The Karmann Ghia
Created | Updated Jan 25, 2008
No, it's not a Hindu actor, or the leader of some obscure religion - it's a car, a German car. Its name comes from 'Karmann', the owner of the factory that built it, and 'Ghia', the Torinese styling studio whose owner Luigi Segre designed the prototype, and apparently, its correct name is the VW1 Karmann Ghia, working title: T143. But what is so special about this car, you may ask, especially if you've never before heard of a VW Karmann Ghia? Read on to find out.
How It All Began
In 1901, Wilhelm Karmann took over the carriage factory of Christian Klages in Osnabrück, Germany. In addition to the carriages, Karmann soon started to build car bodies, which were hand-made at first. Their first car body was made and sold in 1902. The Karmann automobile bodywork factory soon expanded, and relations to famous car factories such as Adler, Buick, Citroën, Chrysler, to name but a few, became closer and closer. After a visit to Detroit in 1924, Karmann spent the next decade or so restructuring his factory to make it fit for mass production. By 1939, 800 people worked at the Karmann factory, producing up to 65 car bodies each day. The factory was completely destroyed during WWII, and was reconstructed under the management of Wilhelm Karmann senior. In 1949, the VW Beetle Convertible was produced in co-operation with VW. In 1952, Wilhelm Karmann senior died, leaving his son, Wilhelm Karmann junior, in charge of the company.
In 1951, Wilhelm Karmann junior first addressed Heinrich Nordhoff, then boss of VW, suggesting the production of a sports car based on the VW Beetle. VW had a long tradition of building cars, with the VW Beetle and the VW Golf probably being the most popular and best-selling cars to this day. Nordhoff was reluctant, but Karmann knew that in the USA, imported sports cars from Europe were becoming more and more popular. He got in touch with his friend Luis Segre, asking him to develop a prototype of a Coupé.
The first blueprints and concepts were developed at Karmann's in Osnabrück, among them a draft for a two seater2 with a distinctive rear. In 1953, after only a few months of co-operation with Luigi Segre in Turin, Italy, the first prototype was created. This prototype was brought from Turin to VW importer Ladouch in Neuilly, France, where Karmann, who was in France at the time, got the first opportunity to see it. He was enthusiastic, as was Nordhoff when he came to Osnabrück in November. A decision was quickly made, and together they agreed on getting everything ready to build the car as soon as possible. However, it would be another two years before mass production began.
1950 - 1955 in West Germany
In 1949, Germany had been divided into two parts: West Germany (FRG), which was occupied by Britain and the USA, and East Germany (GDR), which was occupied by the Soviet Union. Both parts developed completely differently.
Only a few years after the end of WWII, the West German industry and economy was slowly recovering. With the help of the Marshall Plan, goods and money came into the country. Not all was well, though; in 1951 unemployment was at its highest since the end of the war with 13.3% unemployed because of an increase in population of about six million compared to 1939. Returned prisoners of war, disabled veterans, refugees and displaced persons, orphans - all of them were very hard to place within the working society. And yet, working hours for industrial workers increased by nearly ten hours/week in 1950 (compared to 1947) to an average of 49.1 hours, resulting in an increase in wages of about 11% (1950 vs 1949). Food was no longer rationed and prices for food and household items fell, whereas rents had only risen by about 3% since the end of the war.
Meanwhile, the car industry was booming, with manufacturers such as Opel and Ford being internationally competitive once again. Despite many of the roads being in a desolate condition and a lack of disposable income3, more and more cars were being produced. Small West German car manufacturers such as Champion, Goliath and Borgward (Lloyd) produced relatively cheap models, such as the Lloyd 300, which consisted of a plywood body, coated with artificial leather, hence gaining it the nickname 'Leukoplastbomber'4.
1955
Six years after the splitting of Germany into east and west in 1949, around 1.5 million people had fled the East into the freedom and prosperity of the West. 250,000 people fled in 1955 alone, depriving East Germany of not only the skilled workers it so urgently needed to build up a working economy, but of many young people too. West Germany, however, had gained a place among the leading industrial nations within just ten years of the end of the war. Its gross national product had increased by 57% during the last five years, and people talked of the Deutsche Wirtschaftswunder (German economic miracle). Despite the influx of East German refugees and an unemployment rate of 2.7%, entrepreneurs bemoaned a lack of skilled workers for the fast-growing industry.
With the economic situation being on the up, the youth discovered there was more to life than war and hunger. American films, music, and lifestyle influenced this new, post-war generation, generating an urge to have a part in all those splendid things. This was reflected in the goods that were produced, be they fashion, furniture, toys or cars. More and more Germans went to Italy and Spain for their summer holidays. Apparently, the time was ripe for a new generation of cars on the German market, and the novel design of the Karmann Ghia Coupé hit a note with the young generation. There were cars for all tastes and wallets.
Der Karmann Ghia? Das war ein sehr sportlicher kleiner Zweisitzer, ein tolles Auto! Dein Vater hat nie einen gehabt, obwohl er alle möglichen Autos hatte5.
(The Karmann Ghia? That was a racy little two seater, an awesome car! Your dad never owned one, although he used to have all sorts of cars.)
Luxury cars
Mercedes Benz 190 SL (105 bhp6, max. speed of 171km/h (100mph)) costing DM 16,500.
BMW 502 (120 bhp, max. speed of 170km/h) costing DM 17,850.
Porsche 356 A Carrera (100 bhp, max. speed of 200km/h) costing DM 17,700.
Citroën DS 19 (75 bhp, max. speed of 140km/h) costing DM 12,350. This car was so novel, that there were 12,500 orders within the day of its introduction.
Mid Price Range
Ford Taunus 15 M (55 bhp, max. speed of 130km/h) costing DM 6,375.
VW Karmann Ghia (30 bhp, max. speed of 118km/h) costing DM 7,500. It was soon to become very popular with the ladies.
Compact Cars
Hans-Glas-Manufacturers Goggomobil (two versions: 13.6 or 14.8 bhp respectively, max. speed of 72/85km/h) costing DM 2,940. It became a bestseller within a few months.
BMW Isetta7 (12 bhp, max. speed of 85km/h) costing DM 2,580
A Story of Success
On 14 July, 1955, the new Coupé was presented to VW retailers and an interested press at the Kasino Hotel in Georgsmarienhütte. On 22 October, 1956 the 10,000th VW Karmann Ghia rolled off the assembly line, proving that the lack of comfort didn't keep consumers from buying it; it was the design that attracted them. About two years after the launch of the VW Karmann Ghia Coupé, in September 1957, the VW Karmann Ghia Cabriolet, T141 was presented on the IAA (international car fair) in Frankfurt am Main. At a price of DM 8,250 it cost more than the Coupé. Mass production of the Cabriolet started in November of the same year in Osnabrück.
In August 1959, major changes were made to the VW Karmann Ghia: the headlights became larger and were fitted into the car a bit higher than before; the louvres in the bow became larger and were bordered with chrome. The side windows at the rear could be opened, and a windscreen washer system and headlamp flasher were now standard. The backlights had separate boxes for tail lamps, stoplights and indicators. The ultimate comfort, though, was an armrest integrated into the driver's door.
During the next 14 years, modifications to both the Coupé and the Cabriolet were made nearly every year. Modernisation included more powerful engines, technical novelties such as a semi-automatic gear, three-point emergency locking retractor belts, and right-hand drive, because more than 50% of the cars were exported. Production numbers of the initial Coupé rose constantly until 1966, proving the cars' popularity, but dropped in 1967, reflecting once again the economic situation in the country: unemployment was at 2.1%8 and about 1 in 7 West Germans expected it to rise. Federal Employment Offices throughout the FRG (including West Berlin) spent more than DM 1,000,000 for benefits, which was three times as much as the year before. Miners as well as workers in the automobile industry were especially affected by the decline of orders; their numbers fell by 13% compared to the year before. For the first time since 1950, the total sales volume of the industry fell by 1.9%. However, all this was forgotten in 1968 with an increase in orders from January onwards, making people breathe easier.
End of an Era
The sales of the VW Karmann Ghias started to recover in 1968, then went up and down a bit until they dropped by nearly 50% in 1972, once again reflecting the economical situation. This time, however, it was more than just economy - since 1970, there had been growing interest in the protection of the environment. People were aware that industrial emissions and car emissions polluted the air considerably. In America, there were strict laws regulating car emissions. Furthermore, there was the energy crisis, caused by the boycott through the OPEC. The Japanese started a successful attempt to conquer the American and the European car market by launching simple, but cheap cars; so small wonder that production numbers of a luxury car like the VW Karmann Ghia constantly declined until the production was eventually phased out in 1974. The Coupé and the Cabriolet had run their course and Karmann produced a new car: the VW Scirocco, the sporty variant of the first VW Golf. When the very last VW Karmann Ghia rolled off the assembly line on 31 July, 1974, workers decorated it with a sign, reading
Du liefst so gut
Du warst so schön
Doch leider musst du von uns gehn
(You ran so well, you were so beautiful, but alas, you must leave us now.)
Other Karmann Ghias
On 31 December, 1960, Karmann-Ghia do Brazil Ltda started producing the Type 14 Coupé (T143), the Type 14 Cabriolet (T141), and the TC (145) in Bernardo da Campo. The TC was practically unknown in Europe. Production numbers were low, and the last Coupé in Brazil was built in 1971, followed by the TC in 1976.
In 1961, the 'big' Karmann Ghia Coupé, the VW 1500 Karmann Ghia, was launched. The 2+2 seater with a powerful 45 bhp boxer motor, reaching a maximum speed of 132 km/h had again been designed in co-operation with Ghia, this time based on the 1500 VW notchback Sedan. A year later, an S version with 54 bhp and a maximum speed of 145 km/h was also available. In 1962, an electric operated sunroof was available with an extra charge. A convertible was presented in the same year, but never made it into mass production. Despite several improvements over the years, the 'big' Karmann Ghia never met the expectations of its producers, so production was stopped in 1969.
Today
Since then, many other cars have been produced by Karmann manufacturers, amongst them BMW, VW, Ford, Renault, Kia, Jaguar, and Mercedes. However, the T143 and T141 are still very popular to this day, so popular in fact, that there is now some debate as to who designed it. Mario Boano9, who was a partner at Ghia at the time, and Virgil Exner, who worked for Chrysler are both said to be candidates. As all of those who were involved at the time have meanwhile died, it is unlikely that this riddle will ever be solved.
The VW Karmann Ghia has made an appearance in various films. The car's many fans throughout the world are organised in various clubs. Recently, replicas have become more and more popular. Replacement parts for the 'old-timers' are still available, although they can be pricey. In August 2007, the 50th anniversary of the Cabriolet will be celebrated in Georgsmarienhütte, near Osnabrück.
