Not wanting to accept that Volkswagen was happy with building the Karmann Ghia without any big changes for (by then) 10 years, Karmann contracted the Carrozzeria Ghia and requested they design a successor.

The designer who got the job was Giorgetto Giugiaro, whose previous project had been the Maserati Ghibli. He used classic roadsters as an inspiration, but retained the window frames for cheaper and easier construction and a sense of safety.

While the car is based on a slightly lengthened Beetle-chassis and drivetrain it did get a lot of praise for the modern design. Sadly Volkswagen was not convinced to build it so this one is the sole example.