The Karmann Ghia is considered one of the most beautiful Volkswagens ever built; introduced in 1955, it became a success for Volkswagen AG. Over the course of 19 years, approximately 360,000 coupes were produced at Karmann in Osnabrück. Really?
No, not just at Karmann! From 1957 to 1960, 1,098 Karmann Ghia coupes were also assembled in Switzerland. At Automontage Schinznach-Bad AG, a sister company of the Swiss VW importer AMAG, these elegant coupes rolled off the assembly line alongside models from the Chrysler Corporation.
The body-in-white units and other components were shipped to Switzerland by Karmann and VW, respectively, where the vehicles were then painted and assembled, with some parts made from Swiss materials. The Swiss Karmanns were intended for the Swiss market. However, over the years, some also found their way to other countries—at least one even made it to the U.S.
In addition to the high build quality that characterized the Swiss vehicles, they could be distinguished from all other Karmann Ghias by two details: first, the production plaque from the assembly plant with a serial number, etc.; and second, the “Montage Suisse” engraving around the VW emblem on the front grille.
Assembly ceased nearly 70 years ago. How many of the 1,098 Swiss cars have survived? Where are they today? AMAG Classic, a division of the Swiss VW importer AMAG, is investigating this question and has therefore created a registry to list the known, still-existing cars. Currently, AMAG Classic is aware of five vehicles, two of which it has been authorized to publish.
