VW Karmann Ghia launched on this day 14th July 1955, 70 years ago

JeffKeryk

JeffKeryk

Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
23,887
Location
Los Gatos, CA
At the beginning of the 1950s Wilhelm Karmann spoke with the then VW boss Heinrich Nordhoff about a sporty Coupé based on the Beetle.

At the Kasino-Hotel in Georgsmarienhütte, a small town near Osnabrück in Germany, the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia was officially presented to journalists and representatives of the Volkswagen dealers for the first time on 14 July 1955. Opinions differed widely on the car, which was internally called ‘Type 14’. Contemporary reports have often remarked that the sporty appearance and the comparatively low-performance from its air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine with only 30 hp didn’t go well together. The German car magazine ‘Das Auto, Motor und Sport’ even wrote that it is a “parody of a fast car”. From August 1955, the first Karmann Ghia units rolled off the assembly line to dealers at prices starting at 7,500 DM in Germany. Many customers already waited for them. Just one year later, the ten thousandth copy rolled off the production line. At the IAA (Frankfurt Motor Show) 1957, Karmann finally presented the Cabriolet version of the Type 14 on the Volkswagen stand, production of which began two months later at prices starting at 8,250 DM.

No body seams... Basically handmade bodies. Expensive fender benders. But gorgeous! 356ish...

Maybe @Trav can tell us how much money that was...

Driving a 'Ghia in the late '60 and early '70s was about as good as it got. The everyman's Porsche. I flat out loved the Karmann Ghia. Beautiful bodies with VW reliability and ease of ownership! Beautiful and timeless design. Replace the bias plys with a set of Cinturatos and you have a great package.
1752874788695.webp
 
Last edited:
I drove a ‘69 for a few years in college. Loved it, but they had no business being in the rust belt. Snow and salt got packed between the headlights and the fenders where big rust holes formed. I bondo’d it up and took it to Earl Sheib. That held until a big T-Bird smacked it on an icy road. Still have fond memories of it, though.
 
I was at a VW dealership last month and they had KG picture on the wall and the manager was telling a customer he's only seen one in his life and that was in a museum...

I drove through the city of Newark Delaware which was University of DE. In the day and every school teacher had one....the city was polluted with them in the day and much later "The Thing"
 
My sister owned one in Phoenix and I had a 1955 Bug. Both had the 36 hp motor. Hers was a 1960 and had a gas gauge plus the reserve lever. When getting on I 10 hers would do 60mph and mine would only do 55 in third gear. Wrote it off as it being slicker. Wish I had both of those rust free cars now. Traded mine later for a Corvair Corsa with the 140hp screamer. It got 28 mpg on the highway climbing to Flagstaff even. Wish I still had that one too.
 
wings&wheels said:
Always loved the KG, especially the non US market Type 34, though not as pretty as more common ones. If only Porsche could have been tapped for some suspension tuning and the 4 cam Fuhrmann engine......
Click to expand...
I recall reading a Car and Driver article (early 70’s?) that compared the performance characteristics of an earlier Porsche Speedster to a current Karmann Ghia. They were almost identical.

BTW, mine had an aftermarket gasoline heater mounted on top of the gas tank. Instant heat in the coldest temperatures, but would not have wanted to have a front end collision in that car.
 
jkasch said:
I recall reading a Car and Driver article (early 70’s?) that compared the performance characteristics of an earlier Porsche Speedster to a current Karmann Ghia. They were almost identical.

BTW, mine had an aftermarket gasoline heater mounted on top of the gas tank. Instant heat in the coldest temperatures, but would not have wanted to have a front end collision in that car.
Click to expand...
I believe the cover story was, “The Last Porsche Speedster is a Karmann Ghia”
 
I worked at the Ypsilanti Ford factory in the summer of '72 packing 2,500 distributors a day into shipping crates. The Karmann Ghia got parked in the big parking lot. I came out after one shift to find the lot flooded knee deep and the Ghia up to its axles and with about 2 or 3 inches of water inside. It started right up blowing exhaust bubbles. I drove it back to my apartment with the water sloshing around at every turn and stop. Finally, I removed the drain plugs in the floor pan and drove around with the windows down for a few weeks. Didn't seem to suffer any ill effects. Great car.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom