1956 Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia ‘Lowlight’
The 1956 Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia represented the joining of German engineering and Italian style. The first “Lowlight” coupes, named for their distinctive low-set headlights, emerged from the Osnabrück factory in August 1955.
Built on the VW Beetle platform, these 2+2 coupes offered a more stylish and sporty alternative with the same renowned rear-engine reliability.
When initially revealed in the mid-1950s, the shapely Karmann-Ghia caused sensation. Its elegant long hood and curved rear fin contrasted sharply with the staid Beetle, yet still somehow conveyed kinship.
The German coachbuilder Karmann had begun developing their own coupe in 1953, ultimately commissioning the Italian design house Ghia to pen its iconic contours. Upon seeing the finished prototype in late 1953, Volkswagen approved immediate production plans.
Remaining on the versatile Beetle chassis, the Karmann-Ghia gained handling improvements like a front anti-roll bar while widening the passenger cabin over its sibling. The dash too showed Italian influence, two stylish round gauges set in sculpted formations.
Though nearly 445,000 Karmann-Ghias (362,601 being coupes) eventually entered production over 19 years, the purity of design attracts collectors most to the early Lowlight Coupes like our featured 1956 example. The special ‘Lowlight’ variation were only produced from 1956 to 1959 making them the most coveted of all Karmann-Ghias.
This particular Pelican Red coupe began life in Osnabrück, built September 28th, 1956 before export to sunny California. There it remained, receiving a repaint to cream white sometime in the 1990s, before the current owner rediscovered the rust-free survivor in 2010. A complete nut-and-bolt restoration soon commenced, thoughtfully culminating in the choice of period-evocative gray upholstery.
Credit: Petrolhead Classics
