1958 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
Italian design house Ghia created one of automotive history’s most elegant collaborations by styling this distinctive coupe for German coachbuilder Karmann and Volkswagen.
The big news for 1958 was the introduction of the convertible model in August 1957, featuring a tight-fitting top with a wool headliner that folded neatly into the rear seat well. At 64 inches wide, the sleek body was about four inches wider than the Beetle, sitting seven inches lower with curved glass all around and frameless door glass.
The body panels were butt-welded and hand-shaped, then smoothed with a thin layer of lead in a time-consuming process that resulted in higher pricing compared to the machine-welded Beetle. Design touches included tastefully applied chrome trim and styling similarities to Chrysler show cars that Ghia had previously prototyped.
The rear-mounted 72.7 cubic inch (1,192 cc) air-cooled flat-four produced 36 horsepower at 3,700 rpm, paired with a four-speed manual transmission. Marketed as a practical 2+2 rather than a true sports car, more than 10,000 units were sold in its first model year.
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