01-23-12 :: May I have this dance?

[balthazar]

The above young woman is not a random model, nor is the vehicle.

Both are wearing delicate shoes (high strappy heels & chromed wire rims), and although this looks like a straightforward photo op of some forgotten occasion, both the car & the woman danced their way into the record book, that day, WITH their respective shoes on.

What's the car & what was the record category?

[Camino LS6]

Makes me think of the Chrysler Ghia cars and appears to be at a race track.

Time frame and "dancing" references have me wanting to guess that the woman is Ginger Rodgers (though I wouldn't know to look at her)

Perhaps she drove the pace car or something?.

[§carlet §wordfish]

That looks like a Pininfarina badge on the fender.

That's all I can tell.

[§carlet §wordfish]

I just looked it up. Never heard of either of them. But they are pretty cool.

[balthazar]

The woman is Betty Skelton, who held more land & air speed records than any other woman between 1948 & 1970.

ChryCo asked her to come out & give the '54 Dodge Firearrow a run around the track. Corp representatives picked her up at the airport and brought her directly to Chrysler's Chelsea Proving Grounds, in her traveling clothes. She hopped right in the Hemi-powered coupe and proceeded to log a 143 MPH average- then a land speed record. Yep, she did it in her strappy heels.

Origin : http://blogs.hotrod.com/betty-skeltons-land-speed-record-car-to-hit-auction-block-198.html

Skelton : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Skelton

'54 Firearrow III : http://www.whatonemillionbuys.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/1954-dodge-firearrow-iii-sports-coupe-concept-car.png

Firearrow III was powered by Dodge's 'little' Hemi, a 150 HP 241 CI.

Apparently it was later modified WRT the large fender vents.

The concept still exists, and sold in '11 for $880K at auction.

[Camino LS6]

Cool.

Ghia body, or in-house Chrysler?

[balthazar]

Designed by Chrysler (Exner), constructed by Ghia.

[Camino LS6]

Cool, at least my guess was somewhat on the right track.

[balthazar]

Well, seems to me most people think of Ghia as a body designer, but WRT American/Ghia partnerships, the designs were mostly American and Ghia just executed them.

[Camino LS6]

Well, seems to me most people think of Ghia as a body designer, but WRT American/Ghia partnerships, the designs were mostly American and Ghia just executed them.

I never made a study of Ghia, but even in that cropped pic this car had that signature Chrysler/Ghia look to me.