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Re: [T3] Type 34 design (was tachy clock)


JimA=> I had worked under the assumption
=> that Ghia did the styling, VW did the design,
=> and Karmann did the assembly, ...

Close. Ghia did the design work (in consultation with Karmann, I believe),
and Karmann did the fabrication and assembly, the same arrangement as for
the Type 14, which was fairly successful.  I think the 14 shares about as
much with the Bugs as the 34 shares with other Type 3s, and I believe that
in '59 and '60 VW fully intended to have the same sort of success with the
34 as with the 14. I doubt the design was "out of control," rather the
process was tried and true.

It seems clear that VW didn't start cooling on the 34 until just before
production launch, when the cost of the 34 cabrio and cabrio Notch were
clearly getting too far beyond projection. It canceled those at the very
last minute and became very conservative about marketing the entire Type 3
line, even pushing back overseas exports for five years in the face of new
direct competition from GM (led by Studebaker's surprise hit with the Lark
in '59). The right line for '58-'59, when the design process started, was
very old news by '66, and the Big Ghia wasn't exported. VW's conservative
formula with the Beetle became a handicap in trying to go upmarket.

Steven Ayres, Prescott AZ
'66 KG1600



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