In 1951, Volkswagen contacted coachbuilder Karmann from Osnabrück to build a car. Karmann in turn turned to the Italian design agency Ghia from Turin to design 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 floor pan of a Volkswagen Beetle.

Type 14
The design and prototype were presented to Volkswagen CEO Heinrich Nordhoff on 16 November 1953, and the model was well received by the Volkswagen board. 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 units were sold in the first year; much more than Volkswagen had expected.

The first Karmann Ghias were powered by the 30 hp air-cooled boxer engine also found in the Beetle. This engine was not powerful enough for a true sports car, and the Karmann Ghia achieved a top speed of only 115 km/h [1] but the Karmann Ghia's looks and the reliability known from the Beetle made up for a lot. The body and nose of the elegant two-door coupe were hand-built from a single piece, and the car was therefore much more expensive to produce than the Beetle, which was mass-produced. Nevertheless, the Karmann sold very well, and a convertible version was built from November 1, 1957. In 1959, the model was slightly modified. The main differences at the front were the "nostrils" which were made wider and the headlights which were positioned higher in the round housings. At the rear, the lights were shaped more to the curvature of the bodywork.

Things went so well for Karmann that in 1960 a factory was opened in the Brazilian city of São Bernardo do Campo. From 31 December 1960 the Type 14 was also built here, initially only the coupé version, but from 1968 also the convertible.

Type 34
Meanwhile, a new four-seater model had been developed based on the Volkswagen Type 3, once again in collaboration with Ghia. This was also a two-door model. Initially, it was intended to replace the original Type 14, but it was later decided to let both types coexist. This new model came onto the market in 1961 as the Type 34. Production was discontinued as early as 1969, partly because the car, nicknamed the 'Razor-Edge Ghia' by the British, was almost as expensive as a Porsche 356. A total of 42.505 units were built, initially with a 1500 cc engine producing 45 hp, and later with a 1600 cc engine producing 54 hp. Over 1000 are known worldwide in the Type 34 register.

Karmann Ghia TC
During all this time, production of the Type 14 continued, and in 1971 a completely new Karmann Ghia model was introduced, the Touring Coupé (TC), also based on the Volkswagen Type 3. The bodywork was designed by Ghia under the direction of Giorgetto Giugiaro. However, the Karmann Ghia TC was only built by Karmann Brazil and was never exported.

The Karmann Ghia model presented here is the convertible and has been completely restored, bottom up and chassis off. We have all the photos showing the level of detail involved. The engine and the entire drivetrain have also been fully overhauled. The result is a completely new and, moreover, beautiful VW KARMANN GHIA that drives beautifully as well. For the true enthusiast.