AUTOS : South Korean Maker Announces Deal to Produce Karmann Kias
Compiled by John O'Dell / Times Staff Writer
Except for a few restored models and rusted clunkers, the sporty Karmann Ghia is a thing of the past. The German-built, Italian-designed car was phased out by Volkswagen around 1970.
But the Karmann Kia will soon be here. South Korean car maker Kia Motors has signed a deal with Karmann under which the German sports-car builder will assemble 30,000 Karmann Kias a year.
The company isn’t saying anything yet about style or whether any of the cars will be imported to the United States by Kia’s Irvine-based Kia Motors America subsidiary.
