Karmann Ghia Coupé & Cabriolet

First printed in paperback format in 2002.

First published in ebook format 2012 by Veloce Publishing Limited, Veloce House, Parkway Farm Business Park, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 3AR, England – Fax 01305 250479 – e-mail [email protected] – web www.veloce.co.uk or www.velocebooks.com.

Ebook edition ISBN: 978-1-845845-51-3

Paperback edition ISBN: 978-1-904788-19-5

© Malcolm Bobbitt and Veloce Publishing 2012. All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purpose of review, no part of this publication may be recorded, reproduced or transmitted by any means, including photocopying, without the written permission of Veloce Publishing Ltd. Throughout this book logos, model names and designations, etc, have been used for the purposes of identification, illustration and decoration. Such names are the property of the trademark holder as this is not an official publication.

Readers with ideas for automotive books, or books on other transport or related hobby subjects, are invited to write to the editorial director of Veloce Publishing at the above address.

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Acknowledgements

Introduction

1 KARMANN GHIA: A SHAPE EMERGES

2 EVOLUTION

3 LIVING WITH A KARMANN GHIA

Appendix 1 Production figures

Appendix 2 Original specifications

Appendix 3 Colours

Appendix 4 At-a-glance chronology

Appendix 5 Specialists, suppliers, clubs & bibliography

Further Reading

In writing this book I have had the good fortune to receive a lot of assistance and advice from many kind people, and I am very grateful to them all for giving up their time to make a special effort to help.

In particular, I should like to thank Martin McGarry for sparing me a large part of his time to talk about Karmann Ghias. I am also indebted to Martin for the use of his photographic collection and am even more grateful that he agreed to check my manuscript.

My appreciation also to Andrew Minney for reading through my text and spotting the gremlins the author always misses, and to Maria Cairnie, who has provided much help in the way of translation.

Thanks to Volkswagen-Audi Group UK for the use of photographic material and supply of historical information concerning the Volkswagen company. In addition, I would like to record the help provided by Renate Sanger, who so diligently sought archive photographs from the Volkswagen Museum at Wolfsburg.

As ever, I am grateful for all the help from the staff at the National Motor Museum; it seems this wonderful institution really does work miracles. Thank you all.

This book would not have been possible without the help of Rod and Judith at Veloce, who suggested the title to me in the first instance.

As always, my thanks to wife, Jean, who never fails to provide the necessary support and encouragement at just the right moment.

Malcolm Bobbitt

Exactly what it is that makes a particular car a classic is not always easy to define. Some cars - those we remember from our youth - often mature to classic status, whilst others become legends in their own lifetimes. The Karmann Ghia is definitely in this latter category.

Although the Karmann Ghia shares a good deal of Volkswagen pedigree with the ubiquitous Beetle, any outward similarity is, perhaps, not immediately obvious, as it appears to have a greater kinship with the Porsche. Its very name is exotic-sounding, although this was not Wilhelm Karmann’s intention. He had considered many names for his pretty coupé, none of which completely encapsulated the car’s sweet lines. Finally, he teamed his own name with that of the house of Ghia and got just what he wanted.

The Karmann Ghia is aesthetically breathtaking; a perfect marriage of German thoroughness and Italian styling. It was no accident that the eminent styling studio of Ghia became involved with Karmann’s project: Volkswagen was reluctant to back a venture for a sporting car when demand for the Beetle was already in excess of production capacity. Wilhelm Karmann, therefore, sought and received Ghia’s help; a collaboration that Volkswagen carefully noted. The Karmann Ghia has an air of intrigue as the origin of its design is unclear, with both Carrozeria Ghia and Virgil Exner claiming the credit. The notion that the car’s delightful styling emanated from America and not Italy is unthinkable to some. But take a look at Chrysler’s Coupé D’Elegance, a design created by Ghia for Virgil Exner. Move the engine from the front to the rear and compare the result with the Karmann Ghia ...

For a car with a shape that suggests sheer sporting elegance, the Karmann Ghia is surprisingly sedate. Under that beautiful skin lies not a throbbing two or three litre engine, or even a highly tuned unit with the agility and speed of a thoroughbred racehorse. The running gear - pure Volkswagen Beetle - is, however, ingenious. Bespoke coachwork combined with proven and reliable mechanics make the Karmann Ghia a desirable car, and the exciting 2-seater alternative to the Beetle was handcrafted. Of course, Volkswagen owners would have already been well acquainted with Karmann as the Cabriolet was one of the most sought after Beetle variants.

The Karmann Ghia was especially appreciated in America, where something like 40 per cent of production was exported, particularly to California. Even with the elementary air-cooled engine, a fraction the size of some American power units, the car was respected and enjoyed. Luckily, the sheer number of cars that went to the States - together with the climate there - means that many survive today. Along with the familiar Karmann Ghia there appeared an equally refined Convertible, although this was built in considerably fewer numbers. An even rarer Karmann Ghia - based on the Volkswagen Type 3 - never enjoyed the same popularity.

The Karmann Ghia today has a large following. Its beguiling figure, mated to rugged Volkswagen running gear - makes it much more than a classic: it is a true legend and this is its story.

Malcolm Bobbitt

It is a measure of the Karmann Ghia’s success that, within a year of its launch, production figures had more than doubled. It had originally been planned to produce 20 cars a day, which would have resulted in between 300 and 400 cars a month being delivered. This was the summer of 1955 but, by the end of 1956, something approaching 1000 cars were leaving the factory gates each month.

Although sales of the Karmann Ghia were initially slow, 500 cars had left the factory by the end of 1955. A year later, 10,000 had been built. (Courtesy National Motor Museum)

The Karmann Ghia is certainly one of the most charismatic cars of the post-war era, and it encapsulates an exceptional recipe of excellent fundamental engineering and exquisite styling. Its pedigree is there for all to see: Volkswagen precision, with roots far deeper in automobile history than Wolfsburg production, and Italian elegance provided by coachbuilder Ghia of Turin. And all neatly packaged by Karmann’s Osnabrück craftsmen.

The name Karmann is, of course, synonymous with Volkswagen, as Wilhelm Karmann was instrumental, at almost the start of that company’s post-war car production, in producing for Wolfsburg the Cabriolet version of the ubiquitous Beetle. The link with Carrozeria Ghia resulted in the outstanding Karmann Ghia Coupé, an Italian-styled alternative to the established convertible already on offer.

News of the Karmann Ghia was first reported in July 1955 when it was announced that a Coupé body was to be available for the Volkswagen at Osnabrück, which was already supplying the Beetle’s convertible body. Whereas both the standard Beetle and its convertible stablemate boasted of being 4-seater cars, the new Coupé did not pretend to be anything other than a 2+2. The equally elegant Karmann Ghia Cabriolet joined the Coupé some three years later in 1958.

One of the first Karmann Ghia brochures, in this case Dutch. News of the car was announced to the press during July 1955. (Courtesy National Motor Museum)

In America - considered probably the car’s most important export market - the Karmann Ghia was immediately accepted; the only pertinent criticism seems to be that the car was initially in short supply. It quickly galloped to the top of the import charts, making it the most popular foreign-produced car. In California the Beetle ranked 7th as the most wanted car: quite an achievement in the land of plenty ...

Volkswagen was not alone in looking westward across the Atlantic to North America: both Renault and Fiat regarded the United States as a challenging market, and were considerably successful with their small models. Renault’s 4CV heralded the invasion of America, followed by the Dauphine and the pretty Caravelle. Fiat sent shiploads of 600s across the Atlantic, which were later joined by the sporting 850 variants, Cars such as the Volvo 1800 sports Coupé and BMW 700 were, perhaps, not as successful, whilst British manufacturers made a vague attempt at penetrating the American market with, amongst others, the Austin Atlantic.

Karmann Ghia and the Italian connection

As well as producing the convertible variant of the Beetle, Wilhelm Karmann had aspirations to produce a coachbuilt sporting car using standard Volkswagen running gear, but with totally unique body styling. The shape of such a car would be sleek and sensuous, a design in its own right and not merely a conversion of an existing model. Although Wilhelm Karmann died in 1952 at the age of 88, and was therefore denied the opportunity of seeing his dream materialise in its definitive form, his son, also Wilhelm, who inherited the family business and became its chief shareholder, ensured the dream’s fruition.

Efforts to pave the way for a true sports car commenced in 1950 when Wilhelm Karmann’s son first discussed such a proposal with Heinz Nordhoff. There is evidence that Nordhoff was not particularly impressed, his seeming disinterest stemming from the fact that the Beetle was outstandingly successful and production capacity at Wolfsburg about to be overstretched. With the decision already taken to sub-contract the Cabriolet Beetle, there might have appeared to Nordhoff little point in creating another product whose potential for success could well be questionable.

Heinz Nordhoff’s rebuff did not deter Karmann and he tried again and again to persuade Nordhoff to accept his idea. Nordhoff did allow Karmann to submit designs and plans to Wolfsburg, which were then evaluated by Ludwig Boehner (in charge of product development at the Volkswagen factory) and Dr Karl Feuereissen (head of the company’s sales and service division),who, together, advised Heinz Nordhoff of the viability or otherwise of a proposed new creation. In addition to drawings, Wilhelm Karmann had scale models made up at Osnabrück, but each time a new design was submitted it failed to secure complete Volkswagen approval.

Wilhelm Karmann’s plans at the outset had centred around a stylish Cabriolet and not a Coupé. It is understandable why a Cabriolet was initially envisaged, given that this type of body styling was Karmann’s speciality and the company was already producing the convertible Beetle. At the time, Karmann was also producing a convertible version of the DKW, of which almost 7000 examples were built, and a Kombi version of Ford’s Taunus, which accounted for some 9000 cars. Had a Coupé been presented to Wolfsburg first, the outcome may have been entirely different.

An important factor in designing a suitable Volkswagen-based sports car was the chassis itself: in his endeavours Wilhelm Karmann had found it difficult to use the platform as a successful base, due almost entirely to its restrictive dimensions, a factor that would become particularly relevant.

Development of the Karmann Ghia took something of a twist when the younger Wilhelm Karmann involved Luigi Segre in the project. Segre, who was commercial director of Carrozzeria Ghia, had become well acquainted with Karmann as a result of both companys’ interest in the motor industry. On a particular occasion at one of Europe’s motor shows, Karmann was able to discuss