Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Type 34 'Razoredge' (1967)

The Karmann Ghia originated from a master plan to create an upmarket derivative of the very humble Beetle, leveraging rather pedestrian internals in an upmarket bodystyle. With a prototype designed and constructed by Luigi Segre of Ghia, the idea was shown to Wilhelm Karmann who agreed to build it and the design was signed off by Volkswagen in November 1953.

The Type 14 Ghia was launched in 1955, and was much rounder, curvier proposition. Styling was handled by Carrozzeria Ghia of Turin and assembled at Karmann’s facility in Osnabrück, Germany. Despite hesitance from Volkswagen, the Type 14 sold over 10,000 examples in its first year.

The second generation was that of the Type 34, based on Volkswagen’s Type 3 platform. Sales of the Type 14 had slowed as the Beetle-based underpinnings had seen the car underperforming compared to its rivals. Introduced at the Frankfurt motorshow of 1961, the 1.5-litre Type 34 offered 50% more power than its predecessor. The styling was quite the contrast to the original, with far sharper edges and the swage line from Volkwagen’s Type 3 earning it the nickname ‘Razors Edge’. Design work was once more carried out by Sergio Sartorelli of Carrozzeria Ghia, joined this time by Tom Tjaarda who would go on to pen the De Tomaso Pantera.

The additional power and revised design work, Volkswagen’s marketing campaigns saw the car pitched at a much wealthier audience. As such, the Type 34 was 30% more expensive than a Mustang at the time resulting in production numbers just 10% of the previous generation.