Light goes out on legend Karmann

By Sam Hardy

26th June 2009

It's the end of the line for one of the world’s best-loved coachbuilders.

German company Karmann has closed its factory, with bosses blaming the current economic downturn, which has seen the firm lose business from major car manufacturers.

Since 1949, Karmann has produced 3.3 million convertibles and more than one million coupés, including the Porsche 914, Audi A4, Chrysler Crossfire and the Mercedes CLK – which was the last to be built at the brand’s Osnabrück plant.

However, its most famous model was the Karmann Ghia, built between 1955 and 1974 for Volkswagen. It was offered in both coupé and convertible form, with a chassis and air-cooled engine from the VW Beetle. Around 500,000 models were made in total.

However, the last few years have proved tough for Karmann. It was put on the market last year after a drop in sales, and when demand from leading car makers fell, it filed for bankruptcy in April – leading to the closure of its factory.

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