Factory code: Type 34 Coupé
In 1961, production of the ‘big Karmann‘, the Type 34, begins in Osnabrück. Like the ‘little Karmann’ Type 14 based on the VW Beetle, the big one is based on the VW Type 3 (1500/1600).
The designers opt for a 2+2-seater coupé, but with more space than the Type 14. The body design was created by Ghia in the late 1950s and was actually intended as a successor to the "small Karmann", characterised by the so-called "Corvair line" based on the American model. Characteristic features include the fog lights integrated into the front and the creases that taper into two "bow folds". The Coupé was available with a mechanical steel crank roof.
A Type 34 Cabriolet with a fully retractable folding roof is also introduced in 1961, an elegant, elongated vehicle. However, Wolfsburg did not see sufficient market opportunities, and the necessary torsional rigidity would have been very complex and expensive to achieve. The decision is made not to go into series production.
