It’s a rare car that still looks good nearly 60 years after its introduction.
Volkswagen’s Karmann Ghia two-plus-two coupe that was unveiled in Germany in 1955, but didn’t come to Australia until 1960, is an unquestioned exception.
Joining a small list of eternally attractive cars, the Karmann Ghia was built off the same floor pan as the original Volkswagen beetle and was initially powered by the same 1.2-litre air-cooled engine. It was designed by Luigi Segre at the studios of the Italian stylist Ghia and was constructed by the German coachbuilder Karmann.
Essentially, the Karmann Ghia had plenty of show, but offered very little go. The road performance was pretty much identical to the beetle, as were the handling/roadholding limitations imposed by the swing-axle rear suspension and rearward weight bias.
But where the beetle’s 1930s pre-war design was evident in its somewhat dingy, small-windowed interior, the Karmann Ghia came with a sense of light and space, as well as more classy fittings making it a decidedly upmarket experience.
It had to be. With a new price in 1960 of $3196 it was at least half as costly again as a 1200 Deluxe beetle and dearer than some of the genuinely sporty British cars of the time including the (admittedly two-seat convertibles) MGA and Triumph TR2.
But the Karmann Ghia had the class and style to carry it off. Like the Triumph TR2 and MGA, it said something about the owner, but the accent was different: A touch of affluent inner suburbs, ski lodges and bayside holiday homes, and with maybe a more feminine feel
The Karmann Ghia got more – but not a lot more – punch in 1966 with the adoption of the 1.3-litre engine also used in the beetle, then went to 1.5 litres and slightly more go in 1967.
From 1967 it also sold alongside the larger, squared-off, again Ghia-designed 1500 Type 34 Karmann Ghia that was based on the Type 3 Volkswagen platform (two-door fastback, squareback and wagon), complete with the “flat” 1.5-litre air-cooled engine and a better-behaved semi-trailing link rear suspension.
The original, still, is regarded with more affection than the Type 34 and this brings us to a green/white 1961 model for sale in the suburb of Speers Point, near Newcastle in NSW.
With a price tag of $24,750 the Karmann Ghia is described as having been fully restored and benefitting from a full bare-metal respray in 2008. The owner says the trophy-winning car has always been garaged and protected with a car cover. Condition inside and out is described as “beautiful” and the photos back up the claim. The way it drives is described similarly.
The Karmann Ghia is registered until December 2014, but does not come with a roadworthy certificate. The owner also points out that it will be sold not with the polished alloys seen in the first two photos but with the steel wheels (including hubcaps) pictured in the second lot of photographs.
A timeless, sure-fire way of making a visual impact on the road.