Volkswagen Karmann Ghia – how it all started…
By the early 1950’s, post World War II, people had once again began to prosper and in-turn started to demand nicer things. Unfortunately at this time the world was lacking cars with some extra pazazz.
Many automotive manufacturers felt the push to develop new cars for this growing demand, Volkswagen felt they needed to come out with a “flagship car” to help boost its image. That is where the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia came to life.
Volkswagen commissioned Luigi Serge of the Italian design house Ghia, alongside German coach-builder Karman to build the 2+2 seat coupe and convertible. The Karmann Ghia used the same chassis and materials as Volkswagen’s famous ‘Beetle’, however the new design came as a sportier package.
Using many high-end materials the car was a perfect fit for the growing demand of fancier cars: hand-shaped English pewter for the rounded taillights, plush leather armrests and wood-grain dashboards. This car was elegant with a long sloped front hood and delicate rear.
The coupe was manufactured between 1955-1974, the convertible between 1957-1974. Earlier models came with 36-horsepower while later had closer to 50.
Over 445,000 Karmann Ghia’s were produced over this time.
