Description
In 1951, Volkswagen contacted coachbuilder Karmann from Osnabrück to build a car. Karmann in turn turned to the Italian design agency Ghia from Turin for the design of a sports car. Ghia had already made a design for the American car manufacturer Chrysler in 1953. However, this was never used. The design was modified so that the model would fit on a slightly widened bottom plate of a Volkswagen Beetle.
Type 14
The design and prototype were presented to Volkswagen director Heinrich Nordhoff on November 16, 1953 and the model was well received by the Volkswagen management. In 1954, Volkswagen guaranteed that sufficient chassis could be supplied. The Karmann Ghia was presented at motor shows in early 1955. The public responded enthusiastically to the model, and in August 1955 the first Karmann Ghia was built in Osnabrück. The chassis of the export version of the Beetle served as the basis. The model was designated Type 14; Volkswagen's internal type designation was Type 143. More than 10 thousand units were sold in the first year; much more than Volkswagen expected.
The first Karmann Ghia's were powered by the 30 hp air-cooled boxer engine that was also in the Beetle. This engine was not strong enough for a real sports car, and the Karmann Ghia reached a top speed of only 115 km/ h [1], but the appearance of the Karmann Ghia and the reliability known from the Beetle made up for it. The body and nose of the elegant two-door coupé were hand-built in one piece, and the car was therefore much more expensive to make than the Beetle, which was produced on the assembly line. Nevertheless, the Karmann sold very well, and from November 1, 1957 a convertible version was built. In 1959 the model was slightly modified. The main differences at the front were the "nostrils" that were made wider and the headlights that were placed higher in the round sockets. At the rear, the lights are shaped more to the curve of the body.
Things went so well for Karmann that in 1960 a factory was opened in the Brazilian city of São Bernardo do Campo. From December 31, 1960, the Type 14 was also built here, initially only the coupé version, but from 1968 also the convertible.
Type 34
In the meantime, a new four-seater model had been developed on the basis of the Volkswagen Type 3, again together with Ghia. This was again a two-door model. Initially this was to replace the original Typ 14, but it was later decided to allow both types to coexist. This new model came on the market in 1961 as Type 34. Production was discontinued in 1969. This is partly because the car, called 'Razor-Edge Ghia' by the English, was almost as expensive as a Porsche 356. A total of 42, 505 units were built, initially with a 1500 cc engine that delivered 45 hp, and later with a 1600 cc engine of 54 hp. In the type 34 register, more than 1000 are known worldwide.
Karmann Ghia TC
All the while, production of the Type 14 continued as usual, and in 1971 even a completely new model Karmann Ghia was released, the Touring Coupé (TC), also based on the Volkswagen Type 3. The body was designed by Ghia under the direction by Giorgetto Giugiaro. However, the Karmann Ghia TC was only built by Karmann Brazil and was never exported.
The Karmann Ghia model presented here is a convertible and has been completely restored, bottom up and chassis off. We have all the photos of this where you can see how detailed this was done. The engine and the entire drivetrain have also been completely overhauled. There is now a completely new and also beautiful VW KARMANN GHIA that also drives beautifully. For the real enthusiast.
