[T3] What means Karmann Ghia?

[Jim Adney]

Marion McDonald just sent me this link to a nice Jay Leno Video about a VW 
Type 34.

http://www.nbc.com/jay-lenos-garage/video/1964-volkswagen-type-34-ghia/3
519119

(Sorry for the wrap)

One thing that bothered me about their conversation was the part where Jay 
asked, "But it's not a Karmann Ghia..." and the owner answered, "Right."

Now clearly it IS a Karmann Ghia. It's just not the one everyone is used to 
seeing. Then Jay asks about the build quality coming from Italy. This 
stumped me. The owner also refers to it as "the razor's edge." I've never 
heard the "edge" in there. Should it be?

They also come very close to mentioning Ghia as the common design studio 
that came up with all the cars that they mention from that era that share 
common features: The Type 3 Karmann Ghia, the Corvair, the BMW 1600 - 
2002, and many more that went unmentioned.

I've always thought that Ghia was the design studio in Italy that designed the 
body, and Karmann was some sort of custom bodyworks that must have 
been in Germany, which would have been simple for VW to ship pans to.  

Is/was Karmann actually in Italy?

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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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