Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

In 1965, Giorgetto Giugiaro, working at Carrozzeria Ghia, developed a design study intended as a successor to the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. The prototype was assembled by Karmann and proposed to Volkswagen as a unified replacement for both the Type 14 and the Type 34, whose designs dated back to the mid-1950s. The proposal represented a clear stylistic break from the rounded, Beetle-derived forms of the original Karmann Ghia. Giugiaro adopted a more angular and structured approach, reflecting the shift in European automotive design during the mid-1960s. The body was conceived as a closed coupé, differing from earlier internal explorations that had included a Targa configuration. The roofline followed a fastback profile, extending in a continuous sweep from the windshield to the rear deck. Surface treatment was defined by taut planes and sharply drawn character lines, with minimal ornamentation. The front end was lower and broader than that of the Type 14, with integrated headlamps and a reduced visual connection to Volkswagen’s rear-engined saloon models. In profile, the bonnet appeared higher than expected for a rear-engined Volkswagen. This feature is explained by the later reuse of the design: after Volkswagen declined the proposal, Ghia reworked the body for DAF, presenting it in 1967 as part of the development of the DAF 55 range. The DAF application required a front-mounted engine, leading to a raised hood line and the elimination of side air intakes originally associated with rear-engine cooling. This sequence illustrates a common practice among Italian coachbuilders of the period, whereby rejected projects were adapted for alternative manufacturers with different technical requirements. The reuse of the Volkswagen study for DAF coincided with DAF’s search for a new coupé following the abandonment of the DAF Coupé 40 GT designed by Studio Michelotti, raising the possibility of a broader design initiative promoted by the van Doorne brothers.