Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Totally Explained

Everything about Volkswagen Karmann Ghia totally explained

The Karmann Ghia was marketed by Volkswagen as a 2+2 coupe and convertible that combined the prosaic mechanicals of the Beetle, evocative styling by the Italian carrozzeria Ghia and hand-built bodywork by German coach-builder Karmann.
The combination proved instantly successful for VW; production doubled soon after the Karmann Ghia's introduction, and the car became the most popular imported to the US . American industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague selected the Karmann-Ghia for his list of the world's most beautifully designed products .
Offered in coupe and convertible body styles, over 445,000 Karmann Ghias were produced in Germany from 1955 to 1974 (excluding the Type 34 variant, see below); Karmann Brazil produced further 41,600 cars locally for South America between 1962 and 1975.

History

The Karmann Ghia debuted at the October 1953 Paris Auto Show as a styling concept created for Ghia by Luigi Segre.
   In the early 1950s, Volkswagen was producing small, fuel efficient, reliable automobiles (like the Volkswagen Beetle). As the world recovered from World War II, consumers began to demand more stylish and elegant vehicles. Executives at Volkswagen decided to produce an "image" car for post-war buyers.The Karmann Ghia, VW's venture into the sports car market, was created in 1956. While it had limited power for a sports car, its stylish looks and reasonable price made sales strong.
   Volkswagen contracted with German coach builder Karmann to build this car. Karmann in turn contracted the Italian firm Ghia for a sports car design. Ghia took an existing, but unused design (originally intended for Chrysler or Studebaker) and modified it to fit a slightly modified Beetle floorpan which had been widened some 12 inches.
   The body and nose of the Karmann Ghia were handcrafted and significantly more expensive to produce than the assembly line produced Beetle, which was reflected in the Karmann Ghia's higher price. Instead of fenders bolted and pre-welded together, as with the Beetle, body panels were butt-welded and hand-shaped and smoothed with English Pewter in a time-consuming and expensive process. At the time the Ghia was built, only the manufacturers of the finest cars took similar care.
   The design and prototype were well received by Volkswagen executives, and in August 1955. Larger and wider tailights in 1972 increased side visibility. 1973 modifications included larger energy-absorbing bumpers and the provision of a package shelf in lieu of the modest rear seat.
   In late 1974, the car was discontinued, replaced by the Rabbit/Golf based Volkswagen Scirocco.

Type 34 Karmann Ghia

In 1961, Volkswagen introduced the Type 34 Karmann Ghia, based on its new Type 3 platform. It was the launch vehicle for Volkswagen's new 1500 cc engine. It was the fastest, most luxurious, and most expensive Volkswagen at the time. Due to model confusion with the release of the Type I 1500 in 1967, the public dubbed the Type 34 the "Razor's Edge Ghia" in England, "Der Große Karmann" (the big Karmann) in Germany and "European Ghia" in the United States.
One interesting option introduced in 1963 was an electrically operated sliding steel sunroof — a feature copied from its Porsche cousin, which introduced it in 1961. The styling was more squared-off, versus the curved appearance of the original Karmann Ghia, offering more interior and cargo room. This venture into a more upmarket realm with a low volume production car wasn't a success, and production ceased in 1969 after 42,505 units plus 17 prototype convertibles were built. Today, the Type 34 is considered a semi-rare collectible.
The Wilhelm Karmann factory assembly line which assembled the Type 34 also produced the Porsche 914 — the Type 34's replacement.

Karmann Ghia TC

The Karmann Ghia TC was developed to replace the Type 1 based Karmann Ghia in Brazil. It was built from 1970 to 1975 and given the Type 145 designation. It was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at the Italdesign studios in Turin, Italy . The TC (Touring Coupe) was based on the Brazilian Type 3, as such, it has the Type 3's drivetrain and running gear.
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