classic karmann ghia commercial

[ExtraCreamy45]

HAHA

[ButtBouncer500]

That was hilarious!

[pauldangerkile]

They never actually used this ad. I think that they should have, but someone realized that Americans were not the correct audience for this, and killed it.

I don't remember my source for this story. I think that it was a marketing textbook.

[1968DodgePolara]

They should have undercoated those Cars because the unrestored ones are Rust buckets hard to fine one to fix up so you don't have to build from ground up. Built cheap and slaped together. Nice looking Cars though. Cutting corners to sell them cheap win new.

[jjhydrama]

sweet add



[forevergamergirl]

I'll have twenty.

[Robin1996ify]

HA HA HA cheap and not powerful, LOL :p

[luvzena]

I own a 1974 Karmann Ghia that I bought brand new. Time to start lying about my car's age! I thought everyone was passing me to get a better look at my car!

[102Help]

it is like "let me through god damnit!!!!"

[Rnt911]

WTF?

[elton1981]

honesty has always been a hallmark of Volkswagen advertising

[LeoVolkswagen]

Excellent. You don't see any Volkswagen commercials that say "We have it all, they don't."

[RedPetrol76]

good commercial...but actually it's sad that there weren't any factory-made performance editions. Like Karmann-Ghia with Porsche engine...

[einsteinisgreat]

I drive one in 2010. Not the most powerful but definitely the most beautiful car in automotive history.

[AAVista]

@RMSLusitania1 Get fired! Believe me! I agree by what is perceived. Commercials today spew forth a fog of lies. You can even get fired by lending a hand to a friend in need!

[PlushGallade]

@AAVista Please dont put spoiler your ghia must be 999$

[AAVista]

It is a really honest commercial. It's not the most powerful but it delivered low-cost, economy sporty driving combined with sensuous styling for its day. No wonder there are so many K-Gs still left on the road!

[nextorskater]

@AAVista certainly volkswagen performed one of the most honest advertisement campaigns in the automotive history...

[russotragik]

and the "original" Audi commercial of a AUDI 80 that run on desert and pass by this curtain gate?

[Hydrogenperoxidefox]

lol

[bikebeerrun1960]

Back in the 1980's I owned 2 of these; A 72 and a 74. I adored them.The only thing I hated on my 72 was the "automatic stick shift" - Worlds slowest accelerating car !! Drivers behind me at traffic lights would honk me for seemingly taking my time getting to normal traffic speed from a stop!!

[buddygoodcat80]

@bikebeerrun1960 So true. I had a 74 with the autostick -- the car looked great, but with that oil bath air cleaner and one-lung carburetor, my ghia would go from zero to 60 in about two weeks.

[bikebeerrun1960]

@buddygoodcat80 Ha-Ha!!,Good one.

[eronkerscher]

how cute

[inkey2]

Thats such a great body design....I always liked the looks of these. What was the deal on them.....same VW bug engine in a sporty body?

[LolEYEHasFun]

@inkey2 practically if im not mistaken the Karmann ghias had a 1600cc engine.

[Beni79]

The idea on this commercial is to sell this car to the younger drivers on those years..and its intented to moisture their parents,about the looks, but not the guts, so their kids would be safe not having a fast as hell machine! (but believe me, the car can have lots of guts with a bit of tweaking!)

Today,there should be commercials like this too!.. so parents get good looking cars to their kids (or allowing them to buy them), instead of buying second hand Renaul 5 Turbos... to kill us all :P

[goldm81]

LOL! You won´t find commersials like that to day! just gotta love it:)

[JackieLiz1228]

thank you! I created this commercial in 1968 and won lots of awards for it.

[lololzak]

we bought a garage...and the guy had a yellow one of these in there..but one of the pillars from the roof had fallen and shattered the windshield and broke the rooof....

if anyone wants pics i can send you some

[koolbossjock]

At dealerships i worked at we called these a poor mans Porsche.You can do so much with a Ghia.We modified one with a type 3 motor with dual stock solex's.I put a 356 speedster engine in mine with a 5 speed.

[herbienbrian]

lol, I just showed my girl friend this commercial. Now she wants one!

[CarCrazy12804]

at least they are honest but far better looking than the bugs of the day!

[philphie]

i doubt you'd ever see an ad like that again. i'm a sap so i'll buy things that are honest :s

[okrabay]

was it the same engine as the beetle?

[MinuteMaidDrinker]

It had a boxer engine and i dont think the beetle did.

[Mi1ez]

Yes, it had precisely the same air-cooled boxer engines that were in the Volkwagen Beetles of that era.

[rafasanfona]

Yes the same engine of the beetle but not 1300cc , this was 1600cc / 65 hp

[boo66]

At this era the Ghia would be 1200cc like the Beetle. The Ghia always used the largest Beetle engine available at the time, so 1200cc to '65, 1300cc '65 and '66, 1500cc '67-'70 then 1600cc thereafter.

[txmcxlx]

I actually had sex in a Ghia. My GF pissed all over the seat.  It was her mom's car and mom had a fit. After that we could only have sex on the picnic table which we could wash off with the hose.

[boo66]

Sounds like you are both very agile... a tiny space in a Ghia!!!

[vsop333]

Ah, Lucas electrics. All of the mechanics I know refer to Lucas as The Prince of Darkness. LOL.

[tboneveedub]

thats just funny as hell

[bugz4me]

junking? not so coverting! the only thing you could do with yours is cruch it! and mine is worth more as it is than yours is!

[joness105639]

converting? SO let me get this straight, you are turning ito a porsche replica right? That means you junk the body panels the interior, lots of engine parts. . . basically you just keep the frame. I don't think that'd be called a KG anymore. I'll still have my midget, and you wont have a ghia! ROTFL

[bugz4me]

in the uk Kamann Ghia's go for around $11,000 normally

[joness105639]

and for the price of 1 karman ghia you can have a race prepped mg midget that will win trophies at scca events, or three stock mg midgets that will blow the doors off the ghia, OR you cold get a honda s600 that would blow the doors of EITHER the mg or the ghia.

[flattjeff]

the mg midget was poorly conceived with a Marina gearbox, it was spose to resemble the Triumph Spitfire. Hated those nasty plastic bumpers that people try so hard to replace. They are very dull and plagued with faults. I cant believe u are even trying to compare it?

[joness105639]

I beg to differ. The spridget came years before the spitfire was concieved. The plastic bumpers came MUch later after BL buggered up the design. I am comparing it because Road and track did back in 1972! That was when the Mg Midget had chrome bumpers, and a 1275cc mini cooper s inspired engine. In this very commercial VW claims it is the cheapest sports car on the market. It wasn't. the Midget was $10 less. This makes them direct compediters in the marketplace.

[flattjeff]

yep, cheaper parts

[bugz4me]

Your very passionate about your MG's and this Debate is fruitless as I am passionate about air cooled German cars, the speed limit is 55mph I believe in the USA in the UK it is 70 so Legally I Can go Faster (in My Bug at least!) if you go on my channel there is a link to my (new today not finnished) website feel free to peruse

[joness105639]

I love porsches, They are respectible race bred machines. I love VW beetles and VW microbusses. they have a purpose that they fill beautifully (cheap eliable family transportation for the masses). HOWEVER, above all else sports cars need to be fast, handle well, and seat two. The KG by contemporary standards is slow and handles worse than any other sports car of the time. It utterly fails as a sportscar. It does ok as a boulevard cruiser. Cruisers dont need to go, only need to look good.

[flattjeff]

dude?? the ghia was designed to be a coupe? an nothing elses? what point are u trying to make?

You say u like the beetle? The ghia has almost identical mechanics and underpinnings?

If ure gonna try and argue a point, u need to have some grasp of the subject.

[joness105639]

watch the commercial again. VW called the KG a sportscar.

[bugz4me]

your not talking sense, The MG midget was for the ladys or a male hair Dressers car "Men" did not drive them

[joness105639]

I dont know how they were advertised in the UK but the sales brochure I have from the states for 1970 shows a hippy and a flowerchild with the midget. It was a way to get your feet wet and own a real sportscar for vert little money. Often you would then move on to other more powerful cars. Still it was a step up from the KG

[bugz4me]

The Karman Ghia uses the Same suspension Front and rear as a early Porsche including the 550 Spyder Le mans Racers er Dude or is that Dude-et

[joness105639]

Well thats all fine and good, but when you add the extra weight of a KG all Steel body (in place of the aluminum one) and swap out the engine for the pathetic 55 horse 1800 you have one pathetic excuse for a sportscar.

[bugz4me]

Yes your MG could Beat my particular Ghia as mine spent the 17 years in a lock up and it is going to be used as a donor car for my Porsche Spyder 550 Replica that I am building from scratch! I plan have a 250BHP Type 1 engine,

[joness105639]

LOL so now I still have my car and you are scrapping yours! HA HA and you have spent so much effort defending a car that you are junking!

[schoolboyshenanigans]

Anyone that hates volkswagen is a stupid prick. At least they didnt build huge peices of shit with 10L engines like the American car companies did. Its american cars that produce the most carbon emmisions.

Long Live VW!

[gtarz38]

sports car my ass! german junk maybe?

[joness105639]

It was quite possibly the most useless pathetic example of a 1960's sportscar in the world.

[bugz4me]

mmmmm funny that as there are more 60's and 70's VW's still on the road than American cars that fall to bits in no time see my channel to see a 38 year old bug on the road! joness105639

[joness105639]

Let's compare apples to apples here. What was the only mass produced american sportscar of the 1960's? The corvette! No shortage of those on the road.

Cars survive because of the devotion of the owners almost more than becuase of initial build quality. I have a 38 year old MG Midget that is still roadworthy, and it can STILL out perform a Karman Ghia and it STILL is offers more bang for the buck than a Karman Ghia.

[bugz4me]

Karmann Ghia owners rarely keep the old 36hp 1200 engine in the car after a restoration these days the common this is to put a 1600 in or bigger in the UK anyway the fastest one Ive seen does 186MPH! with a Porsche Engine and running gear MG's are not worth restoring IMHO

[joness105639]

"Karmann Ghia owners rarely keep the old 36hp 1200 engine in the car after a restoration these days" Very telling! If they were built right in the first place maybe they wouldn't have to do engine swaps. A stock MG will offer more bang for the buck than a stock Karman Ghia. Once you start you modifing them the sky's the limit regardless of the car. Besides I've heard of Stuart Gunn's MG Midget. V8 AWD Independent suspension all round 0-60 in less than 5 seconds.

[bugz4me]

LOL I out raced an MGB GT in a 1300 escort Van! yes a van! MG's are slow High insurance,Bad starters! and Petrol thirsty and I wouldn't have one given to me, My Karmann still has the same engine it came out of the factory with and it works and is 46 years old! Karmann's are hand built and cost more than Porsches when they were made, and worth a lot more than a MG midget LOL

[joness105639]

I wouldnt call 45 mpg petro thirsty. My MG midget has teh original engine (I have had the records checked to find the numbers and they do match). Starts up easily every time. My MG could bet your KG in any race and cruise on the highway at 80. Last I checked KG go for aywhere between 3,000-5,000 bucks (did a google search today for karman ghia auction). Midgets are more affordible and go faster and handle better.

[flattjeff]

Mg's are generally driven by 'ageing bowls players', who have begun to question there life and attempted to salvage there youth by investing in something that might recapture there puberty! Sadly they resemble one of those slot machine cars that rock back and forth, often seen outside of arcades in Blackpool! :)fruitless arguing which has better performance the Ghia is both a far greater engineered and designed machine. Stay classy dr Jones

[joness105639]

"greater engineered and designed machine" LOL yeah right. It doesnt take a 4th year engeneering student to know that the engine was horrible. If the french can extract more power per cc from an air cooled engine and stick it in their 2cv why couldn't VW? That engine in stock configuration has retarded timing, low compression and no valve overlap. If they were so well designed why do they suck on the racetrack? I am 27 have never played soccar and I love my midget.

[flattjeff]

why are u so concerned with things being so fast and race worthy? if ure so power hungry, i wouldn't choose to be seen in an mg midget ?? thats an odd choice. you need to buy a book or two methinks

[MisterStorm]

Why are you so concerned with MG Midgets? Do you have NHS glasses and a beard?

[joness105639]

the MG was the second slowest in the test. I LOVE RAGGING ON THE SLOWEST!

[bugz4me]

The Horse Power was kept Down (and the revs) So that The Engine would easily last for 150,000 miles + yours will be very on it's way out by then ! the Type 1 engine is the Same as the 356Porches except they upped the revs and put a different carb on it is essentially the same engine,

MG engines are just Rubbish compared to a Aircooled engine

[joness105639]

They did a lot more than "upped the revs and put a different carb", they changed the camshafts for a better profile, upped the compression, and changed the ignition advance curve as well. lets compare like to like here. The Citroen 2CV was made at the same time as the VW Beetle. It had a 602cc that produced 33hp. Thats .0548 hp/cc the type 1 vw engine (stock) got 40 hp from 1200cc or .0333 hp/cc. The 2cv is extreemely reliable. Why couldn't VW match those figures?

[SpeedingStudent]

Dude the 2CV is a piece of junk, as are all French-designed cars.

The type-1's reliability speaks for itself in massive sales.

[joness105639]

"Dude the 2CV is a piece of junk, as are all French-designed cars." Oh really? I want you to remove the pistons from the rear pair of cylinders in a type 1 and then race against a 2cv ( That way you have roughly the same displacement). Next I want you to visit pebble beach, and tell all the bugatti and tabot owners how you think their cars belong in the junkyard.

[SpeedingStudent]

Hmmm...now why would I do that? To make it as slow as your 2CV? lol

The Type-1 engine is built to LAST...it is over-built in fact. French engineering is not rugged at all, but in fact, very fragile.

[joness105639]

The 2cv engine is bult to last as well, The type 1 engine wasn't reallu built to do anything.

[SpeedingStudent]

Except power of 20 million cars worldwide?

Yeah, that Type-1 one was really a GIANT disaster for VW. You fail.

The Type-1, designed by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche in the 1930s, helped make VW the 4th largest automaker in the word, sold more cars than Ford's Model T, and put more people on wheels who could not afford to do so.

What has the 2CV done? Broken down while going from garage to garage. lol

There is a REASON the Type-1 sold so much. It is called DURRABILITY, look it up son.

[joness105639]

I want you tell me how unreliable deutsch-bonnet's and bugattis were, despite making it through the entire 24 heurs de le mans when the vast majority of cars that started that race didn't finish. I want you to give me a good reason why an air cooled vw 1800cc engine should have less power output than an mg 1.3 liter water cooled engine, when an air cooled 2cv engine or deutsch-bonnet had more power per cc than either.

[SpeedingStudent]

Road cars man. Any company can engineer a great race car, it just takes LOTS of talent and money.

Besides, if it is power that makes one thing better than another, German cars would apparently be the best, car for car...and French cars, well, you don't wanna know. lol

[joness105639]

*cough*" I want you to give me a good reason why an air cooled vw 1800cc engine should have less power output than an mg 1.3 liter water cooled engine, when an air cooled 2cv engine or deutsch-bonnet had more power per cc than either." these are road cars. also, "Any company can engineer a great race car" contradicts "a piece of junk, as are all French-designed cars"

[SpeedingStudent]

You display your ignorance. MG does not make engines. They install engines from other manufacturers in their cars. the A-series is from Austin, not MG, you idiot.

The VW engine is tuned for reliability and economy, something not to be said for ANY engine in a vintage MG. lol

Oh yeah, the VW engine dates from the 1930s. The A-series started production in 1951, read a book kid.

I owned an MG, also a piece of crap...though fun to drive. But still junk.

[joness105639]

Explain to me how stupid the renault f1 team was for inventing mass damper systems that were subsequently used by ferrari. Please wax philosophical on how junky the renault f1 cars of the 2005 and 2006 season were, and how much more worthless everyone else was.

[SpeedingStudent]

Race cars do not equal road cars mate. If you throw enough money at a probelm (winning LeMans), and hire the best away from the winning teams...then it is only a matter of time.

F1 is no different.

I speak of road cars...and the French make some of the worst, which is why they have failed, where the Japanese and Germans excell.

But enjoy your dumpy little 2CV, really, you can have it. lol

[joness105639]

" If you throw enough money at a probelm (winning LeMans), and hire the best away from the winning teams...then it is only a matter of time." MG tried that and failed from 2001-2003.

The french made fantastic cars. Bugatti, talbot, Citoen,  However with any car, reliability is only as good as the mechanics who fix them, and not enough of them could repair a ds but everyone can fix a 2cv. I cite the 2cv to show that you can get more reliable hp per cc than a type 1 vw.

[SpeedingStudent]

Bwhahaha.

Easy. By hiring the best international talent. All that takes is money and determination as a company.

Next.

[joness105639]

So the f1 cars were junky because they hired the best international talent.

[SpeedingStudent]

Not necessarily, but because Renault's F1 team is not all French kind of mitigates the supposed superiority of French designs that you claim.

It is like saying the Lambo LP640 is the most reliable Lamborghini ever designed...but it was designed by the Germans at Audi, hence, it is no longer an Italian car.

But nice try kid.

Try harder next time.

[joness105639]

Yeah well at least the mgb gt had an easier time keeping up with the escort than your KG. Besides, the type of race, the year of each car, and the condition are important to mention. Why didn't you? The fact that your engine still works after all this time is irrelevent. Mine still works too and like I said before the numbers match factory records. As for the value, please lets be fair and adjust for inflation.

[bugz4me]

no I said the MGB gt so called sports car lost!! the race!! with a 10 year old (with 90.000 miles on the clock) Escort Van! full of work stuff LOL! the Guy The Guy was probably of the same ilk as you LOL If I'd been driving a KG I would have beat him! they do over a Ton! (100mph)stock 1600

[joness105639]

SO let me get this straight. I am comparing cars that were contemporary to each other. and you are comparing a 10 year old car with a 30 year old car. Name one small car of the period availible in england for the price of an mgb that is still faster than the cars on the road 20 years later.

[bugz4me]

A Beetle! I'd race a midget in it anyday around the lanes where I live

[joness105639]

is it 100% stock type 1?

[SpeedingStudent]

With a Rover (Buick) engine...lol

[joness105639]

At that point you have discarded the chassy and built a new one and used a few original body panels as a decoration. Hell if you wanted to, you could "modify" a peel p50 by purchasing a top fuel dragster chassis and bolt it on where the cockpit used to go and wind up with a 314mph bubble car.

Still at that point, is it still really a peel p50 or is it a top fuel dragster with a hood ornament?

[SpeedingStudent]

Except for the Midgets...now those cars rock.

[flattjeff]

Hi, welcome to Earth. Our reality appears to be a bit different from yours Mr Jones. :)

[DeLorean4]

Reminds me of an old Volvo P1800 ad in which the slogan was "It won't do 150mph, it just looks like it will". Both the Karmann ghia and the P1800 look very much alike as well.

[rsslvscff]

Vintage Volkswagens are the best!

[joness105639]

A contemporary MG could best any VW of the period in any race.

[SpeedingStudent]

Sure, if the Lucas electrics did not quit on you before the finish...or the massive loss of oil pressure due to leaking gaskets.

But aaide from that, yeah, MGs are greeeeeat. lol

[sambernyowo]

Love volkswagen

-57 beetle w okrasa engine-

[joh2]

Trust VW to come up with an advert like that! - as for the Ghia name, at least it was being utilized on a vehicle partly styled by them - when Ford picked up the "Ghia" name, the badge started working OVERTIME as the upmarket trim level for Ford's bread and butter products!

[greatbison]

You know what's great about this ad? They're being downright honest about what the car is (and what it isn't). Brilliant work!

[rhsxo]

That was way to funny. Great Commercial!!!

[pepino68]

love it ,im the proud owner of a 67 conv. ghia and its fun to drive.

[koolbossjock]

You are so lucky...I have a 69 Bug with over 400.000 miles on it,I use a gallon of racing fuel every 4th fill up,keeps the valve train protected.Build the engine back in 1985.

[pepino68]

damb 20 years + and still going, to bad new cars dont last that long.

[AKSquirrel]

PWNZ0RED!!!!!!!!!

fucking love it!

Ghia=love

VW=happy

-73 VW Bug

[lyssao]

Hi Beetle, thanks for posting all the VW videos. I´m a VW fan and an owner of a ´65 Brazilian Karmann Ghia.

[phonographgirl]

My great-aunt has one of those...I want one! :)

[kittybirg]

That poor little Ghia! She's trying! Don't give up, little car! You'll make it! ...eventually.

[VeeDubDon]

It'll make it when it rains! I want a Ghia. they're pretty.

[kittybirg]

They are very pretty. It's keeping them pretty that's the hard part. X3

I have a Ghia that hasn't had a bath in three months because of the hastle of hand-washing it -- if you take them through a commercial car wash, it strips off all the chrome!

[scottdeshon]

just find one that used only high pressure water rather than brushes.

[jus7o]

funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!

[oregonbruin]

Vintage VW ads were the best!