1956-1957

Droop Snout, headlites are in center of front fender instead of on top of fender. (Thru '59 models.) U.S. models always used seal-beam headlite assemblies.

Parklites (turn signals) used painted, thin metal sleeve covering bulbholder. Plastic lens - white. Very similar in appearance to era Bug/Bus turn signals. (Thru Ch# 2 103 014 - into '58 model year.) (P.S.: To avoid stocking 10 or more differently painted sleeves, parts departments quickly, and the assembly-line eventually, went to a chromed sleeve.)

Taillites - small, almost rectangular. Located down from peak of rear fender. Two Piece taillite. Separate plastic lens had a glass, shield-shaped piece glued to its bottom half. Chrome from ring could easily be taken off lens. (Thru body # 24 799, Ch# 1 708 049)

License lite housing stamped sheet metal, with an absolutely flat, plastic license lite lens. (Thru body # 24 202, Ch# 1 676 789)

Hood hinge spring bracket or brace in crowl area very wide. Hood hinge and spring noticably different from later cars. (Thru body # 15 442, Ch# 1 458 287) Ever after, cowl braces were one inch or so wide.

Sunvisor is made of translucent green plastic. (To body # 22 921)

Lining of pedal/steering column wall around door opening is a rubber mat (not carpet) on all, (expect the earliest 3761 bodies) thru '59 models. (What were the first 3761 bodies uphosltered in?)

1958-1959

Bumpers overrider tubes. (Thru '71) (Export models)

License lite housing, cast metal with cupped lenses. (To end of production)

Parklite housings are chromed, heavy pot-metal. A true glass lens is retained by a chrom ring. (A mid-'58 introduction.) (Thru Ch# 35 853 200) (Starting about the '63 model year, a plastic AMBER lens was used in place of clear glass lens. Parts systems quickly adopted plastic lens, and sent it in place of glass lens for any '58-'64 parklite.)

Taillite lens and chrome ring are one piece. Still small, rectangular and below peak of rear fender. (Thru '59)

Unique, attractive horn blowing ring/center. Large, oddly shaped porcelain badge in center of 1/2 moon-shaped blowing ring.

A convertible (cabriolet) body style was added to the Ghia line-up in August of '57, as a '58 model (from Ch# 1 600 440)

1959-1960

Fresh air inlet grille, small, with straight bars. Body metal, not grille, is the surround. (Thru '59)

Quarter window fixed. (Thru '59)

Dash top painted body metal, ala early Porche's. No Padding or vinyl cover.

Horn blowing button in center of steering wheel is shared with Beetle. No ring or levers to assist blowing.

1960

First Modern Body

Headlites at tip of fender. (To end)

Air vent grilles enlarged, bars held by tear-shaped surround. (To end)

Taillite, pointed oval, at tip of rear fender. (Thru '69)

Wheel arch openings reshaped. Opening now flows more towards back of car.

Quarter window hinged and pops-out.

Ghias still use the famous, venerable 36 hp engine. Split case transmission, with a non-synchro low gear is also standard equipment.

Last year in which a fuel tap lever as well as fuel gauge was installed.

Ghia loses its unique steering wheel and horn-blowing ring. Forever after, wheel/ring is an era Bug item.

An arm rest is first installed on left-hand (driver's door). Previously a cloth strap was used to close left door. Right-hand door always carried an arm rest. (Between 1960 and 1966, a span of only 6 years, 14 different colored vinyl/fabric arm rest covers were used. No wonder finding original, correctly colored interior upholstery material is nearly impossible. Parts departments must have engaged in open mutiny, because from '67-up, all arm rest also fits Beetles. AND were only available in black.)

1961

40 horse engine intro'ed but without fresh air ducts in fan shroud.

1962

VW finally standardizes on one style of nose or prow emblem. (From Ch # 4 764 156). Previously, American market cars received a one piece, heavy, cast, chrome plated emblem. Home (meaning German) market cars received a chromed badge with a blue porcelain, or cloisonne, center(this emblem is repro'd). From 1962, emblem is 2 piece, polished aluminum. Raise VW logo in a circle, is nose emblem for the new Type III Ghias, so only a new base plate had to be engineered. All nose emblems are interchangeable, and the same seal fits all.

1963

Smaller Karmann Ghia rear deck lid script. (Continued to end) (Nine inch vs. twelve inch long script. The more petite rear script was developed for the then new Type III Ghia. Rather that have the parts system inventory two separate Karmann Ghia rear scripts, VW standardized on the Type II script.)

Volkswagen name script first appears on left hand face of rear deck lid. (Used in some variation to end)

Somewhere in here, 40 horse engine takes on fresh air features, (i.e., tubes come out of fan shroud).

1964

Chrome headlite ring, with single mounting screw at bottom of ring and rolled edge to catch headlite bucket first appears (Ch# 5 930 430). Ever after, adapted to earlier cars, sometimes successfully.

New turn signal/bulbholder intro'ed (Ch# 5 853 202). Amber lens screws going thru face of lens (no metal collar). (Continued thru '69)

dash pad loses separate plastic radio cover. (Ch# 5 790 681) After that holes in pad act as speaker cover.

Chrome, dime sized dot visible on rear of quarter window glass is now completely smooth. (From Ch# 5 790 274) Previously, ('60-64 1/8). dot had two nostrils, or holes for tightening tool.

1965

New chassis numbering system. No longer consecutive, (i.e., 1 thru 6 402 399). Now, title number/pan number are readable. 14 (the first two numbers) stand for Karmann Ghia. The third number (5) stands for year, in this case, 1965.

Heater controls become levers located behind gear shift, instead of faucet knob located on forward passenger side of tunnel.

Interior rear view mirror mounts interior lite in rather massive chromed mirror housing. (Found only on 1965 thru '67 Ghia...coupes or convertible, or Bug convertible.)

Sunvisors mount outboard and swivel. The inner ends snap into plastic clips mounted in mirror housing.

1966

Dash has 2 inch wide, or so, plastic chrome decorative trim mounted longitudinally thru center of dash. Remainder of metal dash is still body color. Only year to use this trim.

Key/ignition switch is located consistently to the right of steering column for the first time.

Hub caps become flattened, like later style. Earlier cars used a 1/2 Moon style cap.

Ash tray stops being dash mounted on passenger side, and becomes chrome, or black vinyl add-on hung below center of dash.

Front end first uses ball joint suspension, instead of venerable king pins.

Battery now on driver's of rear compartment.

Engine block is changed to the modern configuration used until the end of Beetle production in 1979.

Air cleaner cannister is offset to passenger side of engine compartment for the first time.

First door mounted outside mirror. Previously, a graceful, swan-necked fender mounted mirror.

1967

By far, the most changes in half a decade. Many items are uniquely '67.

First 1500 cc engine. Stamped serial # is prefixed H.

Disc brakes up front. Wheels are 4 bolt, small, or modern pattern. (To end)

Dash face is no longer painted. It is covered with a fake, wood-grain looking mask. (but dash pad continued to be the older style with de-mountable grab bar.)

Large single instrument (speedo), with two much smaller gauges (fuel and clock). Earlier cars used two large gauges, with one smaller gauge centered between them.

Stock wheel/tire combination comes noticably closer to edge of rear fender flank because of wider rear axles.

Electrical system is 12 volt. Back-up lites may appear on rear bumper. (Bumper mounted back-up thru '69)

Ignition switch on dash uses much bigger face, and may have cumbersome ignition/steering lock features.

Convertible Only: Mid-year change allowed for rear of top to be secured to body by a cable. Previously, convertible top was tacked to a wooden strip.

Chrome moldings no longer appear on inner, upper door frame, (i.e., just above the upholstered door panel). Nor, are they found on inner quarter panel frame.

Some type of seat belt end now appears on tunnel. Most common is chrome loop.

Seat cushion is cupped, holds occupant more securely. Previous seats were basically flat instead of contoured. Last year of the low backed seat.

Americanized door lock with separate knob located at top of rear of door. (Continued for only 4 model years)

Cute, chromed, miniature version of Karmann Ghia rear deck lid script graces the center of dash face. (To finis)

Chrome trim on upholstered door panel is now a rectangular, somewhat flat, mylar plastic, decorative strip which is bonded to the vinyl of the panel. (To end) Previously, chrome trim on door panels were two double-ended, aluminum strips that in cross-section had a hatchet, or wedge shape. Trim of these pre-'67 door panels was of same pattern, shape, and composition as exterior moldings.

1968

Interior mirror housing uses black crackle finish. Interior light lens is icicle shaped, and is part of mirror head mounting stem. (Thru '74)

Gas filler flap on right, front fender top. (Manually operated, not cable operated).

Autostick cars have IRS suspension (as do all '69 and later Ghias). Autostick script appears on rear deck lid of American market cars. Popularity of this semi-automatic drops rapidly. Because script installation was dependent on the dealer, lack of public interest quickly cooled dealer enthusiasm for mounting the script. Script struggles into '69 model year.

Coupe rear seat no longer held upright by a rubber strap. Now, a wide plastic clip hooks seat to package tray.

New dash pad appears, separate grab, or chicken, bar disappears; and grab bar integrated into design of dash.

Ignition switch migrates to steering column. (To end)

Front hood release mounted in glove box. (To end)

Door sheet metal, behind chrome door handle, is cupped, allowing handle to be tapered and tucked closer to body. (To end)

From outside, a lever, or trigger, hidden by chrome housing, now, must be tripper with fingers to open door. (To end) (Previously, a button, pushed with one's thumb, activated door handle.)

1969

Gas filler flap on right front fender top is cable operated from D ring on front passenger kick panel.

Convertible Only: glass rear window, a mid-year change. <<<---CONv BUfs--->>>

Seat back first uses a stalk mounted head rest, unique in VW empire to Ghia. ('68 head rest grows, pimple-like, from seat back cushions.) (To end)

Heater outlets located on straight section of rockerbox below door. (To end) (Previously in the current section of floor well, and covered by a metal sliding flap)

1970

Angular, wrap-around, amber turn signal lens. (Thru '74)

Larger taillite lens, nearly 10 inches long. Lens nearly vertical on fender. Beck-up lens segment first incorporated in lens itself. (Thru '71)

Seats still include center panel of vinyl in the checkboard pattern so commonly found on mid-60's and up Ghias.

Overrider tubes on rear bumper now end at rear of car, instead of curving around fender flank and ending near wheel opening. (Reason: so as not to block lite from new, larger rear lens.)

1600 cc engine, prefixed code on engine serial # is B.

1971

Door lock migrates back to a finger pull lever in door panel, rather than American style lock knob on top of door. (Ever after)

Seat cover material all leather look. No more checkerboard pattern. (To end)

Defroster vent openings in dash pad are much bigger than earlier (13 inches long). (To finis)

Carpet material is a felt-like material. No longer a textured, looped carpet. (To end)

Dual Port engine. 1600 cc. Engine code AD, AE, or AF. (To end)

1972

Last major change in body shape/profile.

Huge (14 inches long) rectangular taillite. Lens laid at an angle on rear fender. (Thru '74)

Squared bumpers. No more tubes, or multi-directional angles. These babies look as stout and handsome as a snow plow blade. (Thru '74)

Return of instrument cluster with two major instruments. Gauges appear to be tunneled, instead of flat, as with pre-'67 cars. (Thru '74)

Dash face uses black, vinyl mask with a pebble grain look. Same material is used as caps on top of inner door/quarter panel frame. (To end)

Americanized controls. Previously, driver needed the dexterity of a well coordinated octopus to operate all the hand controls and levers. From this point, most controls were dash mounted. Air vent levers give way to twist knobs on center of dash, etc. (To finis)

Coupe quarter window mechanism revised. Now, quarter window post will not unbolt from car.

1973-1974

'73-'74 Model Year (Ch# 143 2000 000 and up) August '72 thru Spring '74

Front bumper backed by a stout tube running to front axle. (Bumper won't deform in an accident, but car will be totaled; meeting the letter, but not the spirit, or new 5 mph bumper regulations.)

Rear seat eliminated. (Meeting the letter, but not the spirit, of new, rear seat belt regulation requiring a seatbelt for each potential passenger.)