A Short History Of The VW Karmann Ghia (cont.)

Boano’s son Gian had got hold of a Beetle from Paris VW Importer Charles Ladouche’s Societe France Motors, (who also happened to be an importer of Chryslers, and had commissioned Ghia to make 400 D’Elegance style GS-1’s) By te Autumn of 1953, Gian had a prototype ready to show to Dr. Karmann, taking just 5 months to go from concept to working prototype (again this backs up the theory that the Ghia may not have been an entirely fresh idea).

The new prototype was delivered in secret to Karmann’s plant in Osnabruck, and in November of 1953 Karmann proudly unveiled the svelte coupe to Dr. Feuereisen, then VW vice-president and Heinz Nordhoff, the man who appointed by Major Ivan Hirst as his replacement as MD of VW. Feuereisen’s reaction was that of excitement, swiftly followed by a bout of typically German sensibility from Nordhoff.