04/06/2025
GASOLINE JUICE CAR OF THE WEEK
Volkswagen Karmann Ghia - The Italian Dream in German Engineering
This week at Gasoline Juice, we’re celebrating one of automotive history’s most beautiful collaborations - the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. This stunning silver example perfectly captures why this car remains a timeless icon among enthusiasts.
The Beauty Behind the Badge
Born from an unlikely partnership between German engineering and Italian design flair, the Karmann Ghia (1955-1974) represents everything we love about classic automotive culture. While it shared the reliable Beetle’s mechanical DNA - that trusty air-cooled, rear-mounted engine - it wrapped it in bodywork that could make a Ferrari blush.
Style Over Speed
Normally delivering 36 horsepower from its 1.2-liter flat-four, this wasn’t about setting lap records. A 0-60 time of 28 seconds meant you had plenty of time to enjoy the journey. But that’s exactly the point. The Karmann Ghia was never about raw performance; it was about looking absolutely magnificent while getting there.
The sleek coupe could still hit 77mph thanks to better aerodynamics than its Beetle sibling, and with an average of 21-23 MPG, it was as practical as it was pretty.
The Gasoline Juice Verdict
This Karmann Ghia embodies everything our community celebrates - timeless design, accessible classic car ownership, and that indefinable cool factor that turns heads at every car meet. It’s the perfect weekend companion for our Thursday-Sunday events, where its elegant lines look right at home among our curated automotive art collection.
Whether you’re sipping Italian coffee in our gallery or testing your skills on our racing simulators, cars like this remind us why we fell in love with automotive culture in the first place.
See more classics like this at Gasoline Juice - where automotive passion meets Italian inspiration. Follow us