driving  at   Chrysler's  Chelsea,   Michigan,  proving   grounds  in
  1954, racer/flier Betty  Skelton set  a women's  closed-course record
  at an impressive 143.4 mph.                                          
      The last of Virgil Exner's Firearrow  series, the  Firearrow con-
  vertible, arrived late in 1954. Despite being the series' first four-
  seater, it shared many styling cues  with the  Sport Coupe.  The con-
  cave  grille  returned,  though  it  now  carried  a  grid  treatment
  instead  of  the  coupe's  slim verticals.  As for  the convertible's
  leather interior -- well, as it was  a diamond  pattern done  in hard-
  to-ignore  black  and  white,  it was  definitely an  acquired taste.
  Additional sizzle was provided by the car's bright red body.         
      Happily,   Exner's   Firearrow  series   tickled  the   fancy  of
  wealthy  car  enthusiast  Eugene  Casaroll,  who   purchased  produc-
  tion rights to the  design and  teamed with  engineer Paul  Farago to
  create a practical road car. The result was  the 1956-58  Dual-Ghia --
  proof that  concept cars  given cavalier  treatment by  the companies
  that  commission  them   can  sometimes   be  taken   very  seriously
  indeed by others.