Karmann Get Topless!

The year of 1949 was a significant one for Volkswagen. The company was putting the horrors of war behind it and looking forward to a brighter future. One of the ways of doing this was to expand its range, with the new Type 2 Transporter launched at the end of the year. But, just a few months before this, Wolfsburg had also bolstered its Type 1 model, with the debut of not one but two different convertibles based on the Beetle.

“the open-top version of the Beetle had all the same virtues of the saloon it was based on, but also dialled in style and class”

The coachbuilders given the privilege of building these cars were Hebmüller and Karmann. Hebmüller’s smart two-seater effort proved sadly shortlived, but Karmann’s four-seater Cabriolet turned out to be much more resilient, making it through to the dawn of the 1980s. That’s a pretty impressive run for a convertible – but the open-top version of the Beetle had all the same virtues of the saloon it was based on, but also dialled in style and class. With its roof in place, it was just as snug as the tin-top Type 1, but with the hood back, it afforded four occupants the appeal of al fresco motoring, as one of the best value and most practical convertibles available. Few other similar vehicles were just as popular after over three decades as they were during their early years. But the Karmann was.

Today, the Cabriolet retains its considerable charm and desirability as one of the greatest and most enduring of all Volkswagen models. If the Beetle was a true people’s car, then the Karmann Cabriolet was the people’s convertible, classless and classic. So happy 70th birthday to a topless beauty – and to help celebrate, enjoy these interesting facts you might not have known about Karmann’s success story.

Pre-Karmann connections

Karmann may have been responsible for the mainstream run of cabriolet Beetles from 1949 through to 1980. But it wasn’t the first to indulge in decapitating Type 1s. Right from