The Type 34, however, lacked the visual charm of the Karmann-Ghia models and it sold slowly. This coupe was called the Type 34 and shared the wheelbase and air-cooled, rear-engine running gear of the sedan upon which it was based. had peaked in 1970 at 38,825, of which 5,873 were convertibles.Ĭoncurrent with its production of the Ghia-styled, Beetle-based cars, Karmann also built a four-passenger coupe based on the Type 3 1500-series sedan introduced in 1961. An additional 23,577 coupes had been built at VW's plant in Brazil. It had built 283,501 coupes and 80,897 convertibles. Karmann needed all the space it could find to build the brand new VW Scirocco sports coupe, and ceased production of the Beetle-based cars in 1974. VW's semi-automatic transmission was offeredĪs an option starting in 1968, and as on the Beetle, cars ordered with it got the new double-jointed rear suspension.ĭemand was still relatively healthy into the early 1970s, but the Karmann-Ghia's days were numbered. An external gas filler door appeared on the upper front bodywork. regulations, Karmann-Ghias adopted round side marker lights on the rear fenders, as well as an energy-absorbing steering wheel and steering column, and front seats with integral headrests. Safety came to the fore in 1968 when, per new U.S. When VW revamped its power ratings for 1973, switching from gross to net figures, the Karmann-Ghia was rerated to 46 horsepower. The 1600s also had better stopping power, thanks to their standard front disc brakes. A switch in final drive for manual-transmission models in 1972 increased top speed to 90 mph. The 1600s were the quickest Karmann-Ghias, capable of 0-60 mph in about 21 seconds and a top speed of around 82 mph. This was the last styling change before the car was discontinued in 1974. The 1972 Karmann-Ghias got heftier bumpers and gained larger taillights. There was another bump to 1.5 liters and 53 horsepower for 1967, and a step to 1.6 liters and 57 horsepower for 1970, and finally, to 60 horsepower in 1971. A vacuum-operated clutch was also introduced as an option, though sources differ as to whether availability was confined to European-market cars.įor 1961, horsepower jumped to 40 at 4900 rpm and the final-drive ratio changed from 4.43:1 to 4.37:1 to slow engine speed, through the ratios of first and fourth gears were tightened in an effort to preserve 'acceleration.'Įngine size increased to 1.3 liters for 1966 and horsepower rose to 50 at 4600 rpm. That same year, Karmanns got a new steering wheel that was dished for safety, and a hydraulic steering damper to quell kickback. However, the front anti-roll bar first seen on the Karmann-Ghia was adapted for 1960-model Beetles. An exception was the Super Beetle's MacPherson-strut front suspension, which would not fit under the Karmann-Ghia's bodywork. Thereafter, most every successive change made to the Beetle was also made to the Karmann-Ghia.

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