5 Things To Know About The VW Karmann Ghia

Volkswagen's first sports car wasn't a sports car, not really. It was the Karmann Ghia, a Beetle in a much sexier outfit, and the origins of that outfit are stranger than you'd think. Still, this humble and elegant little car eventually found a niche of its own and remains a true classic today.

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[tomasalvarez]

When I turned 17, my father bought me my first car, a 1972 ghia. Till this day, at my age of 40, its still my daily driver!

[susantobias]

I have a '59 that I have owned for forty years, we have been through thick and thin together! He's 60 and I'm 63, my first car and will be my last!

[EinKerl]

Despite being slow it would still usually pull ahead at stop lights, it was such a beautiful design people let it go just so they could look at it.

[edmondsarvarian]

VW did not steal the design, Ghia sold it to VW. and it was not Chrysler's design, it was Ghia's.

[ajc]

I own a 69’ Ghia vert and I cant stress how much the feel of driving this car cannot be explained its simply just wonderful its just charming in every way, and there’s no car I can ever picture myself owning other than it..

[johnleeson]

When my sister and I got to driving age (I was two years older!), our parents got rid of the Caddy and Plymouth and went to VWs. I had a '71 convertible Ghia. It had a manual tranny and no heat. All VW owners have known the experience of scraping the ice off of the INSIDE of the windshield!

I enjoyed driving it for my last two years of High School. My sister rode with me to school for her first two years, then had her own Ghia (a 1968 hardtop) for her last two years of school. She had one with the automatic-shift transmission. She learned to drive a manual transmission eventually. Our father taught us well!!

[petekovacevic]

Its more fun driving a slow car fast than a fast car slow

[_LM_]

The thing with these old VWs is that they force you to learn to drive them like a race car, just in order to keep up with normal traffic - consider yourself lucky if you can manage to reach the speed limit. Which is what makes then so fun to drive - speaking as a former '63 & '62 bug owner.

[michaelbauers]

One of my favorite cars of all time. I loved the name, and I love the front end.

[thetrumpnewsnetwork]

I've owned 3. Everyone (especially women) thought they were Porshes. And as you said with the beetle engine there were a lot of little ways to make it go faster. Great little cars. Nice presentation.

[torkischeslp]

Luckily Ghia reused the design they already owned. There are just too many great concept cars that never went into production. Would be a waste not to reuse the designs.

[MouseyR]

I had a Ghia and they are fun to drive and handle very well. The Ghia wasn't particularly fast but it was really nimble. 4-Wheel independent suspension. Easy to work on. I had a Volvo P1800ES. It handledd very very well. It was very plush inside but waaay under powered. It caught fire under the Chicago Post Office on the Ike's Pike.

[iningizimu]

It's one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Even today, with high-tech underpinnings and drive train, it would be a superb car. Why always the fake derogatory remarks?

[Hillcapper]

I remember as a kid in the late sixties my grandmother had one. We thought it was so cool.

[jamessawyer]

Since VW has gotten rid of the New Beetle convertible, maybe this is what they need to do, a new design Karmann Ghia, I think it would be very cool!! Maybe even a new version of the Scirocco!! I always liked those as well!!

[ShayneNelson]

Interesting thing #6: The Ghia had a lined convertible top. Truly a luxury top as the lining not only made the interior much more attractive (no seams showing anywhere) but also added a bit of soundproofing for the passengers compared to other brands. The lining in my yellow Ghia was beige, and it served to make the Karman Ghia's interior as smooth and perfect as the exterior.

[azbikerider]

Still want one, and still better looking then so many of todays cars.

[abbaby]

I've always liked this car, great video thanks for sharing

[davidtosh]

I did not know that a 1966 VW Karmann Ghia does have a 12 volt electrical system, and I thought 12 electrical system does occurred for all 1967 VW models (1968 for Type 2 as standard equipment). I have noticed that there are as many as 15 changes for 1968 VW busses, pick up trucks, paneled vans, and Westfalia campers, including totally new body shell with larger windows, including larger one piece windshield, and glass cover over sealed beam headlights dropped. 12 volt electrical system did came out during and later for VW Karmann Ghia for 1966, since I have visited the VW Bug-In Show in various car shows across the USA.

[Pilota]

I have a 71, had it for almost 30 years, paid 750 for it. I rode in the back seat of one when I was maybe 5, and thought it was the coolest car ever. Always wanted one and then, there it was, my bosses brother owned it, and it was one of those “hey Willie, when you gonna sell me your car?” He said “hell, I’ll sell it to you right now “, and it was mine. I have had probably 10 cars since and will never sell this one. Classic lines, simple to work on, cheap to own… what’s not to love?