[T3] What means Karmann Ghia?

[John Jaranson]

> On May 16, 2017, at 11:36 PM, Jim Adney <jadney at vwtype3.org> wrote:
> 
> 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?

Razor or Razor Edge are both commonly used to describe the Type 34 Ghia.

> 
> 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?
> 

They got several things wrong in the video.  Ghia was a design studio in Italy that was responsible for the styling of the Type 14 Ghia and the Type 34 Ghia along with lots of other cars.  The Type 14, Type 34, and the Beetle Convertibles had the bodies built and vehicles final assembled at Karmann Coachworks in Osnabruck, Germany.


Later,
John Jaranson
www.carartbyjohn.com