Racing lines
“you really need to see it in the sunlight to fully appreciate it”
utside of a Porsche engine drops right in the hole cliché, that the Karmann Ghia was underpowered is right up there in pub chat circles when it comes to Volkswagen ‘knowledge’. However, the reason it is said so often is because it is painfully, woefully true.
Undeniably, one of the most beautiful sports coupé designs of all time, and VW could only muster a maximum of 50bhp from a 1584cc engine before production ceased in 1974. It’s almost criminal.
Of course, there are mitigating circumstances. For cost reasons, the Ghia was developed around the existing Beetle platform, and used many of the same parts, including the engine. So ultimately what you have is the performance of a Beetle and the looks of a, well, I’ve run myself into a cul-de-sac here because there is simply nothing to compare the Ghia with, such is her beauty.
The temptation to rectify this automotive injustice has produced some stunning Karmann Ghias over time that have been given
