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Sun Apr 12, 2015 8:07 am

I was surfin' YouTube yesterday and ran across this (car on the left) ... the search topic was Volkswagen Factory. Don't know what VW car this is!! Looks alot like a Ghia Wagon ... maybe for Europe?

http://s693.photobucket.com/user/BluzBug/media/Karman%20Ghia%20Wagon_zpsdzszq1hc.jpg.html

Sun Apr 12, 2015 8:30 am

Looks like photoshop to me.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 8:48 am

Or is it!

Sun Apr 12, 2015 9:34 am

We have had endless Photoshop threads on how to make a classic design worse, try this for size: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=491676

Volkswagen never even made a concept Ghia Wagon...why would they, they had the Transporter in all of its various guises that was marketed in the US as "Station Wagon"

Sun Apr 12, 2015 1:56 pm

I grabbed the Video from YouTube:

Sun Apr 12, 2015 2:27 pm

here's some that I cant find much about. are they both fake?

I like the idea of a backseat :wink:

Mon Apr 13, 2015 12:06 am

-Zodiac- wrote: here's some that I cant find much about. are they both fake?

I like the idea of a backseat :wink:

The top picture is real: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=371243

Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:05 am

Thanks john, interesting reads. Would love to have that model with the wrap around rear window - apparently neither exist today

Mon Apr 13, 2015 2:53 pm

-Zodiac- wrote: here's some that I cant find much about. are they both fake?

I like the idea of a backseat :wink:

Door looks longer than on regular Ghia -

bnc

Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:17 pm

The two cars pictured above are indeed real and did exist for a time. They were handbuilt prototypes by Ghia in Turin, Italy, built to show Volkswagen top brass the Ghia concepts for a four-seater Beetle replacement, circa 1954.

Ghia, nor Karmann, nor Volkswagen ever did pursue a "station wagon" or "shooting break" version of the Karmann Ghia. At the time, a wagon was considered the antithesis of cool or elegant, exactly the opposite of what the ultra-conservative company was after with the Ghia. They would point you right at any of the Type 2 models to better suit your needs.

Ironically, the first mass-market "sports wagon" I can think of was a styling cousin to the Type 14: the Volvo P1800ES of 1972, itself developed from the Volvo P1800/P1800S, which was originally styled by a Swedish intern at Carrosseria Frua in 1959, which itself was a studio re-formed by ex-Ghia employees around 1957, after having originally been absorbed by Ghia a few years prior. Frua also was responsible for the Renault Floride and Caravelle, which were rear-engined direct competitors to the Type 14 and 34 Karmann-Ghias, with styling roughly approximating that of the Type 34 and concurrent Beutler VW/Porsche Coupe, albeit in 7/8 scale! Pietro Frua evidently styled the Renault while still in the employ of Ghia, and took the design with him when he left, to much controversy.

Tue Apr 14, 2015 4:43 am

gimme a break :wink:

Wed Apr 15, 2015 10:58 am

retrowagen wrote: Ironically, the first mass-market "sports wagon" I can think of was a styling cousin to the Type 14: the Volvo P1800ES of 1972, itself developed from the Volvo P1800/P1800S, which was originally styled by a Swedish intern at Carrosseria Frua in 1959, which itself was a studio re-formed by ex-Ghia employees around 1957, after having originally been absorbed by Ghia a few years prior.
I'm a big fan of the Volvo P1800ES (and the coupe P1800, P1800S, and P1800E), but I think the two-door 1955-7 Chevy Nomad predated the P1800ES by quite some time.

Wed Apr 15, 2015 11:05 am

all the early Suburban's 2 doors too? I guess those are pretty big for a "sport coupe"

Wed Apr 15, 2015 8:37 pm

sactojesse wrote: retrowagen wrote: Ironically, the first mass-market "sports wagon" I can think of was a styling cousin to the Type 14: the Volvo P1800ES of 1972, itself developed from the Volvo P1800/P1800S, which was originally styled by a Swedish intern at Carrosseria Frua in 1959, which itself was a studio re-formed by ex-Ghia employees around 1957, after having originally been absorbed by Ghia a few years prior.
I'm a big fan of the Volvo P1800ES (and the coupe P1800, P1800S, and P1800E), but I think the two-door 1955-7 Chevy Nomad predated the P1800ES by quite some time.

The Ford 2dr Ranchwagon is older than the Nomad, they came out in 52.

Fri Apr 17, 2015 1:50 pm

mountainkowboy wrote: sactojesse wrote: retrowagen wrote: Ironically, the first mass-market "sports wagon" I can think of was a styling cousin to the Type 14: the Volvo P1800ES of 1972, itself developed from the Volvo P1800/P1800S, which was originally styled by a Swedish intern at Carrosseria Frua in 1959, which itself was a studio re-formed by ex-Ghia employees around 1957, after having originally been absorbed by Ghia a few years prior.
I'm a big fan of the Volvo P1800ES (and the coupe P1800, P1800S, and P1800E), but I think the two-door 1955-7 Chevy Nomad predated the P1800ES by quite some time.

The Ford 2dr Ranchwagon is older than the Nomad, they came out in 52.
Quite right on both accounts, but neither of these two vehicles had sporty pretentions. They were more spiritual predecessors of the type 3 squareback, if nothing else.

Fri Apr 17, 2015 8:30 pm

retrowagen wrote: mountainkowboy wrote: sactojesse wrote: retrowagen wrote: Ironically, the first mass-market "sports wagon" I can think of was a styling cousin to the Type 14: the Volvo P1800ES of 1972, itself developed from the Volvo P1800/P1800S, which was originally styled by a Swedish intern at Carrosseria Frua in 1959, which itself was a studio re-formed by ex-Ghia employees around 1957, after having originally been absorbed by Ghia a few years prior.
I'm a big fan of the Volvo P1800ES (and the coupe P1800, P1800S, and P1800E), but I think the two-door 1955-7 Chevy Nomad predated the P1800ES by quite some time.

The Ford 2dr Ranchwagon is older than the Nomad, they came out in 52.
Quite right on both accounts, but neither of these two vehicles had sporty pretentions. They were more spiritual predecessors of the type 3 squareback, if nothing else.

Actually the 57 & 58 Del Rio Ford wagon was advertised as a sport wagon

Sat Apr 18, 2015 9:40 pm

Aargh, I give up.

:?

Mon Apr 20, 2015 11:59 am

I'm with you, Dave! ^^^^^^^

Absolutely no comparison!