Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Cabriolet - 1970

Volkswagen Karmann Ghia 1600 Cabriolet (1970–1974) sat at the stylish end of VW’s air‑cooled family. Conceived in the 1950s as a halo model, the Karmann Ghia married Luigi Segre’s elegant Ghia design to the humble Beetle platform and was hand‑finished by coachbuilder Karmann in Osnabrück. By 1970, the Cabriolet had evolved into the 1600: more torque, better cooling, and a subtly modernised look—still more grand tourer than sports car, but with timeless surf‑era cool.

The final‑series cars gained the 1.6‑litre flat‑four and (from 1971) twin‑port heads with the ‘doghouse’ oil cooler for improved heat management. Most markets already enjoyed IRS rear suspension by this point, sharpening stability over early swing‑axle cars. Front disc brakes—standard on the Ghia years before many rivals—remained, while safety rules brought high‑back seats, side markers and, by 1973 in the U.S., larger tail lamps and chunkier bumpers; an alternator also replaced the dynamo on late cars. Performance never chased MGBs or 124 Spiders, but period testers praised its civility: supple ride, tidy handling, superb build quality and coachbuilt finish at a Volkswagen price.

Competition moved fast in the early ’70s: Opel’s GT arrived with sports‑car looks, the Porsche 914 (a VW‑Porsche joint effort) undercut it on speed, and Japanese coupes were rewriting value. Yet the Ghia still worked wonders for VW’s image. It drew buyers into showrooms, proved that a mass brand could do elegance, and exported a cultivated European vibe—especially to the U.S., its biggest market.

Cultural footprint? Huge for a small car. Uma Thurman’s character pilots a yellow Karmann Ghia Cabriolet in Kill Bill Vol. 2, and Don Adams’ Maxwell Smart famously drove a Ghia convertible in Get Smart. Period Doyle Dane Bernbach ads leaned into understatement—celebrating hand‑finishing and wryly noting it was a ‘sports car that’s never been in a race.’ That honesty helped cement the car’s charm. Fun fact: although mass‑produced, Ghias received painstaking lead‑loading and panel fettling at Karmann, one reason doors shut with a coachbuilt ‘clack.’

Production of the Type 14 ended in 1974—tightening U.S. safety rules and VW’s pivot to water‑cooled cars closed the book after roughly 362,000 coupés and 80,000 cabriolets overall. Spiritually, the baton passed to the Giugiaro‑penned Scirocco, while Karmann continued building Beetle convertibles. As a 1600 Cabriolet, the late Ghia remains a sweet spot: the prettiest Beetle you could buy, with the best of the running‑gear updates and a soundtrack that says weekend forever.

• Key running changes 1970–1974: 1600 engine across the range; 1971 twin‑port heads and improved cooling; high‑back seats and evolving safety equipment; 1973 alternator and larger lamps/bumpers (U.S.).