Volkswagen Type 3 convertible
The Type 3 convertible which never went into series production and which has a total of just 16 handcrafted bodies in existence. The prototype from 1961 displayed at the fair was once the company car of Johannes Beeskow, technical manager of Karmann’s operations at that time. From a technical perspective, the study is based on the Volkswagen 1500 mode, the medium class (Type 3) which was launched in 1961. The designers were particularly proud of the large panoramic rear window and the fully retractable top, which gave the vehicle a certain elegance when opened. In 1965, the convertible was transferred to the Karmann collection in Osnabrück. A complete restoration was carried out on the vehicle from 2015 to 2017 and it is now presented to the public for the first time in practically new-car condition.
Karmann Ghia Type 34 convertible
The Karmann Ghia 1600 Type 34 convertible. The open 2+2 seater was presented for the first time at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt in 1961, in parallel with the Volkswagen Type 3. Like the Type 3 convertible, the open version of the ‘large Karmann Ghia’ is a prototype, of which there are just a dozen in existence. The top can be fully retracted also in this vehicle, preserving its timeless, elegant design. The model showcased at the fair was rebuilt in 1968. Various components were used, such as an original body from 1961 and a chassis from 1968.
Cabriolet expertise from Osnabrück: a long success story
Both exhibits come from Osnabrück, a town in Lower Saxony which boasts a long, successful history in convertible production. The first-generation Beetle convertible came off the conveyor belts of the Karmann plant in 1949. The popular and elegantly styled Karmann Ghia Type 14 convertible (1957 to 1974) as well as all Golf convertible generations also came from Osnabrück. And the success story goes on: from 2020, Volkswagen Osnabrück will produce the first SUV convertible in the company’s history – the T-Roc convertible.
The Karmann Ghia Type 34 convertible prototype was presented for the first time at the International Motor Show (IAA) in 1961.