Dashboard face including glove box wood grain Karmann Ghia 8.1971 and later (LHD)

he Karmann Ghia was during its production period the most luxurious Volkswagen, not comparable to the Beetle. Except that they shared the same technology with each other, the Karmann Ghia was a totally different car and attracted a completely different audience of buyers. A public of buyers who demanded more luxury and that it was therefore necessary to work tirelessly in order not to lose market share to Italian competition.

The first series of Karman Ghia was, like the Beetle, equipped with a steel dashboard that was painted in the same colour as the bodywork. The front of the dashboard was radically redesigned in 1966 by placing a plastic panel with a wooden motif, with English sports cars probably being the main example. The plastic panel lasted until the end of production although after 1967 there were two possibilities, brown with a wood grain pattern or black with a granular pattern. The most classic driver has often opted for the wood pattern and the sportier one prefers a more modern interior. In the last years of production, all dashboards were made in black.