| Author |
Message |
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
 Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 10:19 am Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
 |
|
Huh! I do hope there is no untoward Karmann Ghia Karma.
Btw: I believe that the Sowden house architect was actually FLW son Lloyd Wright. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Redlabel6
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2016
Posts: 381
Location: Minnesota
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 11:07 am Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
| Redlabel6 wrote: |
If you really want to see the genius of FLW, go to Racine, WI. He designed much of SC Johnson's headquarters and their family home Wingspread.
There is a FLW museum onsite as well. Check out this link
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g602...onsin.html
The windows in the lab tower are actually Pyrex tubes. Tours are free.
I'm there a few times a week meeting with clients.[/url] |
Spectacular! Last summer’s road trip. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
rcooled
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2008
Posts: 2504
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 2:03 pm Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
| Trylon wrote: |
| ...met the man who commissioned FLW to build his house |
Thanks for the info on Roland Reisley and his FLW-designed home...very interesting. I'm sure you know of the Marin County Civic Cntr. in San Rafael, CA. It too is open for tours.
Wright's original architectural model of the complex ↓
Exterior view ↓
The long interior galleries were originally intended to be open to the sky
but had to be closed in due to heavy winter rains ↓
_________________
'63 Ragtop (current)
'65 Ghia coupe (totaled)
'67 Ghia convertible (current)
'69.5 Ghia convertible and
'62, '63, '65, '69 Bugs (all long gone) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 2:34 pm Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
| Redlabel6 wrote: |
I'm there a few times a week meeting with clients. |
I didn’t see this interesting nugget! So you do business at the Racine SCJohnson site? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 2:35 pm Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
| rcooled wrote: |
| Trylon wrote: |
| ...met the man who commissioned FLW to build his house |
Thanks for the info on Roland Reisley and his FLW-designed home...very interesting. I'm sure you know of the Marin County Civic Cntr. in San Rafael, CA. It too is open for tours.
Wright's original architectural model of the complex ↓
|
Yes, I have wandered around that remarkable complex. That said, the photo of the model is new to me— thanks! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 2:46 pm Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
To get this back on track—
I just heard from the author of the Automobiles of Frank Lloyd Wright!
But before you get your hopes up, he no longer has his notes and does not really remember where the fact that FLW owned a Karmann Ghia came from nor any other information besides that fact.
As I said, he is aging and repeated a number of times that FLW never owned ANY automobiles— his students did. I think that may be overstating the facts because I have heard otherwise. That said, he said he researched this book for 2 years traveling across the USA and Canada! He even mentioned searching a junk yard.
But for all that research, we seem to be left with an unsubstantiated assertion that FLW had some association with some Karmann Ghia at some time in his life. Unsatisfying, but somehow I doubt that we will learn any more any time soon and even less as time goes by.
He did offer one suggestion— FLW’s archives at Columbia University where, I take it, he did some of his research. I think I would need more than a “just curious” to get access...and can you imagine that I would ever find a Karmann Ghia reference in that haystack?
So, threads over unless someone’s got another idea. How about photoshopping a Cherokee Red lowlight Cabriolet and presenting it as “Frank’s Lost Ghia”? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 4:42 pm Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
| Trylon wrote: |
| iowegian wrote: |
| Maybe someone at the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana knows something--------they do have Wright's Cord and one of his Crosleys on display. |
That’s a great idea! Thanks! Will get on it... |
I forgot this... next on the agenda! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
John Moxon 
Samba Moderator
Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13952
Location: Southampton U.K.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 4:29 am Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
| John Moxon wrote: |
| Trylon wrote: |
To get this back on track—
How about photoshopping a Cherokee Red lowlight Cabriolet and presenting it as “Frank’s Lost Ghia”? |
 I'm shocked at your very suggestion!
...I'll get right on it.  |
Great! This was pointed right at you given both your photographic skills ... and devious nature.
Thanks! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 4:36 am Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
| Trylon wrote: |
| John Moxon wrote: |
| Trylon wrote: |
To get this back on track—
How about photoshopping a Cherokee Red lowlight Cabriolet and presenting it as “Frank’s Lost Ghia”? |
I'm shocked at your very suggestion!
...I'll get right on it. |
Great! This was pointed right at you given both your photographic skills ... and devious nature.
Thanks! |
And if your could put it in context with a FLW building, bingo! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
John Moxon
Samba Moderator
Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13952
Location: Southampton U.K.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 5:35 am Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
| John Moxon wrote: |
Dammit...look what I found. It was in The Samba Gallery all along.
|
Sorry so late it responding, can’t stop laughing!
That is so great! It needs a wider audience. Article for Hemmings? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 5:36 am Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
| Trylon wrote: |
| John Moxon wrote: |
Dammit...look what I found. It was in The Samba Gallery all along.
|
Sorry so late it responding, can’t stop laughing!
That is so great! It needs a wider audience. Article for Hemmings? |
58 FLW
Guffaw! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 6:01 am Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
| Trylon wrote: |
| Trylon wrote: |
| John Moxon wrote: |
Dammit...look what I found. It was in The Samba Gallery all along.
|
Sorry so late it responding, can’t stop laughing!
That is so great! It needs a wider audience. Article for Hemmings? |
58 FLW
Guffaw! |
You know, I think Hemmings just might be interested in our hunt. Especially given this incredible graphic! Are you game to try? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
KGCoupe
Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2005
Posts: 3580
Location: Putting the "ill" and "annoy" in Illinois
|
| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 6:24 am Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
Just curious if the book made any mention to what model year the FLW Karmann Ghia may have been.
If it were a very early Karmann Ghia, then it may have been a Coupe as the Cabriolet version didn't come along until the 2nd or 3rd model year.
Regarding the Sowden House, I believe that you are correct in saying that it was designed by FLW's son Loyd Wright.
I believe that is who is credited in the link I posted, but not knowing anything about architecture I assumed that the author was just leaving off the "F" part of "FLW".
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 8:04 am Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
| KGCoupe wrote: |
Just curious if the book made any mention to what model year the FLW Karmann Ghia may have been.
If it were a very early Karmann Ghia, then it may have been a Coupe as the Cabriolet version didn't come along until the 2nd or 3rd model year.
Regarding the Sowden House, I believe that you are correct in saying that it was designed by FLW's son Loyd Wright.
I believe that is who is credited in the link I posted, but not knowing anything about architecture I assumed that the author was just leaving off the "F" part of "FLW".
|
Good point! I think I recall that it was one of the last cars in the book. The author was adamant that the timeline was correct. I will bite the bullet and order the book online (seemed a bit thin in the FLW gift shop so passed it up.). The fact that is a cab is wholly fictional but somehow seems fitting as a early picture of Frank driving is in a ragtop. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 8:23 am Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
| KGCoupe wrote: |
Regarding the Sowden House, I believe that you are correct in saying that it was designed by FLW's son Loyd Wright.
I believe that is who is credited in the link I posted, but not knowing anything about architecture I assumed that the author was just leaving off the "F" part of "FLW".
|
I thought so. Interestingly, I think the son’s name is Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr. but to quell confusion he dropped the Frank professionally. Looks like it didn’t help. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trylon
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2019
Posts: 4853
Location: Connecticut
|
| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 8:59 am Post subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Karmann Ghia |
|
|
Here’s an a find that I think will be of interest to this thread, a master’s degree thesis entitled “FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT AND THE AUTOMOBILE: DESIGNS FOR AUTOMOBILITY”:
https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/bruechert_daniel_c_200608_mhp.pdf
A quick perusal raises no Karmann Ghia comments, though. Perhaps another contact person for me to bother... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
John Moxon
Samba Moderator
Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13952
Location: Southampton U.K.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60128845/08_2015_SOWDEN_HOUSE-53.0.0.0.0.jpg "Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.")
