Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia Year-By-Year

Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia year-by-year hued to the VW tradition of slow and in some years, no change at

Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia year-by-year were particularly languid it came to the styling, packaging, and of the cars, though both the and convertible had their fender and headlamp height raised in 1959.

Thereafter, most successive change made to the was also made to the Karmann-Ghia. An was the Super Beetle’s MacPherson-strut suspension, which would not fit the Karmann-Ghia’s bodywork. However, the anti-roll bar first seen on the was adapted for 1960-model Beetles.

That same year, got a new steering wheel that was for safety, and a hydraulic steering to quell kickback. A vacuum-operated was also introduced as an option, sources differ as to whether was confined to European-market cars.

For horsepower jumped to 40 at 4900 rpm and the ratio changed from to 4.37:1 to slow engine through the ratios of first and gears were tightened in an to preserve acceleration.

Engine increased to 1.3 liters for 1966 and rose to 50 at 4600 rpm. was another bump to 1.5 liters and 53 for 1967, and a step to 1.6 liters and 57 for 1970, and finally, to 60 horsepower in

The 1972 Karmann-Ghias got heftier and gained larger taillights. was the last styling change the car was discontinued in 1974.

© Volkswagen of Inc.

The 1600s were the Karmann-Ghias, capable of 0-60 mph in 21 seconds and a top speed of around 82 A switch in final drive for models in 1972 increased top to 90 mph. The 1600s also had stopping power, thanks to standard front disc When VW revamped its power for 1973, switching from to net figures, the Karmann-Ghia was rerated to 46

Safety came to the fore in when, per new U.S. regulations, adopted round side lights on the rear fenders, as as an energy-absorbing steering wheel and column, and front seats integral headrests. An external gas door appeared on the upper bodywork.

VW’s semi-automatic was offered

as an option starting in and as on the Beetle, cars ordered it got the new double-jointed rear suspension.

was still relatively healthy the early 1970s, but the Karmann-Ghia’s were numbered. Karmann all the space it could find to the brand new VW Scirocco sports and ceased production of the Beetle-based in 1974.

It had built 283,501 coupes and convertibles. An additional 23,577 had been built at VW’s in Brazil. Sales in the U.S. had in 1970 at 38,825, of which were convertibles.

Concurrent its production of the Ghia-styled, Beetle-based Karmann also built a coupe based on the Type 3 sedan introduced in 1961. coupe was called the Type 34 and the wheelbase and air-cooled, rear-engine gear of the sedan upon it was based.

The Type 34, however, the visual charm of the Karmann-Ghia and it sold slowly. Buyers cool to the styling, which had proportions and an airy greenhouse, but was around the front where two outboard headlamps and two smaller lamps flanked a metal nose.

In the spirit of the Karmann-Ghia, Ghia 42,500 Type 34 coupes

©Mirco DeCet

The Type 34 in 1961 and was sold primarily in Ghia built a two-seat version of the Type 34, but it did not go into With demand never strong, production of the Type 34 was halted in June 1969, just fewer than had been built.

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