1964 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Coupe

Description

The brainchild of Wilhelm Karmann, whose Osnabruck factory was already building a cabriolet version of the Beetle, Volkswagen's Karmann Ghia was an immensely successful transformation of the humble People's Car into a stylish coupe. Featuring chic styling from the Italian design studio Ghia, the new model had wide appeal, offering exotic looks without the matching price tag. The Beetle platform was modified to suit the new coachwork, with a stabiliser bar added to improve handling. This, along with the superior aerodynamics of the sleeker bodywork, allowed the Karmann Ghia to perform quite respectably. In keeping with the coachbuilt nature of the new model, the interior was more luxurious and dominated by the central clock. The Type 1 Karmann Ghia remained in production until 1973, by which time some 300,000 had been made and technical developments mirrored the Beetle. Following on from the original model in 1955, there was a minor facelift in 1959 with relocated headlamps and larger air intakes on the nose, followed by the adoption of a full-synchromesh gearbox and more powerful 34bhp engine. The practical, affordable and very cool Karmann Ghia has long been popular with collectors and good examples like the vehicle offered here are always in high demand.