Karmann Ghia Club Rems-Murr

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1 The 1966 Pussycat (1966)
A car like the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia doesn't come too often.
It's a Pussycat.
A sports car on top, an economy car underneath.
It's also a pain in the neck to make. (That's why only 14,927 will make it over here this year.)
First of all, the body takes a lot of handwork, and handwork takes a lot of time.
We hand-shape and hand-weld, and before we hand-smooth and hand-paint, we fill in all the seams by hand.. (There are other seamless cars around...around $5,000, and up. Ours is under $2,500.)
Then we bring in Volkswagen chassis and engines from our Betle Factory and put them into our Pussycats.
A VW Enginge averages 30 mpg, is aircooled so it can't boil over or freeze up, and costs Volkswagen prices to fix.
See the beauty of it?
With a Pussycat you can buy the good looks of a sports car and in the good sense of a Volkswagen, all in one car.
Unless, of course, 14,927 people see the beauty of it before you do.
The Volkswagen KARMANN GHIA

2 It looks beautiful because Volkswagen doesn't build it (Newsweek 1969)
Ask Volkswagen to build a small economy car. Fine.
Ask Volkswagen to build a big practical station wagon. Very good.
But ask Volkswagen to build a beautiful sports car ?
Well, not even Volkswagen would ask Volkswagen to do that.
So we asked the Ghia Studios of Turin, Italy to design the body of our sports car, and the Karmann Coach-works of Osnabrück, Germany to build it.
The Karmann people attack our sports car the way they've been attack things for the past hundred years: slowly and carefully.
The fenders are welded and shaped and sanded and burnished by hand.
And once the body is formed, they give the Karmann Ghia four coats of paint, including a rust-proofing zinc undercoat and a hand spryes enamel color coat.
If it all sounds very complicated, it is.
But we can't afford to take any chances:
When we tried to build a sedan, it ended up looking like a beetle.
We didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

3 Deep down inside it's a Volkswagen
A Volkswagen built for 2.
It's our VW Karmann Ghia. It wasn't brought up with our other Volkswagens.
Ghia of Turin designed it as a runabout. But its lines are so sculptured, half the work has to be done by hand.
Should we make it anyhow? Oh, why not - a company's only young once.
So we called in one of the finest coach-makers in Europe, Karmann of Osnabrück. Where it takes 185 men for the handwork on the body alone. Every seam is welded, ground down, filed and sanded by hand.
It cornesr with any sports car. And holds the worst barreltop roads at 70.
But don't let its prima donna look fool you. The engine and chassis are right out of our VW Sedan.
N $100 carburetors. No $40 tuneups.
And the price includes the little things you'd put in a car if you made it yourself. A defroster for the rear window. Adjustable bucket seats. A soundproofed interior. Even the electric clock.
All for $2,295* for the coupe, $2,495* for the convertible, $4,790* for a set.

©Volkswagen of America, INC. *Suggested Retail Price, East Coast P.O.E., Local taxes and other dealer delivery charges, if any, additional. Whitewalls optional at extra cost.

4 There's a little bug in every Karmann Ghia (CAR AND DRIVER 1969)
Underneath it all, this fancy hunk of car is still a Volkswagen.
It's got Volkswagen's 4-speed synchromesh transmission. And the Volkswagen's chassis and torsion bar suspension.
The big wheels that rack ip 40,000 and more miles on a set of tires are all VW.
And so is the air-cooled engine that can't boil over in the summer or freeze up in the winter.
32 miles on a gallon of regular and no oil between changes are practically s.o.p. on the Karmann Ghia.
Not to mention the remarkable Volkswagen traction. The inexpensive and easy-to-come-by parts. The low insurance. The reasonably priced, reliable service.

You can't see the "bug" part of a Karmann Ghia because it's traveling incgnito in a sporty, Italian-designed body.
So you can drive a Karmann Ghia and most people won't even know it's got a bug in it.
But you will.

5 With technological triumphs like this, it only takes 4 1/2 hours for 2 men to make one Karmann Ghia convertible top (1961)
It used to take longer, till we discovered that curved neeles sew around corners faster than straight needles.
That's important to us, because we want to make cars as efficiently as possible. What slows us down is that we also want to make cars as good as possible.
For us to do that, a Karmann Ghia convertible comes out costing you $2,335*. Which sounds like a lot of money coming out of your pocket. Until you realize what we put into the car.
Our convertible top, for example, has a vinyl interior that covers up the cross braces you see in most other convertibles. It has a thick pad of insulation in the middle that keeps out heat, cold and noise. And it has a vinyl outside tha really fits because we really hand.fit it.
We could skop all that handwork, trade in all our curved needles for a couple of machines, and make convertible tops as efficintly as everyone else.
But we'd rather be less efficient and better. Instead of just efficient and not as good.

Volkswagen economy is standard equipment.

6 The Karmann Ghia (1965)
Body: Hand formed, hand finished.
Engine:Magnesium, air cooled, rear mounted.
Transmission: 4-speed stick shift, all gears synchromeshed.
Suspension: 4-wheel independent torsion bar system.
Seats: Bucket.
Mileage: 32 mpg (average).
Cruising speed: 72 mph.
Service: Any Volkswagen dealer.
( Where else would you bring a Volkswagen?)

7 The sports car that's just as reliable as a Volkswagen. (Playboy)
And why not? It is a Volkswagen.
The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.
With its Ghia designed body, it looks like something more exotic.
And with its independent four-wheel suspension, solex carburetion, and front wheel disc brakes, it handles like something more exotik.
But it's still a Volkswagen.
So if something does break, you don't have to start searching for a special sports car mechanic. Or face a six-month wait for a part to arrive from some far corner of the earth.
Even if you're tooling through some remote places like Ottumwa, Iowa and your fan belt goes, ther's a Volkswate dealer there who can fix it.
So when you buy a Karmann Ghia, ypu can forgen all those bad things you've heard about exotic sports cars.
And remember all those good things you've heard about Volkswagens.

8 The mighty, new 53 h.p. Pussycat. (TIME, 30. September 1966)
(g-r-r-r-r-r-r-r)
We've got a ferocious Pussycat on our hands: The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.
It's running around witha a new, air-cooled engine that's producing more power in all four gears.
(In other words, it can now beat an old Karmann Ghia at a stoplight.)
It has a new top speed of 83 mph. And has new disc brakes up front (the kind you pay extra for on most other cars).
Of course, being a Volkswagen, there are some things that haven't changed and never will.
Around 28 miles to a gollon of gas ... 40,000 miles to a set of tires ... VW parts at VW prices ... quick service ... and a price tag that remains a low $2,250.*
So it's still an economy car.
Only now it growls all the way to the bank.
The Volkswagen KARMANN GHIA
©Volkswagen of America, INC. *Suggested Retail Price, East Coast P.O.E., Local taxes and other dealer delivery charges, if any, additional. Whitewalls optional at extra cost.

9 In 1969 a Volkswagen was named one of the world's most beautiful things. (Car and Driver 1970)
We were stunned.
When a famous American designer, W. Sorwin Teague, picked a Volkswagen as one of the most beautifully designed products, we just couldn't believe it.
"I considered thousands of things," said Mr. Teague "but could find only 15 that met my criteria."
Some of the winners were:
An Ericofon Phone. A Kill Collection chaise. A Bohn calculator. A Carlsberg beer bottle. (Burp.)
And lo and behold, a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. (Blush.)
For years we've privately thought our sports car to be beautiful.
With its hand-finished body. And its air-cooled engine. That never boils over. Goes about 26 miles a gallon. And is utterly reliable.
But never in our wildest dreams did we think it was that beautiful.
"The Ghia," said Mr. Teague, "is an outstandingly good creation. Inside and out. It's really beautiful"

Bless you, Mr. Teague. Bless you.

10 Can you find the Volkswagen hidden in this picture? (Car and Driver 1970)
If you can, you'll make us very sad.
Because we've troubled ourselves no end to hide it from you.
Our quest for the invisible Volkswagen took us all the way to Turin, Italy.
Where we asked the famous Ghia Studios to design us a sporty Italian body.
They did.
Their drawings clutched tightly in hand, we secretly prowled Europe for the best coach builder we could find.
Success. To the Karmann Coachworks of Osnabrück we handed over Ghia's sketches with the injunction:
" Make it beautiful." (Or else.)
They did.
They welded. And burnished. And sculptured. And sanded. And painted.
Until they had shaped in steel what Ghia had shaped in pencil.
Smug in the knowledge that nobody could ever mistake this beautiful car for a Volkswagen we made it a Volkswagen.
By concealing our air-cooled engine in back. For better traction.
And maiking it go about 26 miles on just one gallon.
Then we gave this Volkswagen its final disguise:
We named it the Karmann Ghia.

11 Which car costs less than $10,000? (Playboy 12/1968)
If you have especially sharp eyes, you'll notice the little telltale emblem on the car in the upper right hand corner.
It says VW. (Which is your first clue.)
But even though the Maserati Ghibli (lower left), the ISO S-4 (upper left) and the DeTomaso Mangusta (lower right) are $10,000-plus sports cars, they have a lot in common with our $2,299* Karmann Ghia: Looks.
Which is not entirely accidental since our body was designed by the Ghia Studios of Turin, Italy, the people who build the bodies for the other three.
The difference lies under the hood.
In most $10,000 sports cars, you get a gleaming assortment of complex, precision machinery enabling you to drive at least twice as fast as most laws specify.
In the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia you get a Volkswagen.
Which is precision machinery of a slower, less troublesome variety, yet fast enough to attract the attention of every highway patrolman in the country.
So, if you're looking for a beautiful $10,000 sports car that's more dependable than fast, you can get yourselv a Karmann Ghia.
And over $7,000 in change.
Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

©Volkswagen of America, INC. *Suggested Retail Price, East Coast P.O.E., Local taxes and other dealer delivery charges, if any, additional. Whitewalls optional at extra cost.

12 Volkswagen, incognito. (Playboy)
You'd have to be some kind of a car sleuth to know that concealed underneath the Karmann Ghia's beautiful exterior is the heart of a Volkswagen.
The Ghia's chassis and the 4-speed synchromesh transmission are the same as the regular Volkswagen's.
Behind every Ghia is one of our famous won't-boil-over-or-freeze-up-engines.
You als get VW's big 15-inch wheels; the very ones that help VW bugs rack up 40,000 and more miles on a set of tires.
The Ghia's torsion bar suspensions is all Volkswagen, too. Not to mention the traction and gas-and-oil economy and low insurance and parts and service, etc.
What aren't typically Volkswagen are the Ghia's sleek lines, the handwrought body, the noble Roman nose.

If you're one of those people who admire everything about the VW except the way it looks, why not consider driving around in a beautiful disguise?

13 Can you spot the Volkswagen?
Lost among five of the world's great sports cars is one of the worlds's great Volkswagens.
The VW Karmann Ghia.
If you confuse it with a 170 mph sports machine, we wouldn't be surprised.
The racy lines are the work of a famous sports car designer, the Ghia studios of Turin, Italy.
And the bodywork is the handiwork of one of Europe's oldest custom coachmakers, Karmann of Osnabrück.
What makes the Karmann Ghia a Volkswagen is everything that makes it go. Independent 4-wheel suspension that takes curves like a racer. Surprisingly smooth 4-speed gear box. And an air-cooled engine that averages up to 28 mpg.
Of course, you can't reach the speed of a $15,000 Ferrari (top left), $16,000 Lamborghini (top center), a $14,000 Maserati (bottom center), or a $14,000 Aston Martin (bottom right) in a Karmann Ghia (bottom left).
But it costs only $2,364* to give the impression that you can.
Vokswagen Karmann Ghia

14 The care and feeding of a Pussycat. (TIME, June 3, 1966)
The volkswagen Karmann Ghia only has the looks of a $5,000 car, not the tastes.
It's a Pussycat.
Sporty on top; economical underneath.
You can keep one going for the same price you'd pay to keep a VW Sedan going.
Just remember these easy-to-remember suggestions.
When stopping for gas, no need to stop at a premium pump. (A Pussycat runs great on regular gas. At, say, 30c a gallon, $3 will stretch into about 300 miles.)
And at, say 5�c a quart for oil, a change won't cost more than $1.50. (It only takes 2 1/2 quarts.)
Keep water off your mind, and always forget to put in antifreeze. (The engine is air-cooled; it can't boil or freeze.)
Also, a Pussycat is very easy on tires. (40,000 miles should pass before you even have to think about new ones.)
And most important, when trouble comes up, head down to a Volkswagen dealer and get charged Volkswagen prices for repairs. (It uses the same mechanical parts that a Beetle uses.)
That's our Pussycat.
It costs less than $2.500, but it may upset the whole ritual of new car buying.
The "good deal " comes after the sale.
The Volkswagen KARMANN GHIA

15 1,500,000 Lire. (Car and Driver April, 1970)
That's a lot of lire for a car.
But that's a lot of car for the lire.
It's one of the most meticulously built sports cars in the world.
The classic body was designed where many great sports cars are designed:
Turin, Italy. By the famous Ghia Studios.
It's one of Europe's oldest custom coachmakers: Karmann of Osnabrück.
Only a limited number are made each day. Mainly because it takes interminably long to shape the body.
So intricate are some of Ghia's lines that machines can't form them. So Karmann employs sculptors to finish the body. By hand.
It's welded, burnished, smoothed, painted, sanded and rubbed. By hand.
And only when it passes hundreds of inspections does it get together with the chassis. Which is a beauty in itsel:
Torsion-bar suspension. Double-jointed rear axles. Four-speed sync box. Front disc brakes. Rear-mounted magnesium engine. Air-cooled. Utterly dependable. Economical. (About 26 mpg.)
All that will cost you a good 1,5000,000 lire.
Or 2,399 American dollars.*
For a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.
That's not a lot of dollars for a car.
But that's a lot of car for the dollars.

16 What if you put Volkswagen parts in a Karmann Ghia? (TIME, December 6, 1963)
They'd fit.
Even if one of the parts was the engine.
Because the engine is a VW engine.
And the transmission and chassis are Volkswagen's, too.
Which makes the Ghia one of the best-humored runabouts on the road.
And one of the easiest to service. (If you're in a strange town, just ask any cop for the nearest Volkswagen dealer.)
But let us tell you about the body. It takes 185 men to make this body.
It was designed by Ghia of Turin but was too sculptured for mass production.
So we farm the Ghia out to one of Europe's finest custom coachworks, Karmann of Osnabrück. Where the body is welded, ground down, filed and sanded - all by hand.
The VW Karmann Ghia comes with bucket seats with backs you can adjust.
Acoustical soundproofing like an office. Electric clock. Even a defroster for the rear window.K People accustomed to a little posh usually guess the Ghia's price at around $5,000. Pish posh.
The coupe's only $2,295*, the convertible $2,495.*

17 Can you spot the druggist from Toledo?
Of course not.
That's the point.
Somewhere in our picture is what appears to be just another Italian playboy sitting in his expensive Italian sports car.
But somewhere up there is a very dependable druggist in his very dependable Karmann Ghia.
It looks like a racy sports job because it was designed by the Ghia Studios of turin, Italy.
It runs like a Volkswagen because, underneath, that's exactly what it is.
Complete with 4-wheel independent suspension, front disc brakes, 4-speed synchronized gear-box, oil cooler and rear-mounted air-cooled engine.
To put an end to the suspense, the Karmann Ghia is the snappy number just left of center.
And for a snappy $2,575*, it's yours.
So you can look like the kind of person to whom price is no object.
And with the money you save, it won't be.

©Volkswagen of America, INC. *Suggested Retail Price, East Coast P.O.E., Local taxes and other dealer delivery charges, if any, additional. Whitewalls optional at extra cost.

18 Maybe you don't want to drive a wild horse, or a man-eating tiger, or a killer fish... (TIME, April 8, 1966)
maybe you want to drive a Pussycat.
These days, "hunting" for a new car isn't just an expression.
One name is more ferocious than the next.
But the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia is different. It's a Pussycat.
It has all the earmarks of a sports car, and all the trademarks of a Volkswagen.
Underneath that hand-shaped, hand-smoothed body you get an engine that averages 30 mpg and rarely takes oil between changes.
And you get about 40,000 miles on a set of tires.
And you get an independent torsion bar suspension system, so when you're cruising at 80, a bump bumps only on wheel and not the whole car.
And you get a good feeling, knowing that if your Pussycat has a breakdown,
a VW dealer will fix it with the same parts and the same speed and the same prices that a VW Sedan gets fixed withs.
So if you're hunting for a sporty looking car, and run into a lot of ferocious names, with prices to match, looking they might cost an arm and a leg to keep up...
maybe you're barking up the wrong tree.

The Volkswagen KARMANN GHIA

19 You'd lose.
The racy-looking car in the picture would have trouble beating a Volkswagen.
Because it is a Volkswagen. Inside. Outside it's a Karmann Ghia.
A Karmann Ghia isn't really a racing car.
Though it is custom-built like one.
Its lines are too sculptured for mass production.
The front fender, for instance has to be formed in three sections.
Each section is welded together. Then ground down, filed and sanded. All by hand.
But beneath that wanton exterior beats a heart of Volkswagen.
Same engine, same chassis, same transmission. Which means same reliability, same economy, same service.
We know a Ghia can't do much at the Sebring road races.
But it can cruise at 72, corner like a sports car, and hold the road like one.
And it might comfort you to know, you'd be driving the bes-made loser on the track.

20 For people who can't stand the sight of a Volkswagen. (Road and Track, 1964)
Some people just can't see a VW.
Even though they admire its attributes, they picture themselves in something fancier.
We sell such a package.
It's called a Karmann Ghia.
The Karmann Ghia is what happened to a Volkswagen when an Italian designer got hold of it.
He didn't design it for mass production, so we wouldn't think of giving it the mass production treatment.
We take time to hand-weld, hand-shape, and hand-smooth the body.
Finally, after 185 men have had a hand in it, the Ghia's body is lowered onto one of those strictly functional chassis.
The kind that comes with VW's big 15-inch wheels, torsion bars, our 4-speed synchromesh transmission and that rather famous air-cooled engine.
So that along with its roman nose and graceful curves, the Ghia has a beauty that is more than skin deep.

21 Volkswagen, Italian Style. (TIME, December 11, 1964)
The Karmann Ghia goes to show you what happens when you turn a Volkswagen over to an Italian designer.
It comes out with a noble Roman nose, graceful curves, and a low silhouette.
In fact, classical tradition is followed right down the line.
Fenders, hoods and door frames are welded and shaped and smoothed by hand.
Seats and convertible tops are padded and stitched and fitted by hand.
Now you might think, we're crazy to go to all this trouble, just to turn out some fancy Italian sculpturing.
Especially since this body of work ends up on top of one of those plain VW Chassi.
But consider.
The chassis includes VW's 4-speed synchromesh transmission, big 15-inch wheels, torsion bars, and an easy-to-service-non-temperamental engine.
So that with the Ghia's beautiful form and this strictly functional interior, you've got yourself a pretty solid piece of architecture.
It's known as renaissance Volkswagen.

22 This is Volkswagen's idea for a sports car. (Newsweek, April 19, 1968)
It will have an air-cooled engine in back. Like the Porsches that swept the Daytona 24-hour endurance grind.
It will corner like a sports car. Have a 4-speed synchronized gear box like a sports car. And the body will be designed by men who design sports cars for a living.
But it will go easy on gas. Like a Volkswagen. And be as easy to service as a VW.
Will we ever get a car like this off the drawing board?
We already hav.
The Karmann Ghia is at your VW dealer now for less than $2500.*
If you didn't recognize it, maybe it's because you never saw the Ghia quite this way before.
Maybe you should look again.

Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

23 The Pussycat. King of the jungle
To win in here, you need more than brute strength. More than size.
You need a Pussycat.
You see, when it comes to jungle fighting, the Pussycat (our Karmann Ghia) happens to offer the best of two worlds.
It maneuvers in and out of traffic like a sports car. And does everything else like a Volkswagen.
It saves like a Volkswagen. (Averaging 28mpg, for instance.)
Parks like a Volkswagen. (It's only 3 inches longer.)
And gets fixed like a Volkswagen. (Quick. And at VW prices.)
About the only other thing it doesn't do like a VW is look like a VW.
Nobody likes an ugly king.
The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

24 On display now in San Franzisko Road and Track, December, 1955
Volkswagen
The worlds most reliable small car!

Wahrscheinlich eine der ersten Werbeanzeigen für einen Karmann Ghia in den U.S.A.

Possibly one of the first Karmann-Ghia ads in the United States.

	3 Deep down inside it's a Volkswagen A Volkswagen built for 2. It's our VW Karmann Ghia. It wasn't brought up with our other Volkswagens. Ghia of Turin designed it as a runabout. But its lines are so sculptured, half the work has to be done by hand. Should we make it anyhow? Oh, why not - a company's only young once. So we called in one of the finest coach-makers in Europe, Karmann of Osnabrück. Where it takes 185 men for the handwork on the body alone. Every seam is welded, ground down, filed and sanded by hand. It cornesr with any sports car. And holds the worst barreltop roads at 70. But don't let its prima donna look fool you. The engine and chassis are right out of our VW Sedan. N $100 carburetors. No $40 tuneups. And the price includes the little things you'd put in a car if you made it yourself. A defroster for the rear window. Adjustable bucket seats. A soundproofed interior. Even the electric clock. All for $2,295* for the coupe, $2,495* for the convertible, $4,790* for a set. ©Volkswagen of America, INC. *Suggested Retail Price, East Coast P.O.E., Local taxes and other dealer delivery charges, if any, additional. Whitewalls optional at extra cost.
	4 There's a little bug in every Karmann Ghia (CAR AND DRIVER 1969) Underneath it all, this fancy hunk of car is still a Volkswagen. It's got Volkswagen's 4-speed synchromesh transmission. And the Volkswagen's chassis and torsion bar suspension. The big wheels that rack ip 40,000 and more miles on a set of tires are all VW. And so is the air-cooled engine that can't boil over in the summer or freeze up in the winter. 32 miles on a gallon of regular and no oil between changes are practically s.o.p. on the Karmann Ghia. Not to mention the remarkable Volkswagen traction. The inexpensive and easy-to-come-by parts. The low insurance. The reasonably priced, reliable service. You can't see the "bug" part of a Karmann Ghia because it's traveling incgnito in a sporty, Italian-designed body. So you can drive a Karmann Ghia and most people won't even know it's got a bug in it. But you will.
	5 With technological triumphs like this, it only takes 4 1/2 hours for 2 men to make one Karmann Ghia convertible top (1961) It used to take longer, till we discovered that curved neeles sew around corners faster than straight needles. That's important to us, because we want to make cars as efficiently as possible. What slows us down is that we also want to make cars as good as possible. For us to do that, a Karmann Ghia convertible comes out costing you $2,335*. Which sounds like a lot of money coming out of your pocket. Until you realize what we put into the car. Our convertible top, for example, has a vinyl interior that covers up the cross braces you see in most other convertibles. It has a thick pad of insulation in the middle that keeps out heat, cold and noise. And it has a vinyl outside tha really fits because we really hand.fit it. We could skop all that handwork, trade in all our curved needles for a couple of machines, and make convertible tops as efficintly as everyone else. But we'd rather be less efficient and better. Instead of just efficient and not as good. Volkswagen economy is standard equipment.
	6 The Karmann Ghia (1965) Body: Hand formed, hand finished. Engine:Magnesium, air cooled, rear mounted. Transmission: 4-speed stick shift, all gears synchromeshed. Suspension: 4-wheel independent torsion bar system. Seats: Bucket. Mileage: 32 mpg (average). Cruising speed: 72 mph. Service: Any Volkswagen dealer. ( Where else would you bring a Volkswagen?)
	7 The sports car that's just as reliable as a Volkswagen. (Playboy) And why not? It is a Volkswagen. The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. With its Ghia designed body, it looks like something more exotic. And with its independent four-wheel suspension, solex carburetion, and front wheel disc brakes, it handles like something more exotik. But it's still a Volkswagen. So if something does break, you don't have to start searching for a special sports car mechanic. Or face a six-month wait for a part to arrive from some far corner of the earth. Even if you're tooling through some remote places like Ottumwa, Iowa and your fan belt goes, ther's a Volkswate dealer there who can fix it. So when you buy a Karmann Ghia, ypu can forgen all those bad things you've heard about exotic sports cars. And remember all those good things you've heard about Volkswagens.

	8 The mighty, new 53 h.p. Pussycat. (TIME, 30. September 1966) (g-r-r-r-r-r-r-r) We've got a ferocious Pussycat on our hands: The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. It's running around witha a new, air-cooled engine that's producing more power in all four gears. (In other words, it can now beat an old Karmann Ghia at a stoplight.) It has a new top speed of 83 mph. And has new disc brakes up front (the kind you pay extra for on most other cars). Of course, being a Volkswagen, there are some things that haven't changed and never will. Around 28 miles to a gollon of gas ... 40,000 miles to a set of tires ... VW parts at VW prices ... quick service ... and a price tag that remains a low $2,250.* So it's still an economy car. Only now it growls all the way to the bank. The Volkswagen KARMANN GHIA ©Volkswagen of America, INC. *Suggested Retail Price, East Coast P.O.E., Local taxes and other dealer delivery charges, if any, additional. Whitewalls optional at extra cost.
	9 In 1969 a Volkswagen was named one of the world's most beautiful things. (Car and Driver 1970) We were stunned. When a famous American designer, W. Sorwin Teague, picked a Volkswagen as one of the most beautifully designed products, we just couldn't believe it. "I considered thousands of things," said Mr. Teague "but could find only 15 that met my criteria." Some of the winners were: An Ericofon Phone. A Kill Collection chaise. A Bohn calculator. A Carlsberg beer bottle. (Burp.) And lo and behold, a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. (Blush.) For years we've privately thought our sports car to be beautiful. With its hand-finished body. And its air-cooled engine. That never boils over. Goes about 26 miles a gallon. And is utterly reliable. But never in our wildest dreams did we think it was that beautiful. "The Ghia," said Mr. Teague, "is an outstandingly good creation. Inside and out. It's really beautiful" Bless you, Mr. Teague. Bless you.
	10 Can you find the Volkswagen hidden in this picture? (Car and Driver 1970) If you can, you'll make us very sad. Because we've troubled ourselves no end to hide it from you. Our quest for the invisible Volkswagen took us all the way to Turin, Italy. Where we asked the famous Ghia Studios to design us a sporty Italian body. They did. Their drawings clutched tightly in hand, we secretly prowled Europe for the best coach builder we could find. Success. To the Karmann Coachworks of Osnabrück we handed over Ghia's sketches with the injunction: " Make it beautiful." (Or else.) They did. They welded. And burnished. And sculptured. And sanded. And painted. Until they had shaped in steel what Ghia had shaped in pencil. Smug in the knowledge that nobody could ever mistake this beautiful car for a Volkswagen we made it a Volkswagen. By concealing our air-cooled engine in back. For better traction. And maiking it go about 26 miles on just one gallon. Then we gave this Volkswagen its final disguise: We named it the Karmann Ghia.
	11 Which car costs less than $10,000? (Playboy 12/1968) If you have especially sharp eyes, you'll notice the little telltale emblem on the car in the upper right hand corner. It says VW. (Which is your first clue.) But even though the Maserati Ghibli (lower left), the ISO S-4 (upper left) and the DeTomaso Mangusta (lower right) are $10,000-plus sports cars, they have a lot in common with our $2,299* Karmann Ghia: Looks. Which is not entirely accidental since our body was designed by the Ghia Studios of Turin, Italy, the people who build the bodies for the other three. The difference lies under the hood. In most $10,000 sports cars, you get a gleaming assortment of complex, precision machinery enabling you to drive at least twice as fast as most laws specify. In the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia you get a Volkswagen. Which is precision machinery of a slower, less troublesome variety, yet fast enough to attract the attention of every highway patrolman in the country. So, if you're looking for a beautiful $10,000 sports car that's more dependable than fast, you can get yourselv a Karmann Ghia. And over $7,000 in change. Volkswagen Karmann Ghia ©Volkswagen of America, INC. *Suggested Retail Price, East Coast P.O.E., Local taxes and other dealer delivery charges, if any, additional. Whitewalls optional at extra cost.
	12 Volkswagen, incognito. (Playboy) You'd have to be some kind of a car sleuth to know that concealed underneath the Karmann Ghia's beautiful exterior is the heart of a Volkswagen. The Ghia's chassis and the 4-speed synchromesh transmission are the same as the regular Volkswagen's. Behind every Ghia is one of our famous won't-boil-over-or-freeze-up-engines. You als get VW's big 15-inch wheels; the very ones that help VW bugs rack up 40,000 and more miles on a set of tires. The Ghia's torsion bar suspensions is all Volkswagen, too. Not to mention the traction and gas-and-oil economy and low insurance and parts and service, etc. What aren't typically Volkswagen are the Ghia's sleek lines, the handwrought body, the noble Roman nose. If you're one of those people who admire everything about the VW except the way it looks, why not consider driving around in a beautiful disguise?
	13 Can you spot the Volkswagen? Lost among five of the world's great sports cars is one of the worlds's great Volkswagens. The VW Karmann Ghia. If you confuse it with a 170 mph sports machine, we wouldn't be surprised. The racy lines are the work of a famous sports car designer, the Ghia studios of Turin, Italy. And the bodywork is the handiwork of one of Europe's oldest custom coachmakers, Karmann of Osnabrück. What makes the Karmann Ghia a Volkswagen is everything that makes it go. Independent 4-wheel suspension that takes curves like a racer. Surprisingly smooth 4-speed gear box. And an air-cooled engine that averages up to 28 mpg. Of course, you can't reach the speed of a $15,000 Ferrari (top left), $16,000 Lamborghini (top center), a $14,000 Maserati (bottom center), or a $14,000 Aston Martin (bottom right) in a Karmann Ghia (bottom left). But it costs only $2,364* to give the impression that you can. Vokswagen Karmann Ghia
	14 The care and feeding of a Pussycat. (TIME, June 3, 1966) The volkswagen Karmann Ghia only has the looks of a $5,000 car, not the tastes. It's a Pussycat. Sporty on top; economical underneath. You can keep one going for the same price you'd pay to keep a VW Sedan going. Just remember these easy-to-remember suggestions. When stopping for gas, no need to stop at a premium pump. (A Pussycat runs great on regular gas. At, say, 30c a gallon, $3 will stretch into about 300 miles.) And at, say 5�c a quart for oil, a change won't cost more than $1.50. (It only takes 2 1/2 quarts.) Keep water off your mind, and always forget to put in antifreeze. (The engine is air-cooled; it can't boil or freeze.) Also, a Pussycat is very easy on tires. (40,000 miles should pass before you even have to think about new ones.) And most important, when trouble comes up, head down to a Volkswagen dealer and get charged Volkswagen prices for repairs. (It uses the same mechanical parts that a Beetle uses.) That's our Pussycat. It costs less than $2.500, but it may upset the whole ritual of new car buying. The "good deal " comes after the sale. The Volkswagen KARMANN GHIA
	15 1,500,000 Lire. (Car and Driver April, 1970) That's a lot of lire for a car. But that's a lot of car for the lire. It's one of the most meticulously built sports cars in the world. The classic body was designed where many great sports cars are designed: Turin, Italy. By the famous Ghia Studios. It's one of Europe's oldest custom coachmakers: Karmann of Osnabrück. Only a limited number are made each day. Mainly because it takes interminably long to shape the body. So intricate are some of Ghia's lines that machines can't form them. So Karmann employs sculptors to finish the body. By hand. It's welded, burnished, smoothed, painted, sanded and rubbed. By hand. And only when it passes hundreds of inspections does it get together with the chassis. Which is a beauty in itsel: Torsion-bar suspension. Double-jointed rear axles. Four-speed sync box. Front disc brakes. Rear-mounted magnesium engine. Air-cooled. Utterly dependable. Economical. (About 26 mpg.) All that will cost you a good 1,5000,000 lire. Or 2,399 American dollars.* For a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. That's not a lot of dollars for a car. But that's a lot of car for the dollars.
	16 What if you put Volkswagen parts in a Karmann Ghia? (TIME, December 6, 1963) They'd fit. Even if one of the parts was the engine. Because the engine is a VW engine. And the transmission and chassis are Volkswagen's, too. Which makes the Ghia one of the best-humored runabouts on the road. And one of the easiest to service. (If you're in a strange town, just ask any cop for the nearest Volkswagen dealer.) But let us tell you about the body. It takes 185 men to make this body. It was designed by Ghia of Turin but was too sculptured for mass production. So we farm the Ghia out to one of Europe's finest custom coachworks, Karmann of Osnabrück. Where the body is welded, ground down, filed and sanded - all by hand. The VW Karmann Ghia comes with bucket seats with backs you can adjust. Acoustical soundproofing like an office. Electric clock. Even a defroster for the rear window.K People accustomed to a little posh usually guess the Ghia's price at around $5,000. Pish posh. The coupe's only $2,295, the convertible $2,495.
	17 Can you spot the druggist from Toledo? Of course not. That's the point. Somewhere in our picture is what appears to be just another Italian playboy sitting in his expensive Italian sports car. But somewhere up there is a very dependable druggist in his very dependable Karmann Ghia. It looks like a racy sports job because it was designed by the Ghia Studios of turin, Italy. It runs like a Volkswagen because, underneath, that's exactly what it is. Complete with 4-wheel independent suspension, front disc brakes, 4-speed synchronized gear-box, oil cooler and rear-mounted air-cooled engine. To put an end to the suspense, the Karmann Ghia is the snappy number just left of center. And for a snappy $2,575, it's yours. So you can look like the kind of person to whom price is no object. And with the money you save, it won't be. ©Volkswagen of America, INC. Suggested Retail Price, East Coast P.O.E., Local taxes and other dealer delivery charges, if any, additional. Whitewalls optional at extra cost.
	18 Maybe you don't want to drive a wild horse, or a man-eating tiger, or a killer fish... (TIME, April 8, 1966) maybe you want to drive a Pussycat. These days, "hunting" for a new car isn't just an expression. One name is more ferocious than the next. But the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia is different. It's a Pussycat. It has all the earmarks of a sports car, and all the trademarks of a Volkswagen. Underneath that hand-shaped, hand-smoothed body you get an engine that averages 30 mpg and rarely takes oil between changes. And you get about 40,000 miles on a set of tires. And you get an independent torsion bar suspension system, so when you're cruising at 80, a bump bumps only on wheel and not the whole car. And you get a good feeling, knowing that if your Pussycat has a breakdown, a VW dealer will fix it with the same parts and the same speed and the same prices that a VW Sedan gets fixed withs. So if you're hunting for a sporty looking car, and run into a lot of ferocious names, with prices to match, looking they might cost an arm and a leg to keep up... maybe you're barking up the wrong tree. The Volkswagen KARMANN GHIA
	19 You'd lose. The racy-looking car in the picture would have trouble beating a Volkswagen. Because it is a Volkswagen. Inside. Outside it's a Karmann Ghia. A Karmann Ghia isn't really a racing car. Though it is custom-built like one. Its lines are too sculptured for mass production. The front fender, for instance has to be formed in three sections. Each section is welded together. Then ground down, filed and sanded. All by hand. But beneath that wanton exterior beats a heart of Volkswagen. Same engine, same chassis, same transmission. Which means same reliability, same economy, same service. We know a Ghia can't do much at the Sebring road races. But it can cruise at 72, corner like a sports car, and hold the road like one. And it might comfort you to know, you'd be driving the bes-made loser on the track.
	20 For people who can't stand the sight of a Volkswagen. (Road and Track, 1964) Some people just can't see a VW. Even though they admire its attributes, they picture themselves in something fancier. We sell such a package. It's called a Karmann Ghia. The Karmann Ghia is what happened to a Volkswagen when an Italian designer got hold of it. He didn't design it for mass production, so we wouldn't think of giving it the mass production treatment. We take time to hand-weld, hand-shape, and hand-smooth the body. Finally, after 185 men have had a hand in it, the Ghia's body is lowered onto one of those strictly functional chassis. The kind that comes with VW's big 15-inch wheels, torsion bars, our 4-speed synchromesh transmission and that rather famous air-cooled engine. So that along with its roman nose and graceful curves, the Ghia has a beauty that is more than skin deep.
	21 Volkswagen, Italian Style. (TIME, December 11, 1964) The Karmann Ghia goes to show you what happens when you turn a Volkswagen over to an Italian designer. It comes out with a noble Roman nose, graceful curves, and a low silhouette. In fact, classical tradition is followed right down the line. Fenders, hoods and door frames are welded and shaped and smoothed by hand. Seats and convertible tops are padded and stitched and fitted by hand. Now you might think, we're crazy to go to all this trouble, just to turn out some fancy Italian sculpturing. Especially since this body of work ends up on top of one of those plain VW Chassi. But consider. The chassis includes VW's 4-speed synchromesh transmission, big 15-inch wheels, torsion bars, and an easy-to-service-non-temperamental engine. So that with the Ghia's beautiful form and this strictly functional interior, you've got yourself a pretty solid piece of architecture. It's known as renaissance Volkswagen.
	22 This is Volkswagen's idea for a sports car. (Newsweek, April 19, 1968) It will have an air-cooled engine in back. Like the Porsches that swept the Daytona 24-hour endurance grind. It will corner like a sports car. Have a 4-speed synchronized gear box like a sports car. And the body will be designed by men who design sports cars for a living. But it will go easy on gas. Like a Volkswagen. And be as easy to service as a VW. Will we ever get a car like this off the drawing board? We already hav. The Karmann Ghia is at your VW dealer now for less than $2500.* If you didn't recognize it, maybe it's because you never saw the Ghia quite this way before. Maybe you should look again. Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
	23 The Pussycat. King of the jungle To win in here, you need more than brute strength. More than size. You need a Pussycat. You see, when it comes to jungle fighting, the Pussycat (our Karmann Ghia) happens to offer the best of two worlds. It maneuvers in and out of traffic like a sports car. And does everything else like a Volkswagen. It saves like a Volkswagen. (Averaging 28mpg, for instance.) Parks like a Volkswagen. (It's only 3 inches longer.) And gets fixed like a Volkswagen. (Quick. And at VW prices.) About the only other thing it doesn't do like a VW is look like a VW. Nobody likes an ugly king. The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
	24 On display now in San Franzisko Road and Track, December, 1955 Volkswagen The worlds most reliable small car! Wahrscheinlich eine der ersten Werbeanzeigen für einen Karmann Ghia in den U.S.A. Possibly one of the first Karmann-Ghia ads in the United States.