Hello! Welcome to another Feijoada Friday episode! Today we’ll have a Volkswagen so beautiful it still turn heads today, the Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia. You probably already know the history of this car on US or Europe, but you know its tropical version? After the jump!
Karmann-Ghia do Brasil Ltda. was founded in 1960, as the Brazilian arm of the original German Karmann, and it quickly began producing the Karmann-Ghia here in 1962. It was a very expensive car, despite being a “sportier Beetle”: It costed the same as a luxury Simca Chambord and only 15% less than the FNM JK 2000, the most expensive Brazilian car at the time! The Brazilian made Karmann-Ghias were pretty much identical to their German cousins: the only difference was larger bumpers.
Even the sluggish 1200cc Beetle engine was the same. But it was a sculpture on wheels, and it made everyone dream about driving one. It was an immense success, despite the ferocious competition with the Willys Interlagos and Puma GT Malzoni (with the DKW engine). The Karmann also had something the others didn’t offered: A full catalogue with 18 different colors! Most of them were sold in red, but it is still possible to see blue, cream, yellow, orange, white, and pretty much any color of Karmann Ghias out there.
The lazy days of draggin’ slowly all its curveous lines ended in 1967, when it got a powerful 1500 cc engine with a whopping 44 cv! And to prove that what is beautiful can be made completely gorgeous, in 1968 the convertible version was introduced. Everyone went nuts, because this was the only convertible sports car available at the time. The production of the convertible Willys Interlagos ended some time earlier and there were only two convertible Brasinca 4200GTs ever made. With hot, sunny summers and an immense coastline, this was the perfect car for cities like Rio de Janeiro, where you could see lots of them.
Sadly the production of this model ended shortly in the next year, when a completely revamped model, the Karmann-Ghia TC was introduced. This new Karmann-Ghia was heavily inspired by the Porsche 911, and sadly wasn’t made by DeAgostini in this 100 car collection. Such a great looking car...
With such sporty looks, obviously some of them could be found on race tracks. The most successfull were from the Dacon team, the race team with the best logo ever!
Probably inspired by the Gulf livery, the Dacon Karmann-Ghias raced painted light blue with a checkered strip running from the front to the back of the car. The racing Karmann-Ghias used Porsche engines brought from the head of the Dacon group. The Dacon group was a dealer specialized in VWs and Porsches, who also made special versions of those cars. They made convertible VW Gols, watercooled SP2s with Passat engines... But, probably more awesomer (if this word even exists), Porsche powered Karmann-Ghias and Beetles!
In 1964 they got their first win, at the 1000 Kilometers of Guanabara Bay, in Rio de Janeiro. The 1,600 cc, Porsche Powered Karmann-Ghia driven by Chico Landi dominated the race. However the race direction disqualified it because with an exchanged engine it was considered a prototype. This first race, however, marked the beginning of the rivalry between Dacon and Willys.
When the CBA (Confederação Brasileira de Automobilismo, Brazilian Motorsporst Association) allowed the participation of prototypes on the official races Dacon could finally race for the trophy. Their first race, however, was aborted shortly by an oil leak...
The next races, José Carlos Pace (triva: the Interlagos race track is officialy called Autódromo José Carlos Pace) and Anísio Campos drove a peppered version of Dacon’s racing Karmann-Ghias with no hood and a Porsche 904 engine, enough to push it to more than 210 km/h!!!
And it was finally on 1967 that it finally got the victory it deserved. On this year’s edition of the 1000 Kilometers of Guanabara Bay two Dacon Karmann-Ghias got the 1st and 2nd places. They took only a bit more than 9 hours to complete the 1000 kilometers!
In the next years it won some more races, but the Karmann-Ghias were shortly replaced by their new versions, the TCs...
The Karmann-Ghia wrote a short story in Brazilian soil, but they are still beloved. They aged extremelly well, still looking modern and fresh. The few remaining are worth a small fortune, and most of the survivors were restored to mint condition. They still turns everybody heads when they’re on the streets. True pieces of art never get old.
Bonus ads:
You would lose.
And badly lose. That aerodynamic design of the Karmann Ghia would not help you in a competition. Not only its new 1,500 cc engine with 52 HP. In fact, the Karmann Ghia isn’t a race car, even if its made with the same attention. It is simply a car with sporty lines. And, if in a competition it would made you lose, in a lot of other things it makes you win. In the mechanics, for example. Underneath that elegant design, it is a Volkswagen. It also makes you win at style, because you don’t need to run for the next trend. Its style is still actual, while the trends always pass. Even now, with the new power, the Karmann-Ghia would made you lose in a competition. Even though you’ll have the satisfaction of doing so in the most elegant and well built of the losers.
In the Karmann Ghia 1,500 the scenery will pass a bit faster.
At your new Karmann Ghia 1500cc you can admire the scenery while you don’t step on the gas. But at 3rd or 4th gear they will pass faster. So seize the opportunity of enjoying the Karmann Ghia. Remember, for exemple, how it was to drive faster? It was only the moment you touched you foot on the gas pedal. And how the hills end now faster? Before you can change the gear they already finished. And since we are talking about gears, remember how long you don’t change them? It is because each one has more power, so you don’t need to change them as much as before. You will have lots of things to admire in the new Karmann Ghia. Even more if you already had an older model before. The 1,500 has all that and 16 HP more in the engine. Are you a nature lover? If so, drive less in the 3rd and in the 4th...
Instead of painting a strip, we thought it was better to put a 1,600 cc engine in the Karmann Ghia.
Precisely. We have put a 1,600 cc engine with 60 HP (SAE). With this the Karmann Ghia have now more power, faster acceleration and a top speed of 140 km/h. Not enough, we have put an absolutely spectacular detail on the Karmann Ghia 1600: Vent windows! This is for you to use largely all the new resources of the 1600 engine: Its exceptional torque, its speed - we made it safer with disc brakes in the front, strut bar on the back and a longer rear axle. And just for being snobs, we put even more: new bumpers and wheels, and a leather clad gear knob. Oh, yes, the strip. You don’t think after all that you could choose where to put it? Or not to paint it? Precisely.
Sources: