I personally think the VW Karmann-Ghia is one of the prettiest cars around, and I would love to have one. I believe the example above is a pre-61 example because the headlights are mounted lower than in the ones in the US (Though the Karmann-Ghia was first made in 1955 it didn't come to the State until 1967) VW should have left well enough alone, I think the original is considerably better looking than the ones we got here. The name Karmann-Ghia refers to the Karmann coachworks, which built the cars, and Ghia, the Italian design firm who styled the car. There were actually 2 completely different Ghia's, the kind most people know and love, and a bigger fuglier one based on the type 3 VW, but only sold in Europe (pictured HERE). The Ghia was actually hand made at Karmann where the body panels were welded together and polished by hand because the complex curves of the body could not be mass produced at the time. Powered by the wheezey Beetle motor, the Ghia never really lived up to it's sporty image. How slow was it? Slow enough that VW made a T.V. commercial which poked fun at how underpowered the Karmann-Ghia was (I am so old I actually remember seeing it) Those young or memory challenged can see it below |
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