Classic Cars - Karmann Ghia

The Karmann Ghia was essentially a VW Beetle withworld's finest cars.
a different body shell attached, yet it is consideredThen end result was a car which could not reach
an elegant sports car. So what constitutes a sports100mph unlike its rivals, but this could easily be
car? For the Karmann Ghia it was all about styling.overlooked thanks to its beautiful styling and knowing
In the years following World War II VW had beenit wouldn't let you down whilst out on the road.
successfully producing small and efficient automobilesDuring its 18 year production run, around half a million
like the Beetle, with a reputation for outstandingpeople considered these points more important than
reliability. But as time wore on consumers beganthoroughbred racing performance.
demanding vehicles with style and elegance, reflectingIt is worth noting that VW emphasized all of the
the changing attitudes at the time. This call wasabove facts in its advertising. They made it a point
answered by the Karmann Ghia.to openly declare that it was mechanically identical to
The end result however was a car which appealed tothe Beetle, and had slogans such as "The 1963
2 very different groups. There were those whoVolkswagen Karmann Ghia. Slower, but Prettier Than
wanted a Porsche on a VW budget, and those whoAny Porsche!". This was an honest advertising
wanted a beautiful European touring car that wascampaign, and captured the attention of the public.
durable. This was achieved because VW chose toUnfortunately due to high import duties at the time
stick to its reliable Beetle chassis, yet covered thatrelatively few made it over to the UK, but this didn't
Chassis with a shell that was hand built to perfectionstop the car being a huge success at the time and
using methods not seen anywhere else but on thegoing on to become a classic car.