The car remained virtually unchanged over that 20 year time span. However, there were some improvements over the period; for example, the original 1200cc engine was gradually enlarged to 1600cc and corresponding horsepower increased from 30bhp to 50bhp. By the time production halted in 1974, nearly half a million Ghia's had been manufactured.
The picture above is of a 1968 Ghia. As previously noted, ours is a 1971; but the two are practically identical and ours looks almost as good as this showroom example. However, the accompanying model has not faired as well.
Is the Ghia a "sports car"? With only 30bhp, the original Ghia could not really be considered a sports car. By the time the horsepower had increased to 50bhp (by 1971), it could possibly be labelled a sports car - by 1950's standards. In fact, a 1972 Car & Driver article actually compared the then current Ghia with a 1956 Porsche Speedster and concluded that they were surprisingly similar - and several parts were even interchangeable. (http://www.karmannghiaconnection.com/72roadtest.html).
The best general description I've seen of the vehicle is that it is a "driver's car". I don't know what that actually means - other than perhaps that the car keeps the driver constantly engaged and thinking. Thinking things like "what's that noise", "what's that smell", "why is my butt numb", "how does the heater work" and "I know the gauge says full, but how much gas do we really have".
How fast does the Ghia go? My response is "it will go as fast as you want to go". Believe me, by the time you hit about 70mph, you'll be thinking "this is as fast as I want to go". I would not characterize the steering as "responsive" so much as "suggestive". For the first time in my life, I've been driving down a wide open and empty road, looked at the posted speed limit and thought "yeah... that seems appropriate".
Our Ghia is nearly bone stock. Of course, a good chunk of the components in the engine bay have been replaced over the last 34 years - but the "new" parts are the same (or virtually the same) as the original equipment. The one notable upgrade is the stereo. By the time we acquired the Ghia in 2012 from our dear friend Jay, the original stereo had probably already been replaced with an 8-track. Given that they stopped making 8-tracks about the time I had my braces removed, we had a very authentic (but modern) stereo installed that has a USB port in the back. One of the main reasons for the new stereo is that we needed a way to charge our phones during our cross-country trip (via the afore-mentioned USB port). The car did not come with a 12V lighter. I've come to understand this bit of German engineering and foresight - it is best to keep all open flames away from the car. I keep a fire extinguisher in the car.
If you've never had the pleasure of driving a Ghia, then you can't truly appreciate how ridiculously complicated such a simple car can be. Take the ventilation system. Please. There is not a single heater or fan switch on the dashboard. There are two levers surreptitiously positioned next to the parking brake and two much smaller knobs hidden under the dash. Seriously.... if you don't know where they are, you're not going to accidentally find them. Perhaps this layout was an early attempt at an anti-theft system. If the car was stolen in the winter, the would-be thief would freeze to death within a few miles. Getting air into the car (heated or otherwise) involves moving these two levers and two knobs in various, non-intuitive configurations. Oh... by the way... there is no AC. And because the engine is air-cooled, the only heat is generated by air is that coming off (or out of) the engine - which is in the rear.
The gas gauge has been also designed to confuse. At "full" the needle points to "1/1", which we can only assume is an obscure reference to January 1st. At the opposite end of the spectrum is "R", which Angela believes stands for "rah-roh" (in her best Scooby-Doo impersonation). In reality, the needle will never actually make it to R as the tank is bone dry some time around what a normal person would consider is slightly less than half a tank.
Why would you want to drive the Ghia across the country - and back again? Ok... that's a valid question. Despite (or possibly because of) it's short-comings, the Ghia is a blast to drive. You sit as low as a go-cart. The car weighs next to nothing. The steering wheel is big and thin. You plan each gear change for the best acceleration. You feel the experience of the road. You can't help but smile when you're driving the car. And people smile back. And wave. And stop and talk to you at the gas station. They ask you what year it is. They tell you about the Ghia they had in college. Or their dad's Ghia.
Driving the Ghia across the country should be something of a challenge. There are a lot easier and more comfortable ways to get from one coast to the other. But, there are also a lot more difficult ways (in 2010, I rode a bicycle from L.A. to Savannah). We are looking for a bit of a challenge. It is time to go make a memory.
Driving the Ghia across the country should be something of a challenge. There are a lot easier and more comfortable ways to get from one coast to the other. But, there are also a lot more difficult ways (in 2010, I rode a bicycle from L.A. to Savannah). We are looking for a bit of a challenge. It is time to go make a memory.
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