5 Things To Know About The VW Karmann Ghia
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- čas přidán 22. 07. 2024
- 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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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!
Tomas, you are such a lucky man!
YUSS!
Lucky and smart you for keeping it! Wish I had.
My dad showed me where a 66 Ghia was for sale for $ 100 . I was 16 in 1977.
Drove it for about 6 years. Sold it for 250. Don't know what I had. 😢
Lucky you .
Wish I still had mine. 😣
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!
Susan Tobias ancient
many years ago, a family friend-an older German dude-owned a 1956 Ghia...this was in the early 70s when I met him...the most interesting thing about that car, was the gas gauge...it was a vertical bar sort of thing, that looked like a thermometer!...a few years later, I bought an old 62 Ghia...it had a more normal looking gas gauge...So I guess that vertical gauge was only used for a couple of years.
My parents used to own a new one in +/- 1966 in the Congo, our driver took me to and from school in it. I bought a RHD 1958 model in South Africa 30 years later. The interior smelled exactly like my parents one, loved it, the simplicity, the looks. Isn’t she an absolute beauty?
One of the prettiest cars ever made.
timfireblade I agree!!
one of the most beautifully designed products of all time
Except for just about all other cars, anyway...
So much better than the amorphous blobs of today !
Absolutely!
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.
@einkerl
actually, i read decades ago that VW was the fastest car in the world--for the first six feet--due to the clutch design.
@CASPER 12345 I built a 2200 cc motor with balanced crank, dual port heads and the dual Kadrone carbs for my '59 bus. Ended up lightening the flywheel and putting the built motor in a 67 KG. It ran neck and neck with my buddies 911.
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..
Arguably the best Year- IRS, discrete rear lights, pre. big bumper...
Currently restoring one in UK and we are going through many bottles of welding gas 😶
Its more fun driving a slow car fast than a fast car slow
Pete kovacevic 👌🏼😎 Yup! Got that right.! 😅🚗💨💨 Hahaha! 😄😆😂🤣😂
Brilliant!!!👀🚀🛩️🚁👹👻🛸
Can't keep up with a Miata on the twisties tho.
Bravo hrvatski brate!
Yes, driving fast is in fact fun
VW did not steal the design, Ghia sold it to VW. and it was not Chrysler's design, it was Ghia's.
I agree well said
Sort a MIX of both.
@@johnhetherington8830 Yeah and that design also reminds me of of the Bentley R-Type Continentals......
Yup, can you still (steal) from yourself? The Thing might have used the ghia pan, but the design was straight from WWII. What did the officers in the field drive? Their version of the jeep in my opinion. I like the double carbs and non-replacement exhaust that were stock. Hey just try a fact check or google and then admit what you are talking about. Good catch Edmond and the rest who chimed in on this part. The rest was ok. (I own 3 Ghias, two Westfalias and two 72 super beetle convertibles [ugh on super beetle but eh], And a software fixed 2013 beetle TDI) hee ha
I think also ghia bult. Theyr handmade coach in italy
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.
And today any car that takes more than 9 seconds to go 0-60 is considered to be too slow to be safe to drive. But I owned at least a dozen cars that were way slower than that and enjoyed them all. I timed my 61 Corvair at 34 seconds 0-60 LOL!
Learned to drive on the family 1970 VW Bus. Even more weight for that tiny engine to push. An extra challenge - driving on an interstate with a high winds blasting from the side. In the winter. And yes, it was kinda fun. A couple of years later, our new VW Squareback felt like a damn sports car. More fun with both cars; that interstate (87, NYS Northway) was half an hour away. Everything around our town was hills with small roads.
I remember as a kid in the late sixties my grandmother had one. We thought it was so cool.
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?
One of my favorite cars of all time. I loved the name, and I love the front end.
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.
7. It has a glass rear window, unlike other sports cars.
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.
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.
One laid out by Chrysler...
Saying that it was "stolen" is ludicrous, in any case the correct word would be "inspired"
Ghia FOR Chrysler and then VW.
GM reused designs for 10 years at a time
70-81 Camaro and 73 -86 pick ups.
The first thing I thought about the 'stolen from Chrysler' thing was what legal rights that Chrysler still had for this design.I guess everything legal will eventually lapse though right? Great vid, great graphics too. You folks filming these things make it seem so casual and comfortable. I want a P1800 vid though. The Redesign a few years ago by that private company was such an incredibly well done car. I was amazed when I saw that...
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.
The Trump News Network I want one badly!
@@SladesVWBeetle They are very cool little cars but like all air cooled VWs you have to tinker with them often which is easy.
The Trump News Network Absolutely!! I have had many Beetles, but never had a Ghia.
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!!
They failed terribly with the New Beetle as it was nothing more than a Golf in sheep's clothing.
What about a New Corrado
KG electric, deep blue with a tan bark ragtop. My dream car.
I had 3 MK1 Sciroccos (my first 2 cars were '78s) and I regularly drove several others (Dad had an '81, best friend had a '79 and an '80). I let go of my 3rd one in 1999 for free, because it needed work, and I didn't have the time (or space) to do it justice. I hope the guy I gave it to did. Wish I still had it - it's almost impossible to find one for sale these days, and they regularly go for $10k or more. I paid $300 for my last one. Sigh...
How about keep the design the same? Why should they change one of the most beautiful cars ever designed?
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!!
Owned a beater '70 KG ragtop(OK, duct tape top!) in college. My friends called it the Gonorrhea....
@@kitchenmarshall3721 What? Gonorrhea? Picked up in college? LOL
My 70s rag top was a nice rusty red but was a great little car. VW need to bring it back.
I suppose you can park it right next to a Subaru Impreza STI(Sexually Transmitted Infection)
LOL
That sucked..bet it ran good
I've always liked this car, great video thanks for sharing
Still want one, and still better looking then so many of todays cars.
azbikerider49 I have had numerous Beetles. Never got to own a Ghia. Now the prices are high. I still want one
Back in high school, Titusville, FL in '66, one of my classmates bought a VW KG hardtop.... ALWAYS admired him for doing that...! He and his car was always "IT" whenever he showed up around town....! Thanks for bringing back good memories....! Great little Vid....! Gordon in Maryland
The most fun to drive car I ever had was a VW Beetle, but I ALWAYS wanted a Karmann Ghia. Thanks for a great video about the car of my dreams.
The ad campaign of "You'd lose" reminds me of the last Ford Thunderbird coupe. Which were a beautiful throwback to the early ones.
Middle aged impeccably dressed GQ guy in T-Bird challenged at light by muscle car young guy. The young guys hottie girlfriend reluctantly flags them for a drag race, young guy peels out. And the gentlemen stays put, smiles at the girl and opens the passenger door for her. That was a clever ad.
Jalopnik - You speak the truth. I had the legendary 1967 Ghia convertible. To this day, over 40 years since I owned one, I still miss it all the time, and selling it was one of my more stupid moves when I was young and clueless. It is truly a baby Porsche, in every sense of the word. I was great to drive, even though it was not powerful. You felt the road, the wind in your face and true excitement, without going over 60 miles per hour. A great car that I wish I still had...
Great little vid, Jason: very interesting and informative, great camera work, engaging moderation.
This is a beautiful car, nothing quite like it would ever happen today.
I think there are quite a few handsome cars around today if you are looking. It took courage to buy such a small and un-threatening car for its looks. And it's the same today: in a world where Doug de Muro says that only less than 3 seconds from 0 to 60 gives you the top score, well proportioned cars tend to go unnoticed.
A Morgan 4+ is all the sports car you"ll ever need, it's built right now and it's design was considered beautiful but dated when the Karmann was all new.
That’s true, I think that there are many attractive cars today. I’m not denying that. However I think you would be hard pressed to find a reasonably priced modern production car, that looks like such a piece of art.
@@issuesexplained681
That's a nice challenge!
If I go back to European cars of the nineties and the noughties, I think the last classic Alfa Spiders (1990-1993), the Fiat barchetta, the first series of the Audi TT and the Peugeot 306 cabriolet might qualify as future classics for their timeless looks. Being quite a Saab fan, I'also throw in the classic 900 (both as 3 door coupé and as convertible).
While the Alfa and the Saabs are strongly appreciating, the other ones still can be had for small amounts of money...
Class doesn't die - it just hides in plain sight...
I’m not disagreeing with you. I think there were a lot of beautiful cars to come out of the 90’s. I was mostly commenting on the fact that today most new cars all look similar, and there is less creative styling than there used to be. I don’t hate the way new cars look, there just aren’t many cars I would consider “works of art”.
I don’t think it’s necessary a bad thing new cars often look the same, for example better safety standards, better aerodynamics. It’s not bad, it just contributes to a similar look.
@@notroll1279 I had a Peugeot 505 as my (handed down from mom)first car.Much later I had a '97(NG) Saab.Both were attractive,but like you said,they looked generic compared to their former models.There's something about Italian design,though.They can make everything from a huge ocean liner to a ballpoint pen absolutely gorgeous.
The video title is somewhat misleading; it was not a Chrysler design but a Ghia's own design that they re used for Volkswagen
Its sort-of stolen design: jalopnik.com/five-things-to-know-about-the-volkswagen-karmann-ghia-1830383182
Like the Aston towards the F-Type. Same designer. Both look great.
@@BeeRich33 Ghia designed concept cars for Chrysler that have some resemblance to the Volkswagen.
@@lawrencelewis8105 Uh, ya. That's what's in the video and history. But thanks for stating the obvious, on top of what I already knew. Please read what I put.
And design studios would use the same basic ideas for different makes of cars. People think the Japanese "copied" European cars when actually the same studios designed the BMW sedans and the Hino Contessa at about the same time in the early 60s What they call the "Hofmeister Kink" on a BMW is present on the Hino.
One of my top 3 all time favorite cars. Thank you for the video
My science teacher in high school daily drove a hardtop Karmann Ghia, and it was a lovely blue (my favorite color). That design turned me on to it, and I love it, wouldn't mind owning one now.
My first car was a 69 ghia in light blue. I added tubular exhaust 1600 cc dual port heads, a two-barrel carb, Judson electronic magneto, short throw shift kit, and enjoyed it immensely.
Some SoCal guys discovered that a 150HP Corvair pancake six would drop into the Ghia's engine compartment. Those things were real road rockets.
I saw one of those cars (with the Corvair engine) in Arlington, Virginia back in 1971. The owner said he had to "shoehorn" the engine into the compartment and change the engine mounts but otherwise a fairly straight drop-in. A road rocket is a good description!
My brother, who builds custom hot rods, figured out how to shoehorn a Porsche 914-6 engine into a VW van. When others heard about it they brought their KGs to him for the same treatment. There were at least 20 or so conversions done, a feat that people, even today, say that it can't be done, until they see it. Fastest V dub van on the planet. He once got out of a ticket when showing the judge the specks on a van when fighting a ticket for going over 1 C, case was dismissed...
Owned one of these for 5 years and was one of my favorite cars.
Thank you! That was a nice take on a, at least, nice looking car! It still is really good looking, maybe beautiful for some...
I used to work on them (and owned several bugs). Interesting video. I did notice that the engine air filter(s) in the video were aftermarket, the original used an oil bath filter.
I've always wondered what those little half-grilles did. In the 1950s, it was common to use them to let in air for the ventilation system, but that soon stopped when people realized that air let in at the base of the windshield was a lot cleaner. It was also common to put the horn behind one side grille (or one behind each), as on the Beetle. To this day, grilles like that have been used to cool the brakes. I'll have to check for all 3 the next time I see a Ghia at a classic car show.
they are for fresh air on my 71 Ghia
In August of 1972, Car and Driver said, "You just have to accept the fact that the last Speedster built is a Karmann Ghia".
In April of 1973, Road & Track reluctantly admitted that "VW does make a sports car".
love them ghias! my 65 has a 2386cc motor instead of the 1192cc 40hp it ran a 7.60@90mph in the 1/8th mile with a milder setup
Although I never owned a Ghia so far, I think it's worthwhile waiting for the right one to come along. the back and sides are gorgeous and I love ti
My very first car was a beautifully restored 73 with an 1835cc aftermarket motor sporting twin dellorto carbs. It topped out at about 200 horsepower and in that car it was like driving a little rocket ship. One of the coolest things I ever owned.
Just found this video. Great job! I have a '74 Ghia Cabriolet, with 81k miles on it. I've owned it since 1977. Thought about selling it, got threatened by my kids, so it's still here. Love driving it!
Interesting info. Thank you. I can’t seem to get enough of the Karmann Ghia, right now. I think I’m getting obsessed with it. 😬
I had that exact car back in the day. Same color, everything. I really miss it!!
Are these front wheel drive or rear wheel?
@@johnthompson3856 Rear wheel drive.
karman Ghia looked great in the 60s and still look great today.
Your video have solve the mystery of my late father first car when bought it in Hong Kong in 1970's. It was beautiful and same red colors car. Brings back great memories. Only photo in my memory now. Thanks
One of my favorite cars I've driven. Not fast, but handled well. Was great on mpg, and looked great. I'm 6'4" and there was plenty of room for me. Maintenance was heavy compared to today's cars, but not bad for its time. Yeah, if I could find one in good shape, at the right price, it'd be MINE.
I had a Karmann Ghia in 1970. It was a great car and I had a lot of fun with it!! Almost forgot about it. Wouldn't mind having the one you are showing here!!!
Cruz'n down highway 1 in anything is fun , nice landscape shots, grew up there. God bless you and your family Aloha
Owned a pumpkin orange ghia with my dad and brother throughout university. One of the best parts of my life.
I bought one of these, back in the late 60's. New and also color orange, I loved it. However mine had a vapor lock problem. The cold start was uneventful, but trying to re-start the car when the engine was hot, wouldn't hardly start. It would just crank, and crank, and finally barely start, probably because it was by then, flooded. Lastly, I will say that it was also a magnet for the sweetheart's of the day. I did have fun in my little Karman Ghia!
I absolutely love this car, and I can't go into the grave without ever having one in my life! I don't care if I'll be 70, and the car will be around 90 years old and it won't be any good for other than garden decoration, but I'll get one! It's such a gorgeous car, and a lovely snail cruiser for the sunny days :)
I owned a 1972 coupe. They are real rust buckets. They rust like crazy.
@@golden.lights.twinkle2329 Aren't all vintage cars are? Unless you do a nut and bolt full resto with a thorough cavity and surface protection after, and keep it in a climate-controlled garage...
I don't mind, I drive rustbuckets anyway... :D
I'm surprised VW didn't bring back a nostalgic version like the new Beetle. It would have given the Miata a run for it's money.
If I recall correctly, the first car magazine spy shots of what became the Audi TT were guessed to be the resurrection of the KG…
I imagine a non-runner of these, tiny, restored, electrified, as a great modern version of the KG.
Unfortunately, as much as I admire classic German cars.....no. A Ghia re-pop would likely have been front-wheel drive...and would inherit the poor reliability and expensive upkeep of modern VW's. Miata was rear wheel drive and reliable and there would have been no contest over time.
Spot on wordy AF analysis. Thank you for being very good at it.
The first car I ever bought (though I had cars before this that my parents gave me) was a 1967 Karmann Ghia.
What a blast to drive!
One of my favorite cars, of all time.
In the late 90s I had a girlfriend who lived in Manhattan & a neighbor had the most beautiful example; it was off-white with gold badging/lettering (it looked fantastic, not sure if it was original to the car or not) & I always walked by to stare at it.....such a glorious design!
My favorite thing about it is the massive engine compartment. Which allows you to swap in a porche or Subaru motor without cutting the car to pieces
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?
Had a 61 coupe in high school. That was the only year they had both an aux gas tank and a gas gauge in the same car. Had a lot of fun with that car.
Pebble beach! The 17 mile drive! Ground zero for cars. I live nearby, and this is one of my favorite places on earth! I love it here! If you just drive around the area during car week, it’s like car heaven. You don’t need the expensive tickets to get into the show itself, just hang out in downtown Carmel!! You’ll see things like a black la Ferrari parked next to an F40, a group of Testarossa’s, Porsche 959’s, all parked on just 1 side street! It’s nuts!! Highly recommend car week for any cars guys bucket list!
I always liked the car and of course the P 1800 ... never thought about the construction ... grt vid
In 1974, I bought a 1971 KG and kept it for 13 years. I never loved a car so much as that one.
Had a 71 also,like the red conv.in this video. On the showroom floor at Billco Motors in Wexford,PA. I traded a beat up Beetle and ended up paying 2500.00 when the deal was done. This was in 1973. The car had 2755 miles on it and I had to be told that it was a used car. Looked new to me. I mean it was in the showroom after all. One of my favorite cars of all I've owned. A blast to drive and I was the only dude around to own one.
Howard McCauley Very cool 😎
My much older cousin owned one back in the sixties; a lovely green convertible. She took me for a few rides, which were lots of fun. No, it wasn't for racing. but it was fun to ride in.
The engineer that adapted Exner's Chrysler (Givanni Savonuzzi) certainly used his own styling cues as well, front fenders are from his1947 Cisitalia, and headlight/nose shape similar to his Alfa Supersonica. But certainly the roofline, windows and rear quarters were Exner's!
I've had 3 Karmann Ghia's . A 68 coupe , a 68 vert , and a 73 coupe . I love them . Looking for one now actually .
Love Karmann Ghia's. Actually enjoy restoring them as well, once you know what is involved. Sold a few projects over the years, but would rather save these classic's than part them out.
So awesome. I owned a 61 when i was 18. Miss it a lot.
Thank you, for your Cool informative video, specially the names orgin of Karmman Ghia..
Great video! I never knew that the original concept design was stolen. Thanks for sharing
My old man loved this car.
And that's the O N L Y thing he and I had in common.
Had to see this one again ❤️❤️
I drove one from Newburgh NY to City Island, NYC. My military buddy was taking his Mother's 67 Firebird back to her place and wanted me to drive the Ghia. I barely knew how to drive stick back then (1967), so he explained it. Being a dramatic person, he told me to watch for his hand signals (LOL). When we were climbing up a hill, he had his arm out of the window and waving it furiously downwards. It was a gas, man. My Ghia claim to fame. A load of fun, especailly when driving thru NYC. By then I had the stick shift nailed.
I'm rebuilding a rusty '74 with dual carbs at the moment. Planning to resell, so I'm going to bring up these points to potential buyers that may not be aware of the history of this car. Great video! Minneapolis if anyone is interested.
I've got a 74 ghia in the east metro right now!
Fact #7 A Gerbil could defrost your windshield faster than the stock heater.
Jared D I live in Michigan and I had vws years ago, carried a hundred foot extension cord, a hair dryer, and a 6 inch putty knife! Winter mornings I could defrost it with the hair dryer, and scrape it with the putty knife on my way to work! But with 15 inch tires and wheels and the engine in the back it would go through some shit!
Driving south to f'ing Florida every winter morning worked faster than the stock heater. ( ಠ ͜ʖಠ)
Gas heaters were the trick in the day. And making sure your heater boxes and flex tubes were working,
Jared D , a Gerbil with pneumonia.
I always liked then, a real nice looking car - thank you for this video
Fantastic video man. Thanks!!
Nice video. I really enjoyed that.
In Melbourne Australia in 1961, my first car was a just released 40hp verion of VW Beetle, but at the dealership I very 'taken' by a Karmann Ghia Coupe. As I had learnt to fly at age 17, I was rather smitten by its aerodynamic styling although I knew it was basically just a Beetle under that shapely body. But cash at 18yo was a stretch. But I digress. To continue. By late 1961, I'd ordered a Chrysler Valiant R Series which came in '62 as an S series. So Chrysler & VW definitely had an effect on my car buying habits. Thanks for the video.
Wow did not expect them to be sold new here. Nice to know they are around.
My first car was a '67 Ghia, purchased for $1200 in May of '73. Had it till September of '78. I still remember the license number: UVJ372. Wonder if it's still on the road?
Always loved this car & always wanted to own one - my dream car !
I owned a new 1960 and loved it. I can ad many beautiful experiences as my new wife and I drove from the reception in tux and gown. Drove to Florida on $10 worth of gas.
We ran into a snow storm and had to stop only when were plowing with the front. Also it's tight, I had water up to the doors, inside was dry.
My dad had one just like this one! Same color and all!
This is good to know, thanks.
Ghia did a lot with Chyrsler in those days. Volkswagen did great!
My parents had a convertible Ghia back in the early 60’s & drove it up & down logging roads in the Idaho mountains to go camping, once even fording a creek that stalled a jeep. Fast forward to the 70s & they bought another (hardtop). My sister (9) and I (6) got to pick the color when it was repainted after some bodywork: metal-flake green. I learned to drive in that car. It was outfitted with a 60w stereo so you you could hear it over the engine noise, and an 8-track player. We had 3 tapes: Count Basie Afrique, Don McClean American Pie, and a Plastic Ono Band bootleg. When I went to college with my ‘77 Subaru, it became my sister’s. Sadly, someone rammed it in the early 90’s. She was fine but it was toast. RIP ‘67 Ghia.
1961 Itazuke, A friend had a Ghia. It was well suited to the narrow streets and the girls went nuts seeing it. Most of the guys drove old clunkers like Hudson, Kaiser or Packard.
I came home from the Navy in 1980, and bought my 1969 forest green hardtop KG for $1600. Just like it's 1600cc motor. I had it restored to perfect condition. Unfortunately, I live in the northeast USA. No heat in the winter! I loved that car!
Also reminds me a little of the Mazda Miata. An old family friend of mine had an original one of those in royal blue and black top. Pretty hot two-seater convertible.
MIATA is a Lotus Elan (look)
I like that blue-green convertible Beetle in the video!
love your Ghia !! I so want one !!
I had one, it was wonderful to drive. I remember going into a y intersection and getting into sand, which it didn't like (no car would) when it came out of the sand it just held the corner wonderfully! Yeah, it was a poor man's 356, but it was wonderful!
I had one for a while. It was passed down to me but was a total rust bucket.It serve me well for a year ,until the engine would eventually only run roughly 30 minutes when the valves would overheat, stick and shut down. It got me to the dance clubs on Friday nights. Sometimes leaving me just 1 mile away from my destination. I sold it shortly afterwards. That was back in 1981.
All true, very good report on the Karmann Ghia, a classic car that looks better as it gets older.
The Italian body makes that car, Chrysler may have unintentionally influenced the design, but it was Ghia that made the design work for Volkswagen.
I had a 71 hard top. And I loved it. Lots of fun
I've owned two Ghia's over the years. The first one was a 74 coupe project car that I had no time to finish, so I sold it. The next one was also a project car, a 71 coupe. I had a nephew do the body and interior work, and add on an after market A/C unit. I built the motor, a 2110cc displacement engine, designed and built by me for longevity. With a pair of 44IDF Weber clone carbs (HPMX by EMPI, and they work GREAT!) you'd think it might be a handful to drive, but it drove very well, was mild mannered and drove like a new car, no burps or farts from the motor, mainly thanks to a dual advance (vacuum and mechanical) dist with the vacuum connected to both carbs. Clutch was a 1700 pound Kennedy unit. It had enough power to keep up with anything with a fart can! I finally got too old and stiff (back problems) to crawl under the car a couple times per year to adjust valves, and to just do the other maintenance required of these wonderful air cooled cars. Plus with the racing style exhaust noise and the A/C not being the quietest, I just didn't drive it as much as I would have liked.
The last major thing I did to the car was remove the original transaxle and install a street comp unit from Rancho Trans in California. Tough units! I loved that car!!!
Jason talking about air-cooled VWs? Color me STUNNED. ;)
Seriously, their gorgeous cars. If I didn't have my bug, I could go for a Ghia.
Whose gorgeous cars? Their's...
@@johnjones4825 they're
Always thought these were cool cars. As a kid our next door neighbour always drove one in the late 60's until about 1980, and always the coupe version which was much nicer than the convertible. He kept his last one for about 10 years after he stopped using it as his daily driver and only took it out once in a while on a nice day to go for a drive. It still looked almost brand new as he took such good care of it.
If you put a 1776cc Dual Carb with mild performance cam in the Ghia it will Fly!
I wonder how many have done that? It would be neat to check it out online.
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.
I have a long time friend who has had one of these sitting in his parents garage to this day, I remember we first discovered it after clearing out piles of junk on top of it back in the mid 90's.... It's still there, probably rotted to hell, as far as I know. Almost tempted my dad to buy it in the late 90's before he passed away.... I might go see if it's still worth restoring after watching this.
my pops bought his new in '67, convertible. I still have it. One thing I don't see on here is even though it's a bit slow, guess what, going through canyons (not steep ones) is a blast as there's no way you could ever flip it! it grips very well.
I had a Carmen Ghia when I was going to community college on the north side of Pittsburgh. A WM
I had a ghia in Upstate NY. But my ghia had the instant heat burner in it. No matter how cold it was my little green monster, haha, would throw extreme heat into my body. Then I sold it and bought my first of two 914's. It was during the fuel crisis. It would give me over 400 miles on a tank of gas. Never waited in line and only topped her off when there wasn't any. All three were so much fun to drive.