VW Karmann Ghia

Thursday 17 September 2009
The Volkswagen Type 14 was a 2+2 marketed from 1955 to 1974 by Volkswagen in coupe and convertible bodystyles — combining the chassis and mechanicals of the Type 1, evocative styling by the Italian carrozzeria Ghia, and hand-built bodywork by German coach-builder Karmann. The combination proved instantly successful for VW; production doubled soon after its introduction, and the Type 14 became the most imported car in the U.S. American industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague selected the Type 14 for his list of the world's most beautifully designed products. Volkswagen introduced a later variant in 1961, the Type 34 — featuring a less curvacious bodywork and based on the newly introduced Type 3 platform. Over 445,000 Karmann Ghias were produced in Germany over the car's production life — not including the Type 34 variant. Karmann Brazil produced 41,600 cars locally for South America between 1962 and 1975.

Technical data:
- engine: 4 cylinders
- capacity: 1285 cc
- horsepower: 40 HP
- gearbox: 4+1
- top speed: 128 km/h