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economist suntribune wheels thursday july 112002 27 he karmann ghia a delicate blend tof oldworld teutonic craftsman ship and italian soul proved that sports cars are as much about style and grace as they are about per formance maybe even more and of course theyre all about how they make their owners feel it might not have been the most rapid ride around but the karmann ghia could paste a smile on anyones face at some point nearly every auto manu facturer conceives a vehicle that will serve as a beacon for its dealer network usually its some purposebuilt model that although lacking in universal appeal can generate suf ficient showroom traffic to support its bread- andbutter models the karmann ghia that most quixotic of all volkswagens not only excelled in wooing prospects but became a steady seller pumping plenty of currency into vw coffers the karmann ghia concept was con ceived more than 50 years ago as a collabo ration between then volkswagen boss heinrich nordhall and wilhelm karmann proprietor of the osnabriick germany man ufacturing company that bears his name the eventual creation of the type 1 43 the karmann ghias original designation actually required the combined talents of three companies the cars sensuous styling was handled by luigi segre who worked for the ghia design studio in turin italy segre drew his inspiration from the delegance concept car penned by famed chrysler auto artiste virgil exner after the final design had been cast and vws engi neers had completed their work karmann took over the final assembly process including the attachment of the karmann and ghia logos onto the rear deck lid although technically a 22 the limited passenger space behind the karmann ghias front bucket seats was best used as a parcel storage area that also doubled doubledover would be more accurate as a torture device for anyone taller than three feet those in front though enjoyed the rel ative roominess equal to the original beetle although karmann ghia passengers were posteriored much lower to the ground if there was one key area of disappoint ment it was with the cars anemic 34-horse- power 1192cc aircooled engine a direct copy of the beetles with no attempt to dial in even a minimal horsepower increase the flatfour was connected to a floor- mounted shifter with the same novacane- induced numbness that has plagued every fourspeed vee dub since the very beginning in terms of performance the karmann ghia had its good and bad points on the plus side the cars aerody namic bodywork allowed it to attain a top velocity of 77 mph nine more than the beetle the coupes slippery shape also gave it a more secure purchase on high ways especially in crosswind situations on the down side the low and slow karmann ghia outweighed the beetle by some 200 kilograms resulting in the embarrass ment of accelerating more sedately than its less sporty cousin the first karmann ghia rolled off the osnabriick assembly line in 1 955 short ly before its september frankfurt auto show debut a year later 10000 sport sters had reached dealers throughout europe and north america volkswagen had another certified hit on its hands the karmann ghia coupe was followed by the release of a convertible model in november 1957 its multilayered fabric top featuring a glass rear window was handstitched using the same methods employed making the beetle convertible also constructed by karmann as the karmann ghias popularity grew volkswagen added a brazilian production facility in 1960 to supply the south american market buoyed by the continued sales growth of the original volkswagen launched a sec ond karmann ghia called the type 3 in the fall of 1961 this version was based on the newlydeveloped lineup of larger twodoor sedans wagons and fastbacks that offered more interior space and more power than the beetle however the ghiadesigned exterior lacked the intrinsic beauty of the original and the type 3 was cancelled in 1969 after only 42500 had been sold meanwhile sales of the original karmann ghia continued to flourish despite only minor physical and mechanical updates beginning in 1966 however engine displacement and output began to expand reaching 1583 ccs and 60 horse power by 1970 by this time increasingly stringent north american emissions and safety regulations the bane of import vehi cles everywhere were beginning to take their toll and the karmann ghia could not escape on july 3 1 1 974 after a life span lasting almost 20 years volkswagen halted produc tion of the karmann ghia the final tally 443478 copies produced and marketed worldwide making it one of the alltime best- selling sports cars although the karmann ghia has now been consigned to classiccar events and ebay offerings volkswagen continues to maintain its relationship with wilhelm karmann currently all body panels and trim pieces for the golf cabrio are manu factured by the company then shipped to mexico for final assembly karmann also assembles the mercedesbenz clk and slk convertibles as well as other european makes but its thatcute beetlederived sports car that people remember most fondly and the vehicle that brought both karmann and the ghia design studio their greatest notori ety malcolm gunn is wheelbase communications chief road tester and his toric writer wheelbase is a worldwide sup plier of automobile news reviews and fea tures r where have we been all your life 2002 model year clearance fc 48mo on magentis 2002 magentis lease from 229mo starting at 21295 24 l 149 hp engine automatic transmission dual airbags with passenger presence detector air conditioning power mirrors locks and windows amfmcd stereo cruise control arid tilt steering 2002 sedona lease from 259mo starting at 24895 stdoiw uie highest safety rrtim gash luting 35 u 195 hp v6 engine with 5speed automatic transmission dual sliding doors front and rear air conditioning amfmcd stereo power mirrors windows and door locks the best warranty the best prices the best value 2002 sportage lease from 239mo starting at 22095 mo leasing available on rio spectra sportage 2002 spectra 2 l 130 hp engine air conditioning alloy wheels drivers side knee airbag manual transmission power mirrors locks and windows also coming soon tokiathornhill lease from i79mo 1 8 l 1 25 hp engine starting at 1 4595 fully independent suspension 6040 split rear seat available air conditioning dual airbags 2002 rio watch this space for details 2003 sorento lease from l65mo starting at 12095 15 l 96 hp engine available air conditioning dual airbags kiathornhill care warranty 5year1 00000 km comprehensive warranty 5year1 00000 km powertrain warranty 5year1 00000 extra care roadside assistance 5yearunlimited in corrosion warranty see us at 7079 yonge st thornhill on l3t 2a7 9057638883 business hours monthurs 99 fri 96 sat 95 if s about time everyone had a wellmade car vwinfvirkldccl kia other lease and finance options available see dealer or details leasing plans provided oac by kia canada credit inc available on 2002 sportage x sp5412 2002 sedona lx sd7s12 2002 magentis lx ms7412 2002 spectra st5412 based on a 48 month walk away- lease for 2002 sportago x sp5412 2002 sedona lx sd7512 2002 magentis lx ms7412 and based on a 60 month lease for the 2002 spectra st5412 at an annual finance rate of 076 226 040 264 with a down payment or trade equivalent of 2500 4250 2500 750 first lease payment of 23900 25900 22900 17900 plus 550 595 475 450 freight and a 350 administration fee due upon delivery total lease obligation for the sportage x sedona lx magentis lx spectra based on an msrp of 22095 24895 21 295 1 4595 is 1397200 1668200 1 349200 1 1 49000 and the purchase option price is 854820 957240 801 450 4301 25 lease obligation based on 20000 kmyear package other packages available if exceeded an additional km charge of 010km is applicable license registration insurance pde freight and taxes are not included and are extra t starting msrp of a sportage x sedona lx magentis lx spectra based on an msrp of 22095 24895 21295 14595 license freight registration insurance pde and taxes are not included and are extra price subject to change without notice dealer may sell for less t finance rate of 0 available oac for all 2002 models of sportage x sedona lx spectra for 36 months and 48 months for magentis lx finance example 10000 at 00 per annum equals 27778 per month for 36 months or 20833 per month for 48 months cob is 0 for a total obligation of 1000000 other terms and rates available certain restrictions may apply see your participating kia dealer for details kia and the slogan ifs about time everyone had a wellmade car are trademarks of kia motors corporation nhtsa ncap drivers and passengers frontal and sideimpact collision test featured vehicles may not be exactly as shown limited time offer