A Beetle in a Lovely Italian Suit

The real bug with any Karmann-Ghia is rust. It’s claimed nearly all of the early cars, and it can appear anywhere on the body

by Rob Sass

By the mid-1950s, it appeared certain that the West German economic miracle would be sustained. Luxury models from BMW and Mercedes-Benz began to reappear. Even Volkswagen began to consider something more special than the prosaic Beetle sedan.

The Italian coachbuilder Ghia had proposed designs for Studebaker and Chrysler, though they both came to naught. Ghia then suggested a variation on its Studebaker work to Volkswagen, modifying the design to fit on a chassis twelve inches wider than a Beetle sedan. VW accepted, and they showed the car at the 1953 Paris show.

Production began in 1955 for the 1956 model year, with Karmann building the bodies to Ghia’s design. The workmanship was exquisite. Unlike the Beetle, fenders were welded, not bolted, and seams were carefully leaded. Interior fittings were done to a higher standard as well.

Unfortunately, nothing was done with the standard 1,200-cc VW Type 1 air-cooled motor. With less than 40...