Looking for Australian sales figures of Karmann ghia

Kuchster · 2009-06-10T08:40:35+00:00

I was looking at a book or website or something once with the information of how many karmann ghias, year by year of how many were sold in Australia, have no idea where i saw it and cant seem to find it anywhere, im sure it was on a website. Can anyone help out with this one? Thanks

kg1962 Slammed & Awesome Dubber

88 posts · joined Apr 2009 · 12 Sep 2009, 11:20 am

#734785

Picture of my Australian delivered MY1964 type 1 Ghia's optional M009 yellow tail lights. They're yellow on top, not the bottom. As you can see by the picture the car has been sitting in the garage collecting dust.

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VW-VARIANT-L Seriously Crusin Dubber

154 posts · joined Jul 2007 · 12 Sep 2009, 2:58 pm

#734812

Thanks for the pic. My 63 KG has the same amber topped lenses.
I don't believe VW or Hella ever made an amber bottomed KG rear lens, however I did do a test and the lens/ base is symetrical so can be fitted 180 degrees around if you want amber at the bottom 😉

kg1962 Slammed & Awesome Dubber

88 posts · joined Apr 2009 · 12 Sep 2009, 9:01 pm

#734902

VW-VARIANT-L wrote:Thanks for the pic. My 63 KG has the same amber topped lenses.
I don't believe VW or Hella ever made an amber bottomed KG rear lens, however I did do a test and the lens/ base is symetrical so can be fitted 180 degrees around if you want amber at the bottom 😉

I take it that your '63 Ghia is also an Australian delivered vehicle. Others may know for sure, but I guess the "optional" yellow tail lights may have been standard on Australian delivered cars for ADR reasons.

BTW I have no intention of flipping the tail lights around.😂

VW-VARIANT-L Seriously Crusin Dubber

154 posts · joined Jul 2007 · 13 Sep 2009, 12:23 pm

#734946

It was Australian delivered, think your right about the ADR's too for standard amber.
Mine has amber front indicators also, but in 1960 and 1961 they came with clear ( ? 1962, not sure when the ADR for amber front came in but I have a 1965 Type 3 with original clear bullets).
Given the low numbers of KG's for export to Australia I don't think they made many unique parts or accessories apart from the rear venetian.
It is difficult to tell how many are still currently registered as the pre-65 type1 KG body numbers overlap with beetles, and body style is often only listed as a sedan/ coupe/ roadster not ghia in the registrations (atleast in Victoria).

KaeferMann Learner Dubber

19 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 21 Sep 2009, 9:45 pm

#736561

There must have been some KG's sold in Australia after 1968 - I have the birth certificate for my 1969 KG and it was an Australian delivery (built 8.7.1969, dispatched 17.7.1969 to Melbourne Australia).

1954 Beetle 1200 (Stato silver fully German built)
1963 Beetle Karmann Cabriolet (Australian delivered)
1964 Beetle 1200
1967 Beelte 1300 Deluxe
1969 Karmann Ghia (genuine Australian delivery)
1973 Superbug L
2007 Golf TDI

badkarmann Seriously Crusin Dubber

121 posts · joined Mar 2008 · 15 Nov 2009, 6:18 pm

#747473

thats not many at all mines a 1959

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 16 Nov 2009, 5:46 am

#747582

Hi
it was a late German Karmann Ghia ... with the late model bumpers etc ex USA.. [beautiful car]
I believe even later model Karmann Ghias did have the type 3 tail lamps??? or maybe they all the shorter version??

all automatic Beetles and Karmann Ghias were made in Germany.
You can tell by the automatic gearlever -

[1971-1972 US beetles also had odd tail lamps. similar to 1968-70 tail lamps only about 2 inches longer..]

Karmann Ghias also had two late wrap around front blinkers.
one unique to Karmanns and the other from the late model type 3..

cheers

LEE

- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 16 Nov 2009, 5:54 am

#747583

I can remember seeing the odd early Karmann Ghia's back in the late 50's early 60's...
but I cannot ever remember seeing one with the fancy bumpers or the late model bumpers...

they may have all been special imports...
buying one in 1969 would have been very difficult as VW had been dismantled...
unless a few were shipped in with automatic beeetles??

or maybe all sold in Melbourne etc..???

but ALL Karmann Ghias are rare...
as even in 1958-59-60-61- not many were imported..
they were a VERY expensive car..... IMHO

cheers

LEE

- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---