Volkswagen Typ 14 Karmann-Ghia ‘1960

Chassis.number 2775604

1200cc petrol engine and four-speed manual transmission

First registered 1960.

The current and only owner in Finland brought the car from California in 2011.

Thoroughly restored and renovated in Finland.

L87 Perlweiss/ Pearl White – original white color

Black vinyl upholstery

Registered as a historic vehicle, next MOT/Tüv inspection 07/2024.

34 800 €

When the reconstruction after the Second World War had gained momentum, West Germany began to demand again stylish and sporty cars. The people’s car, the VW Beetle had been a success from the moment it was born, and the Beetle served as an opportunity for several body factories to design a coupé or convertible that stood out from the crowd. The first VW Beetle -based open-top cars with aluminum pontoon bodies were manufactured already in 1947 in Wuppertal by the body factory Drews, who named them VW Sport-Cabriolets. Drews’ example was followed by several body factories, such as Hebmüller, which operated in Wülfrath and Barmen, and Karmann, which operated in Osnabrück. However, the most famous sports car developed from Beetle is probably the Porsche 356, which started the production of Porsche’s own sports cars under the leadership of Ferry Porsche in 1948.

Volkswagen was saddened that its own collection could not find a match for the buyer base looking for sportier and more youthful cars. Volkswagen began to negotiate with Karmann about the production of a sporty body, but VW executives rejected the first proposals. However, Wilhelm Karmann had good relations with Luigi Segre of the Italian Carrozzeria Ghia body factory. The base plate of the Beetle was widened and many of the shapes were borrowed from the Sports Coupé d`Elegance designed by Ghia for Chrysler. In November 1953, the shapes designed by Ghia were accepted by both Karmann and Volkswagen, and in 1955 the production of the Typ 14 Karmann-Ghia Coupé, began. The bodies were made by hand at the Osnabrück factory and the car’s powertrain was from VW Beetle. Mass production made it possible to sell the cars at a cheaper price than those offered by small body shops, and already in the first year more than 10,000 cars were sold, clearly exceeding VW’s forecast of 3,000 cars.

This 1960 Typ 14 Karmann-Ghia was brought to Finland from California at the beginning of 2010. The current owner, A. Erämaa, bought the car at an auction in the United States, and the car has been thoroughly restored in Finland. The body has been restored and painted in the original shade of pearl white. The interior has been reupholstered and the ceiling has been renewed. For the 1960 model year, a more powerful engine and a fully synchronized gearbox were introduced. This individual’s engine has been thoroughly restored 1200cc, producing 30 horsepower. The gearbox is a fully synchronized four-speed.

The car’s engine runs and pulls excellently. The gearbox and transmission work perfectly. A really beatiful specimen that is a real joy to drive.

The car is registered as a historic vehicle, MOT/Tüv inspection valid until July 2024.

The car is located in Salo, Finland, 1 hour from Helsinki–Vantaa Airport. Presentations by agreement.

Worldwide shipping with generous rates.