In Ann Arbor today, I saw a VW I've never seen before. At first I thought it was a Ghia, but the front wasn't quite right. The rear looked like a mini Covair. No pics unfortunately, but does anyone know what it is?
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July 21, 2009 12:59 p.m. CGLockRacer Reader
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July 21, 2009 1:00 p.m. The Brown Stig MegaDork
... Maybe it was a Karmann Miranda?
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July 21, 2009 1:03 p.m. Per Schroeder Technical Editor/Advertising Director
Type III?
Type IV?
Ooh..I know, Type III Karman Ghia.
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July 21, 2009 1:05 p.m. Tim Baxter Online Editor
There were also some special-bodied VWs of that era with corvair-like rear ends, but the name is escaping me. Horch maybe?
Although I think Per's right, it's probably a Type 3 Ghia:
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July 21, 2009 1:05 p.m. ratghia Reader
If it looked like a corvair it was a type 34 also know as a type 3 Karmann Ghia.
Is this it
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July 21, 2009 1:08 p.m. slantvaliant Reader
Maybe a Type 34 Karmann Ghia?
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July 21, 2009 1:09 p.m. slantvaliant Reader
Y'all are quicker than I am.
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July 21, 2009 1:21 p.m. mad_machine UltraDork
pretty car.. not sure they were ever officially imported. Much like the Type 3 notch
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July 21, 2009 1:31 p.m. bludroptop Dork
My favorite VW! They had the type-III motor, some with twin solex carbs. They were not officially imported. My dad had a chance to buy an immaculate '64 with 13k miles in 1976 for $4000, but he went for a new Rabbit instead.
I want to say that there were a handful of coach-built cabriolets that never made it past pre-production. Some amazingly small number, like 3.
Edit: Wikipedia says 17 cabrios were made.
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July 21, 2009 1:35 p.m. ratghia Reader
The type 34 was never imported to the states because vw didn't think they would be able to keep up with demand. The ones that are here came from a dealer exchange program, tourist delivery, or were imported by a owner or buyer.
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July 21, 2009 2:05 p.m. CGLockRacer Reader
Thats it! Thanks!
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July 21, 2009 2:08 p.m. 914Driver SuperDork
Fugzamattawidyou? That's a Karmann Miranda if I ever saw one !!
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July 21, 2009 2:20 p.m. slantvaliant Reader
I saw a few around Wichita Falls, Texas in the '70's.
Likely brought in by USAF folks returning from Germany, or by the Luftwaffe detachment there. -
July 21, 2009 2:30 p.m. The Brown Stig MegaDork
914Driver wrote:
Fugzamattawitchew? That's a Karmann Miranda if I ever saw one !!
You and I are apparently the only ones old enough.
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July 21, 2009 3:53 p.m. ratghia Reader
bludroptop wrote:
Edit: Wikipedia says 17 cabrios were made.
I believe that the cabrios are in the vw museum at Wolfsburg.
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July 21, 2009 4:19 p.m. bludroptop Dork
ratghia wrote:
I believe that the cabrios are in the vw museum at Wolfsburg.
All of them? This is all long-forgotten VW lore for me, but I seem to recall that a few got out.
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July 21, 2009 4:35 p.m. mel_horn HalfDork
I remember seeing one in Lebanon PA when I was in high school (late '60s), and one came in to the dealership I worked at in '69 or '70.
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July 21, 2009 4:45 p.m. ratghia Reader
I know that there are a few there and that they never got sold to the public. I don't know what happened to the rest but I do know that several people have made cabrio replicas.
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July 21, 2009 11:14 p.m. randyvr6 New Reader
Was the one you saw silver? It is a Type 34 Karmann Ghia.
If so I know the owner who is from Tecumseh; about 20 minutes from Ann Arbor.
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July 21, 2009 11:35 p.m. friedgreencorrado HalfDork
The Brown Stig wrote:
914Driver wrote:
Fugzamattawitchew? That's a Karmann Miranda if I ever saw one !!
You and I are apparently the only ones old enough.
I never thought I'd stand up for this kind of challenge..
I'm not that old of course, I only knew who she is because of these things:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037457/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039839/
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July 22, 2009 7:27 a.m. The Brown Stig MegaDork
randyvr6 wrote:
Was the one you saw silver? It is a Type 34 Karmann Ghia.
If so I know the owner who is from Tecumseh; about 20 minutes from Ann Arbor.
And if it is red the owners name is Shep, he used to work here.
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July 22, 2009 7:47 p.m. CGLockRacer Reader
randyvr6 wrote:
Was the one you saw silver? It is a Type 34 Karmann Ghia.
If so I know the owner who is from Tecumseh; about 20 minutes from Ann Arbor.
Yeah, it was. Also had VW logo covers on the inner lights. I live 5 min. from Tecumseh. Sweet car too, I've never seen one.
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July 23, 2009 11:05 a.m. randyvr6 New Reader
CGLockRacer wrote:
randyvr6 wrote:
Was the one you saw silver? It is a Type 34 Karmann Ghia.
If so I know the owner who is from Tecumseh; about 20 minutes from Ann Arbor.
Yeah, it was. Also had VW logo covers on the inner lights. I live 5 min. from Tecumseh. Sweet car too, I've never seen one.
That's the one. The guys name is Bob. He has a sweet early VW bus as well.
There is a huge car show every September in Clinton for their Fall Festival; he usually brings both of them there. He has also had them at the big car show held at the ididit business in Tecumseh every fall. I found a picture of them from last year posted below
I live in Somerset just 6 miles west of MIS down US12.
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July 24, 2009 10:24 a.m. MiatarPowar HalfDork
That bus.... Oh my.
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Aug. 30, 2009 9:55 p.m. jpod999 Reader
Sorry to bring an old thread back up but I thought it necessary. Saw one today that was converted to electric. I think. It had electric badges all over it and a gauge inside that showed how much power was in the batteries.
