When Gwen Nicholson was going to high school in the late 1960s, the first car she owned was a 1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia - opens in new window or tab. convertible. Nicholson, who lives in Jasper, Ga., has great memories of driving the car all the way through her college years. But when she got married a few years later, she parted ways with her Ghia.
She never got the little Volkswagen out of her system.
A few decades later, while on a trip to Atlanta, she saw a 1974 Karmann Ghia convertible for sale. It was love at first sight. The 1974 Ghia had just been restored, and was in perfect shape. The owner was moving out of state and was willing to deal—so a price was agreed upon, and the 1974 Olympic Blue Karmann Ghia convertible was hers.
The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia was introduced in Europe in 1955, and made its way to the US a year later. The car got its name from the German coachbuilder Karmann— which built the bodywork by hand, and the Italian carrozzeria Ghia that created the iconic shape of the car.
The Ghia was an instant success, and soon became one of Volkswagen’s most beloved vehicles with more than 445,000 produced between 1955 and 1974. Nicholson’s 1974 Ghia was one of the very last ones to leave the assembly line. The Karmann Ghia is built on a Volkswagen Type-1 Beetle chassis that had been widened to accommodate the hand-built body. While the Beetle’s body was bolted together, the Karman Ghia was butt welded and hand shaped. The seams were smoothed with English pewter. This type of labor-intensive construction was generally used only for luxury vehicles. But the Karmann Ghia was Volkswagen’s halo car, so it made sense for the company to build the body this way.
Volkswagen never marketed the Karman Ghia as a sports car, despite its resemblance to the iconic Porsche 356. Volkswagen thought that it was more of a practical and stylish roadster.
Nicholson’s particular Ghia started life with a 1,584cc four-cylinder engine producing 60 horsepower. During restoration, its displacement was increased to 1700cc, which, along with a free-flow exhaust, pushed the output to 75 horsepower. Despite the added oomph, the Ghia still needed about 14 seconds to hit the 60-mph mark.
The interior was completely revamped with its leatherette seats replaced with much cooler cloth material. A Nardi wood steering wheel - opens in new window or tab. and matching shift knob, along with German Basket weave carpet, complete the interior.
The Ghia’s convertible top is easy to operate— just flip two latches, push the top over your head into its place and you are ready for open motoring. Nicholson calls it “natural air-conditioning.” Even with the top up, visibility is good with a large rear window, and the heater makes the cabin toasty whether the top is up or down.
Stopping power still relies on non-power assisted front disk/rear drum brakes and the manual steering is a workout with all of the mechanicals straight from the Type-1 Beetle.
Nicholson loves the reliability of her car. “The nice thing about my Ghia is that underneath, it is still a Volkswagen,” she said. “That means I can get it serviced just about anywhere, and parts are just a click away - opens in new window or tab..”
Even though Nicholson has owned this Karman Ghia for almost 20 years, she is still absolutely in love with the car. She drives it almost every day, and looks forward to weather that allows for open-air motoring. Over the years, Nicholson has competed in local car shows, taking pride in keeping it as clean as the day she bought it.
“I don’t think I will ever sell my Ghia,” said Nicholson. “It’s just too much fun to drive and it makes me feel so young.”
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.