The Karmann Ghia was a result of a collective of automotive genius’. The collaboration saw the designers at Volkswagen partner with Italian automotive artist Carrozzeria Ghia and the German coachbuilders known as the house of Karmann. Ideas to produce a 2+2 coupe floated when Volkswagen executives were interested in offering a car to a new market that was beginning to see living standards eased post-war. The Karmann Ghia, however, has a deeper story behind it. After frequent encounters at car automobile shows, Wilhelm Karmann and Luigi Segre decided to build a coupe using the beetle as a prototype, which Volkswagen finally approved in November of 1953. The result was a beautiful 2+2 sports coupe such as the garage kept example in discussion that currently sits in California, waiting for its new owner. The car is currently with its second owner, who reportedly accompanied his aunt during the initial purchase, recalling that the vehicle was “Bought off the showroom floor on the turntable in the middle of the dealership.”

Exterior and Interior

The featured Karmann Ghia comes in a Canary yellow exterior paint and well cared for exterior, namely the front and rear bumper as well as the grille. The VW consists of disc brakes up front, and is all original, with the exception of a set of aftermarket Bilstein shocks. The car includes a black interior, with wooden trim. The dash panel and vinyl door panels look to have been preserved well. The cabin invites you into a set of carpets and headliner that is said to be in good condition, vinyl seats up front, and a tight, if not snug, rear seating position.

Engine

Under the hood of the Karmann Ghia is a 1.58L engine with original block bored to 1679cc using 88mm Pistons. Power is accessed via a 4-speed manual transmission. The owner also highlighted the fact that the car had done just 200 miles since its last oil change and service.