The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia proved to the world when first launched in 1955 that the company could produce ‘sporty’ models.
When you throw Italian design, German manufacturing, American influence, and 1960/1970s panache together, chances are you’ll end up with the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia (or the Diesel fashion label). The Karmann Ghia remains one of the finer – and first – examples of ‘sporty Volkswagen’, bookmarking its place in the history books as a result. All the more ironic therefore that it shares the same platform, and indeed most of its ‘performance’ with the iconic Type 1 Beetle.
With the Volkswagen Beetle having already established itself as the company’s flagship saloon (the 10,000th unit was produced in 1946, less than a year after mass production began), a convertible model was commissioned in 1949, the production of which went to West German coachbuilders Karmann. Now hold on, because the next bit gets a little complicated.
Having recently made the jump from the Studebaker Corporation to Chrysler in 1949, American designer Virgil Exner contacted Italian entrepreneurs Carrozzeria Ghia to get his idea for ‘spicier’ Chryslers off the ground. Exner liked what he saw when the first design rolled his way in 1952 – the Chrysler K-310 Concept – and it wasn’t long before the American giant commissioned a 40-strong production. Production of the newly christened D’Elegance however hit a few snags, a lack of finances among the most crucial. The initial run of 40 was hacked down to 25, bigwigs at Ghia suitably irritated that they had been left with unused capacity and time to twiddle their thumbs.
Or so they thought. Having already considered the prospect of a ‘sexier’ Volkswagen Beetle convertible, Ghia designers – with the help of Karmann engineers – took ‘inspiration’ from Chrysler’s K-310 concept design to create a rolling coupe prototype on a Beetle platform, which would later be scrutinised by VW executives in November 1953. Having been convinced that the new model would not only prove popular in the niche automotive market but cost-effective to produce and maintain, VW CEO Heinrich Nordhoff finally gave the thumbs up for a limited production run after scriutineering the model in September 1953 Having adopted the names of its creators, the new Volkswagen Karmann Ghia made its European debut in 1955.
While many over the year’s have dubbed the Karmann Ghia the ‘People’s Porsche’ – a reference to the VW Beetle’s ‘Käfer’ moniker – don’t think VW’s latest convertible was a track weapon. The Beetle’s platform on which the Karmann sat had been widened by six inches to carry the new bodyshell, but the 1192cc air-cooled engine remained the same, as did its 36hp and questionable acceleration (this despite the coupe weighing just 794kg). Plant the right foot hard enough and you could just about hit 115kph, providing the 36-second 0-100kph time didn’t put you off.
What the Karmann Ghia did boast however was style, and lashings of it. As well as a low stance, the coupe boasted curved glass, frameless windows, rounded head and taillights, grooved bonnet and sleek front grille, or ‘whiskers’ as they’d later be known. Critical acclaim slid back and forth between reverence and revulsion, but VW’s new boy quickly made a name for itself. Whereas the Karmann Ghia enjoyed a 4500-strong production run during its eight year lifecycle, nearly three times that many Beetles would soon be hitting the factory floor every year. Hardly surprising then that in 1956, at just under $2400 the Karman Ghia was nearly $1000 more than the Beetle (around $21,500 and $8500 respectively in today’s money).
After many years pootling along the daily commute though, VW customers were clammering for more acceleration and better-equipped cabins. The answer arrived in 1961, when VW unveiled the Type 34 – Razor Edge, at the Frankfurt Motor Show. As well as a more pointed, aggressively designed nose, wider front grilles and a more stocked optional extras list (amongst which was fog lights, a cigarette lighter and an electric sunroof), under the bonnet lay the new VW 1500, a 1.5-litre air-cooled four-cylinder that pushed power up to 40hp (so keen were VW to showcase the new engine that the Type 34 – like the example above – was originally called the Volkswagen 1500 Karmann Ghia Coupe). Hardly earth shattering, but come the end of its production cycle in 1971, power for both the Karmann and the new Type 34 had nearly doubled thanks to a new 57hp 1.6-litre unit. Outright grunt may well have been the domain of the Karmann’s principal rivals – the MGB and the Triumph Spitfire – but the looks of the coupe continued to steal the show (a convertible had been unveiled in 1957).
Entering the early 1970s though, difficulties in production meant the Karmann Ghia had soon met its match, and the launch of the new VW Scirocco didn’t help the old dog either. The precedence had been set though: no longer would the world see Volkswagen as ‘just’ a producer of mainstream family cars. Decades later, the Golf GTI, the Scirocco R and theBugatti Veyron among others still show just what a ‘sporty Volkswagen’ can do.
- Shots courtesy of Hasam Al Ghamdi
| Volkswagen | Karmann Ghia Type 34 (as of 1961) | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine: | Inline 4-cyl / 1493cc | |
| Power: | 40hp @ 3800rpm | |
| Torque: | 83lb ft @ 2000rpm | |
| Transmission: | Four-speed manual / synchro | |
| Front suspension: | Independent transverse torsion bars | |
| Rear suspension: | Independent transverse torsion bars | |
| Brakes: | Single circuit / four-wheel drum | |
| Wheels: | N/A | |
| Tyres: | N/A | |
| Weight (kerb) | 900kg | |
| 0-100kph: | 24sec | |
| Top speed: | 132kph via http://www.crankandpiston.com |
