What Is the Gas Mileage on a Karmann Ghia?
In 1955, Volkswagen's Beetle still sold fairly briskly for what it was, but it only inspired passion in a certain group of people. The chrome-and-tailfins market of the 1950s demanded a bit more flash, and the Beetle just wasn't quite scratching that itch for many. After re-bodying the Beetle to create a stylish little coupe and convertible, VW saw it's just rewards -- the Karmann Ghia almost immediately became the car most imported into the United States.
The Karmann Ghia looked almost nothing like a Beetle, which was an intentional move on VW's part. However, under its stylish, Italian-designed skin, it was still mechanically a VW Beetle. With 34 to 50 horsepower, the Karmann wasn't exactly a musclecar -- but at about 1,800 pounds, it didn't need much more to be fun. Because it was effectively a Beetle, the Karmann's fuel economy was very little different than the same-year Beetle's. Today's Karmann Ghia owners report fuel economy figures averaging at about 30; 28 mpg on the low side, as high as 32 mpg for others. Like any old car, though, a lot of your real-world fuel economy is going to depend on the car's condition, state of tune, what fuel you use -- particularly its ethanol content -- and how and where you drive it.