Sold for $13,200 at 2009 Automobiles of Amelia Island.
The Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia was a German-Italian joint effort introduced in 1955. Dr. Wilhelm Karmann, whose firm was building the cabriolet version of the Beetle, submitted designs to Volkswagen in hopes of generating new business. The designs were for a new sporty coupe, which Volkswagen ignored. Around the same time, Mario Boano and Luigi Segre of Italy's Carrozzeria Ghia had proposed some styling enhancments to Volkswagen. These too were ignored. Karmann approached Ghia directly, resulting in a prototype. Using a Beetle, Ghia developed a new body that was mounted directly to the Beetle's basic platform chassis. The prototype was sent to Karmann in late 1953 and used to impress Volkswagen's chief Heinz Nordhoff.

There were slight differences to the Beetle's body; the new coupe had slightly wider bodywork and a lower roofline. There was a bulge in the rear fenders and an extended lower-body crease. Some of these design features were shown on the Chrysler-Ghia d'Elegance Concept car of 1953. In 1955, the Karmann-Ghia was a very popular vehicle and would remain in production until July of 1974 after 283,501 coupes and 80,897 convertibles had been produced.

This Karmann-Ghia is a late-production convertible that has been treated to a professional mechanical and cosmetic restoration. It is painted in red, has a white interior, and woodgrain dash and black convertible top. There are United States specification bumpers complete with override bars and the original-type ventilated steel wheels with bright hubcaps and whitewall tires.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2009