TheSamba.com :: View topic - The Karmann Ghia’s predecessors and successors

Tue Sep 03, 2019 7:12 am

Ok, I’ve heard of Ghia’s Lincoln d'elegance and its relationship to the Karmann Ghia—

but Ghia’s Plymouth Explorer?!

Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:49 am

You'll find Ghia like a lot of the other Italian design studios had a distinctive "House Style" where a lot of the styling accents were repeated through designs for other marques.

The Volvo P1800 was a Ghia design built in the same Karmann factory as our beauty. Note the P1800's roofline...

also the '52 Lancia Aurelia Ghia was also sporting the distinctive roofline before the arrival of the Chrysler d'Elegance...

...the 1952 Fiat 8V Ghia Coupe...

Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:56 am

John Moxon wrote: You'll find Ghia like a lot of the other Italian design studios had a distinctive "House Style" where a lot of the styling accents were repeated through designs for other marques.

The Volvo P1800 was a Ghia design built in the same Karmann factory as our beauty. Note the P1800's roofline...

Actually, Volvo wanted Karmann to build the cars but Volkswagen, threatened threatened to cancel their contract for the Karmann Ghia if they did.

Tue Sep 03, 2019 10:07 am

TDCTDI wrote:
Actually, Volvo wanted Karmann to build the cars but Volkswagen, threatened threatened to cancel their contract for the Karmann Ghia if they did.

Yep you're right I forgot that little detail...however the other early '50s cars designed by Ghia illustrate that the roofline wasn't an exclusive Exner feature.

Tue Sep 03, 2019 10:12 am

A lot of Ghia is interesting, they had their fingers all over the place! If I recall Fords top trim line was known as Ghia for many years.

I was surprised when Audi brought out the TT model that VW didn't seize the unit, make a few cosmetic tweaks and badge it as a new Karmann Ghia.

Dave

Tue Sep 03, 2019 10:25 am

How interesting! Didn't realize there was such a family resemblance across Ghia automobiles.

Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:05 am

this too...never forget!!!

The side scoop indent makes the rear fender shape that most Ghia designs share...

Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:18 am

djkeev wrote: If I recall Fords top trim line was known as Ghia for many years.

Dave

Yes Ford bought the Ghia design studio in the mid '60s and simply used the name for top of the range interiors and wood-grained dash facings. Bit of come-down for the name of Ghia. :(

Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:40 am

John Moxon wrote: djkeev wrote: If I recall Fords top trim line was known as Ghia for many years.

Dave

Yes Ford bought the Ghia design studio in the mid '60s and simply used the name for top of the range interiors and wood-grained dash facings. Bit of come-down for the name of Ghia. :(

Ford destroys everything it touches. Look what they did to the Jaguar.

Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:46 am

Braukuche wrote: John Moxon wrote: djkeev wrote: If I recall Fords top trim line was known as Ghia for many years.

Dave

Yes Ford bought the Ghia design studio in the mid '60s and simply used the name for top of the range interiors and wood-grained dash facings. Bit of come-down for the name of Ghia. :(

Ford destroys everything it touches. Look what they did to the Jaguar.

Jaguar was a screaming POS before Ford acquired them, but they certainly did nothing to improve upon them.

Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:48 am

John Moxon wrote: The Volvo P1800 was a Ghia design built in the same Karmann factory as our beauty. Note the P1800's roofline...

Actually neither Ghia nor Karmann.
Design was by Swedish designer Pelle Pettersson and the first years it was built in England.
Later Volvo moved production to Sweden, the 1800S models.

Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:52 am

John Moxon wrote:

...the 1952 Fiat 8V Ghia Coupe...

Looks more like a Nash Healey than anything.
Now, just photoshop Ivanka Lloyd-Wright in there and you'd have a winner. :lol:

Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:53 am

KMW wrote: John Moxon wrote: The Volvo P1800 was a Ghia design built in the same Karmann factory as our beauty. Note the P1800's roofline...

Actually neither Ghia nor Karmann.
Design was by Swedish designer Pelle Pettersson and the first years it was built in England.
Later Volvo moved production to Sweden, the 1800S models.

Perhaps a proxy Ghia... ;)
Wiki wrote: Styling was by Pelle Petterson under the tutelage of Pietro Frua when Frua's studio was a subsidiary of the prestigious Italian carrozzeria Ghia,

Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:56 am

djkeev wrote:
I was surprised when Audi brought out the TT model that VW didn't seize the unit, make a fee cosmetic tweaks and badge it as a new Karmann Ghia.
Easy, VW owns neither of the names Karmann Ghia.
Karmann still exists as builder of mobile homes even though VW bought the Osnabrück factory after that part of Karmann went bankrupt.
Ghia was bought by Ford in the 70s thus Ford would object to the use of that name.

Tue Sep 03, 2019 12:10 pm

art_lessing wrote: this too...never forget!!!

The side scoop indent makes the rear fender shape that most Ghia designs share...

Yes! I think I know this subliminally but its never been a conscious fact until now.

Tue Sep 03, 2019 12:19 pm

djkeev wrote: A lot of Ghia is interesting, they had their fingers all over the place! If I recall Fords top trim line was known as Ghia for many years.

I was surprised when Audi brought out the TT model that VW didn't seize the unit, make a few cosmetic tweaks and badge it as a new Karmann Ghia.

Dave

The design is nearly as classic. I find the TT to be my #1 recent design choice. Too bad the quirks are so many. My Brother in Law's 02 had a transmission issue that ended up costing $7,000 to 'fix' (replace). My sister's was in the shop more than on the street. I still want one, heck, maybe two! Just the MK1 tho, the newer ones lost something I can't quite put my finger on. And, the coup, not the roadster, those are pretty ugly IMHO.

Tue Sep 03, 2019 12:23 pm

bobbyblack wrote: djkeev wrote: A lot of Ghia is interesting, they had their fingers all over the place! If I recall Fords top trim line was known as Ghia for many years.

I was surprised when Audi brought out the TT model that VW didn't seize the unit, make a few cosmetic tweaks and badge it as a new Karmann Ghia.

Dave

The design is nearly as classic. I find the TT to be my #1 modern design choice. Too bad the quirks are so many. My Brother in Law's 02 had a transmission issue that ended up costing $7,000 to 'fix' (replace). My sister's was in the shop more than on the street. I still want one, heck, maybe two! Just the MK1 tho, the newer ones lost something I can't quite put my finger on. And, the coup, not the roadster, those are pretty ugly IMHO.

Had my 2013 TTS coupe since new— never a single issue! I tend to agree that the first model was more the dream car— became more plebeian in the later incarnation. Every car I see seems to have the same scooping side and the corporate front doesn’t quite work on it as it does the other models.

But don’t tell anyone— trying to finance my Karmann Ghia Fever with it!

Tue Sep 03, 2019 2:35 pm

iowegian wrote: John Moxon wrote:

...the 1952 Fiat 8V Ghia Coupe...

Looks more like a Nash Healey than anything.
Now, just photoshop Ivanka Lloyd-Wright in there and you'd have a winner. :lol:
The entire roof of that Fiat 8V Ghia Coupe could be replaced with a VW Karmann Ghia roof and nobody would ever be able to tell the difference. :)

Tue Sep 03, 2019 3:33 pm

I’ll agree.

Wed Sep 04, 2019 10:30 pm

Here's an interesting one:Renault Fregate Ondine cabriolet, designed by Ghia and dating approx. 2 years before the production Karmann Ghia coupe.