In 1949, a German coachbuilding company called Karmann was contracted by Volkswagen to build a convertible edition of their hugely successful Beetle. Later on, Karmann Wilhelm tried to persuade Volkswagen so they can also make them a sports car, but the automaker wasn’t interested.

Unbowed, Karmann joined hands with Segre Luigi in 1953, to come up with an idea for a VW sports car. After building a mock-up model, they presented it to Volkswagen, and this time, the automaker agreed and approved the project for the mass production of the car.

Karmann would deal with building the car, while Volkswagen would be in charge of the engine. The two parties agreed that the name of the car will be the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.

Karmann settled on the platform of the Beetle for the car. Though this platform wasn’t a pureblood sports car, production engineers at Karmann made sure it worked. They gave the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia more extensive floor pans and also lowered its steering column.

They also had the shift lever altered a bit to provide it with an ergonomic look. The front end of the car had five separate parts that required welding to join them together. The final product had an Italian look rather than a German look though it was Germany-made.

Why is the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia so popular?

This car has undergone several modifications to improve its look and performance since the first model was made. There are plenty of reasons why this convertible German machine has the edge over its competitors in the same class. Here are some of these reasons:

The engine and performance

This classic car boasts a 36-hp 1.2L engine that’s powerful enough to see you through the day. This engine is not the only available option available. Other variants include 50-hp 1.3L, 53-hp 1.5L, and 57-60-hp 1.6L engines. These engines give it an impressive performance regardless of the terrain. One of the many reasons why people like the engines is that they have a low fuel consumption rate and will give you good mileage. The car has a low body, which is also light enough to make it faster. It’s a 4-speed manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive makes it quite easy to drive.

The Italian Look

Karmann used high-quality materials to build this car. For example, the taillights are made of English pewter, which is hand-shaped to make it have a rounded shape. The same material covers the dashboards. The armrests are made of leather for durability. The front hood is made long and sloped while the rear end is shaped to make the car easily recognizable. These combine with the power-operated electrical clocks, fog-lights, and sunroofs to give this car a real Italian look.

Affordability

The car has adequate power, and its suspension is quite excellent. These two factors combine with its elegant looks to make it a classic car with the highest demand. In fact, in the year of its first production, Volkswagen managed to sell 10,000 units. After just a few years, and with the arrival of the convertible, the sales increased to about 18,000 vehicles per annum. By 1960, up to 33,000 cars were being sold per year. Today, the car is the most sought-after classic car, especially the convertible. This is because of their air-cooled interiors and the beautiful exterior design.

The interior

The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia is a Beetle in a new dress. Its interior is too good for a classic car. What with an intricate square-weave German carpet and a plush Australian leather. As part of the improvements, its electrical system was overhauled, and about 30 ft of wires removed. The car now has better insulation, and its audio system has been upgraded. When folded, the convertible is a bit low, giving it a sense of stability. It has fully adjustable suspension plus new tires and wheels.

Is it worth buying?

It’s quite alluring to think of buying the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. It’s a classic car that’s both cheap and easy to maintain and is attractive. You can readily get its spare parts in case you need a replacement. If you are really into classic cars, the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia is the right one for you.