Carrozzeria Ghia 1st Design Phase (1957-59)

Volkswagen had been considering who was going to conceptualize the new VW 1500 Sedan design for some time, and broke normal protocols in 1957 when Heinz Nordhoff approached Luigi Segre of Carrozzeria Ghia from Turin, Italy. He asked Segre to produce a design study for the new VW 1500 series and the first prototype Sedan was completed by the end of 1957 (right). The finished vehicle looked amazingly like the eventual production model VW 1500 Sedan, and was built on the wider chassis of the Type 14 Karmann Ghia. It was rumored that this prototype was given to VW, which was reworked by the design engineers at Wolfsburg during 1958. This story is not the official one known to most vintage VW historians, but the lack of information on the VW 1500 development period is not surprising considering the high level of secrecy associated to this program. It is interesting, however, that Nordhoff planned the VW 1500 series to have more modern styling and the Ghia design firm was his first choice.
Late-1957 VW 1500 Sedan prototype by Ghia
Volkswagen planned to build the VW 1500 high-production models (Sedan & Wagon) at the Wolfsburg factory. However, they knew they would not be able to handle production of the relatively low volume sports coupe, so they turned to an off- site builder, Wilhelm Karmann Coachwerks of Osnabruck, West Germany. Karmann had an excellent relationship with VW going back to 1948 with the Beetle Cabriolet again in 1954 with the Karmann Ghia models. Karmann, in turn, with a full load of production models under construction, decided to use the same designer as the Type 14 Karmann Ghia for the new VW 1500 Coupe project. But the VW 1500 story is much more exciting than simply using the same cast of designers & builders.

In late 1958, VW’s Heinz Nordhoff met again with Ghia’s top man Luigi Segre concerning the new VW 1500 Coupe project. Nordhoff was impressed with their work designing the VW 1500 sedan prototype in 1957 and decided they earned the opportunity to design the sports coupe. Nordhoff gave Segre an open-door to the design of the car but suggested that it be based on the latest styling trends in the USA and Europe, but also be on the cutting edge for automotive design in the future. Nordhoff said it should have a sporty driving position, more space for rear passengers than the Type 14, have two trunks for luggage storage with the new flat Type III engine design, and recall the frontal shape of the Type 14. Nordhoff also suggested that it should have a driving position as sporting as possible.

Ghia was in the business of redesigning current production models and updating their styles, so they had already been working on revised designs of the Type 14. They shared their experimental Coupe based on the Type 14 (right) with Nordhoff in mid-1959, incorporating all of the design enhancements from their earlier meeting. Front vent windows were added, the roof section was elongated for more rear headroom, and it had highly stylized tail lights. VW rejected the idea and asked Ghia designers to create a completely new body style to complement the new VW 1500 series currently in development.
Mid-1959 Experimental Coupe by Ghia