Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
Manufacturer	Volkswagen
Production	1955–1974 445,238 built[1] Coupé: 364,401 Cabriolet: 80,837 1962-1975 41,689 built [2] Coupé: 23,393 Cabriolet: 177 TC: 18,119
Assembly	Osnabrück, Germany[3] Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
Successor	Volkswagen Scirocco
Class	Sports car
Body style(s)	2-door convertible 2-door coupe
Layout	RR layout
Engine(s)	1.5 & 1.6 L H4
Related	Volkswagen Beetle
Designer	Luigi Segre[4]

1970s Volkswagen Karmann Ghia coupe

The Karmann Ghia was a four-seater manufactured by Volkswagen that brought together the company's prosaic Beetle mechanicals, evocative styling by the Italian carrozzeria Ghia and hand-built bodywork by German coach-builder Karmann. Automakers, also known as carmakers, automobile manufacturers, motor manufacturers, or the automobile industry are companies that design and manufacture automobiles. ... Volkswagen Group (ISIN: DE0007664005, TYO: 7659 ) is a German automobile manufacturer and one of the largest automotive companies worldwide. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... , Osnabrück (IPA: ) is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. ... São Bernardo do Campo (Portuguese for Saint Bernard of the field) is a municipality located in the Greater São Paulo, in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. ... The Volkswagen Scirocco is a sport compact produced by German automaker Volkswagen from 1974 through 1992. ... Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories. ... 1963 Jaguar E-Type, a classic sports car 1963 Chevrolet Corvette was based upon European sports cars A sports car is an automobile designed for performance driving. ... Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ... Saab 900 Convertible 1962 Rambler American 1981 AMC Eagle 4-WD convertible Convertible can also refer to a convertible security A convertible (sometimes called cabriolet in British English) is a car body style with a folding or retracting roof (aka soft top or top in USA, hood in UK). ... 1995 Buick Riviera coupe A coupé (from the French for cut) or coupe is a two or four-seater car with a fixed roof and two doors. ... In automobile design layout is the place where both the engine and driven wheels are. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A flat-4 is a four cylinder internal combustion engine where the cylinders are arranged in a flat configuration, also referred to as horizontally opposed. ... This article is about the original Volkswagen Beetle. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Automotive design. ... Luigi «Gigi» Segre (1919 - 1963) was an italian automotive designer and engineer, leading the Carrozzeria Ghia from 1953, when Mario Boano left, until his death. ... VW redirects here. ... This article is about the original Volkswagen Beetle. ... Ghia (Carrozzeria Ghia SpA) is one of the most famous Italian automobile design and coachbuilding firms, founded in 1921 in Turin by Giacinto Ghia (1887 - 1944). ... Wilhelm Karmann GmbH in Osnabrück, Germany is the largest independent motor vehicle company in Germany. ...

The combination proved instantly successful for VW; production doubled soon after the Karmann Ghia's introduction ^[5], and the car became the most popular imported to the US ^[5]. American industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague selected the Karmann-Ghia for his list of the world's most beautifully designed products ^[6]. Walter Dorwin Teague (December 18, 1883 - December 5, 1960) was an Art Deco designer. ...

Offered in coupe and convertible body styles, over 445,000^[3] Karmann Ghias were produced in Germany from 1955 to 1974 (excluding the Type 34 variant, see below); Karmann Brazil produced further 41,600 cars locally for South America between 1962 and 1975.

History

The Karmann Ghia debuted at the October 1953 Paris Auto Show as a styling concept created for Ghia by Luigi Segre.^[7]

In the early 1950s, Volkswagen was producing small, fuel efficient, reliable automobiles (like the Volkswagen Beetle). As the world recovered from World War II, consumers began to demand more stylish and elegant vehicles. Executives at Volkswagen decided to produce an "image" car for post-war buyers.The Karmann Ghia, VW's venture into the sports car market, was created in 1956. While it had limited power for a sports car, its stylish looks and reasonable price made sales strong. This article is about the original Volkswagen Beetle. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Volkswagen contracted with German coach builder Karmann to build this car. Karmann in turn contracted the Italian firm Ghia for a sports car design. Ghia took an existing, but unused design (originally intended for Chrysler or Studebaker) and modified it to fit a slightly modified Beetle floorpan which had been widened some 12 inches. Wilhelm Karmann GmbH in Osnabrück, Germany is the largest independent motor vehicle company in Germany. ... INSERT IMAGE HERE Ghia initially made lightweight aluminum-bodied cars, achieving fame with the Alfa Romeo 6C 1500, winning Mille Miglia (1929). ... For other uses, including the Chrysler Brand, see Chrysler (disambiguation). ... Studebaker Corporation, or simply Studebaker, was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. ... The floorpan is a large sheet metal stamping that often incorporates several smaller welded stampings to form the floor of a large vehicle and the position of its external and structural panels. ...

The body and nose of the Karmann Ghia were handcrafted and significantly more expensive to produce than the assembly line produced Beetle, which was reflected in the Karmann Ghia's higher price. Instead of fenders bolted and pre-welded together, as with the Beetle, body panels were butt-welded and hand-shaped and smoothed with English Pewter in a time-consuming and expensive process. At the time the Ghia was built, only the manufacturers of the finest cars took similar care. Buttwelding (or alternatively butt-welding) is the act of welding two similar metals together. ... While the general term pewter broadly covers the family of alloys consisting mainly of Tin, Lead is often still present in many products made under this description. ...

The design and prototype were well received by Volkswagen executives, and in August 1955^[3] the first Karmann Ghia was manufactured in Osnabrück, Germany. Public reaction to the curvy Karmann Ghia was excellent, and over 10,000 were sold in the first year, exceeding Volkswagen's expectations. , Osnabrück (IPA: ) is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. ...

Since the first Karmann Ghias used the same Volkswagen air cooled engine as the Beetle, the car was not suitable as a true sports car, but the car's styling and "Beetle reliable" parts compensated for this shortfall. The Karmann Ghia also shared engine development with the Beetle as the Type 1 engine grew larger over time, finally arriving at an engine displacement of 1584 cc which produced about 60 horsepower. The Volkswagen air cooled engine is one of the most widely used and versatile internal combustion engines in the world. ...

In August 1957 a convertible (cabriolet) version was introduced. Although this version is often called the "1958 model" by some, the Detroit automakers' trend of calling models manufactured in August of a year as the next year's model wasn't adopted by Germany until at least 1965. In August 1964, the Vehicle Identification Number on VWs started showing the last digit of the year as the 3rd digit of the VIN. As with other automobiles, multiple changes were made to VW models during the model years, including early Ghias. Saab 900 Convertible 1962 Rambler American 1981 AMC Eagle 4-WD convertible Convertible can also refer to a convertible security A convertible (sometimes called cabriolet in British English) is a car body style with a folding or retracting roof (aka soft top or top in USA, hood in UK). ... The model year of a product is a number used to describe approximately when a product was produced. ...

Notable exterior changes in 1961 included the car's new wider, finned front grilles, raised headlight relocation, and rear taillight lenses which became taller and more rounded. Cars made from 1955 to 1959 are referred to as "lowlights," due to the lower placement of the headlights.

In 1970 larger tail lights integrated the reverse lights and larger wrap-around turn signals in contrast to the earlier "bullet" style lights. VW models of this era have earned the slang nickname fat chicks^[8]. Larger and wider tailights in 1972 increased side visibility. 1973 modifications included larger energy-absorbing bumpers and the provision of a package shelf in leau of the modest rear seat. A bumper is a part of a car designed to allow one vehicle to push another and to withstand the impact from collisions. ...

In late 1974, the car was discontinued, replaced by the Rabbit/Golf based Volkswagen Scirocco. The Volkswagen Scirocco is a sport compact produced by German automaker Volkswagen from 1974 through 1992. ...

Type 34 Karmann Ghia

Volkswagen 1600 Karmann Ghia

Volkswagen 1600 Karmann Ghia

In 1961, Volkswagen introduced the Type 34 Karmann Ghia, based on its new Type 3 platform. It was the launch vehicle for Volkswagen's new 1500 cc engine. It was the fastest, most luxurious, and most expensive Volkswagen at the time. Due to model confusion with the release of the Type I 1500 in 1967, the public dubbed the Type 34 the "Razor's Edge Ghia" in England, "Der Große Karmann" (the big Karmann) in Germany and "European Ghia" in the United States.^[9] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Volkswagen Type 3, properly referred to as the Volkswagen 1500 and later the Volkswagen 1600, was a range of small cars from German manufacturer Volkswagen (VW). ...

One interesting option introduced in 1963 was an electrically operated sliding steel sunroof — a feature copied from its Porsche cousin, which introduced it in 1961. The styling was more squared-off, versus the curved appearance of the original Karmann Ghia, offering more interior and cargo room. This venture into a more upmarket realm with a low volume production car was not a success, and production ceased in 1969 after 42,505 units plus 17 prototype convertibles ^[1] were built. Today, the Type 34 is considered a semi-rare collectible.

The Wilhelm Karmann factory assembly line which assembled the Type 34 also produced the Porsche 914 — the Type 34's replacement.
The Porsche 914 was a sports car built and sold collaboratively by Volkswagen and Porsche from 1969 through 1976. ...

Karmann Ghia TC

VW Karmann-Ghia TC

The Karmann Ghia TC was developed to replace the Type 1 based Karmann Ghia in Brazil. It was built from 1970 to 1975 and given the Type 145 designation. It was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at the Italdesign studios in Turin, Italy^{[citation needed]}. The TC (Touring Coupe) was based on the Brazilian Type 3, as such, it has the Type 3's drivetrain and running gear.
Giorgetto Giugiaro (b. ... Italdesign-Giugiaro S.p. ... For other uses, see Turin (disambiguation). ...

The Karmann Ghia in popular culture

Film

• The Karmann Ghia starred in the closing scenes of the film Kill Bill, as Uma Thurman's character The Bride drives off in a blue convertible model of the car.
• A pink Karmann Ghia is driven by Andy, played by Molly Ringwald, in Pretty in Pink.
• A Karmann Ghia is driven by the Barbara Bel Geddes character in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo.
• A red, convertible Karmann Ghia stars in OMD's video for 1981 hit Souvenir

• In The Stoned Guest, a "half-act opera" by Peter Schickele under the pseudonym of "P. D. Q. Bach", a prominent female character is named "Carmen Ghia," in a play on both the Bizet opera Carmen and this autombile.
• A character in Mel Brooks's The Producers is called Carmen Ghia after the car.
• "Airhead (Thomas Dolby song)" contains the lyrics: "She's an airhead, stun-gun and mace / Kharmann Ghia plates say "Lost in Space"
• A red Karmann Ghia convertible is driven by Mike Myers in the film So I Married an Axe Murderer.
• A green convertible Karmann Ghia is driven by Tate Donovan's character in Love Potion No. 9.
• In the James Bond movie Octopussy, teenagers driving a red convertible Karmann Ghia pretend they are going to pick up Roger Moore's character after being stranded, but then drive off.
• In Zodiac by David Fincher, at one point the zodiac murderer leaves markings on a Karmann Ghia and then later turns out to drive one himself.
• In Sneakers (film) Robert Redford drives Karmann Ghia convertible

Kill Bill is the fourth film by writer-director Quentin Tarantino. ... Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an Academy Award-nominated American actress. ... Molly Kathleen Ringwald (born February 18, 1968) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. ... Pretty in Pink is a popular 1986 film about teenage love and social cliques in 1980s American high schools. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was a British film director closely associated with the suspense genre. ... For other uses of the word, see Vertigo. ... Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (often abbreviated to OMD) are a synth pop group whose founder members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, UK. OMD record for Virgin Records (originally for Virgins DinDisc subsidiary). ... This musical work, while touted as P. D. Q. Bachs Half-Act Opera: The Stoned Guest, is actually the work of Peter Schickele. ... Johann Peter Schickele (b. ... P. D. Q. Bach is a fictional composer invented by musical satirist Professor Peter Schickele. ... Georges Bizet (October 25, 1838 – June 3, 1875), was a French composer of the romantic era best known for his opera Carmen. ... For other uses, see Carmen (disambiguation). ... This page is about the 1968 film. ... For other persons of the same name, see Michael Myers. ... So I Married an Axe Murderer is a 1993 film starring Mike Myers and Nancy Travis. ... This article is about the movie. ... For other uses, see Octopussy (disambiguation). ... For the 2006 film starring Justin Chambers and Robin Tunney, see The Zodiac (film). ... David Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director and music video director known for his dark and stylish films, particularly Fight Club and Se7en. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... Robert Redford (born Charles Robert Redford, Jr. ...

Television

• From 1969 to 1970, Maxwell Smart drives a Karmann Ghia during the opening credits of the CBS television show Get Smart; replacing his Sunbeam Tiger, which had been discontinued a couple of years before.
• In episode 79 of Hey Arnold!, Olga is briefly seen driving a Ghia convertible.
• Kramer from the hit television show "Seinfeld" is seen driving a blue convertible Ghia while he is in California.
• The Karmann is also breifly featured in an Andrex toilet paper advertisement, featuring a man burning his posterior, sitting on the front of the car, this is incorrect because the engine is in the rear of the car.

Get Smart was a United States comedy television series that ran from September 18, 1965 until 1970. ... For the updated film based on the TV series, see Get Smart (film). ... The Tiger was a muscle car version of the Sunbeam Alpine roadster. ... Hey Arnold! is an American animated television series that aired from October 7, 1996 until June 8, 2004 on Nickelodeon. ...

References

2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• The Online Karmann Ghia Resource

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

• Karmann Ghia at the Open Directory Project
• Tour of the Type 34