To the true driving enthusiast, the late 1960's Karmann Ghia represents the pinnacle of both style and drivability. As you may well know, the factory introduced a host of changes to the Ghia over the years, in order for it to perform and look more contemporary in the then present market, and for it to comply with various safety regulations worldwide. Ancillaries like bumpers would morph from curvaceous pieces of automotive art into girder-like structures that did little to enhance the beautiful lines of the bodywork. Rear lights would grow from sleek, almost blended-in-to-the-wings apparel to giant monsters liberated from the parts bin of the facelifted model Type 3 Variant.
Yet beneath the spoiling 1970's styling veneer, the factory had updated the car from 1966 onwards to make it a much better drive than its predecessors. Modifications to the suspension to enhance both ride quality and safety included a rear anti-rollbar (called a Z-bar) and a softening of the rear torsion bars. Brakes-wise, the Ghia had received a dual-circuit braking system with disc front brakes from 1966 onwards. Long gone was the weedy 1200 and 1300 engine and in its place was the torquey 1500 and later on the 1600 twinport motor, both of which sported 12-volt electrics. At last the Karmann Ghia had a little more go allied to its show.
Now, while some of the changes may have interrupted the Ghia's stunning flowing lines, the plus point is that this didn't happen until the early 1970s. This means that there was a golden era in which the Ghia received desirable upgrades such as the aforementioned engine and braking system, yet outwardly little was done to the car to mess with its silhouette. The period I am talking about is the years 1966-1969.
Sascha Musolff's Ghia gracing these pages is a pre-August 1969 model and therefore falls into the category of both go and show. It has all the mechanical refinements listed above, yet still looks like an authentic rendition of the Ghia penned by the Turin stylists. OK, so Sascha may have tweaked the looks with a lowered stance and Porsche Fuchs wheels, but in my humble opinion he has enhanced the appearance of his Ghia no end.

For the full story check out the August 2008 issue of VolksWorld magazine. On sale on 13 June and then available through back issues.

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