Karmann

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Wilhelm Karmann GmbH iL

logo
legal form GmbH iL
founding August 1, 1901
resolution 2010
Reason for dissolution insolvency
Seat Osnabrück , Germany
Number of employees approx. 5,549 (December 31, 2008)
sales € 1.3 billion (2008)
Branch vehicle construction

Karmann company building in Osnabrück (February 2010)

The Wilhelm Karmann GmbH was an automobile and car body company headquartered in Lower Saxony Osnabrück . Karmann manufactured complete vehicles, especially convertibles and coupés , on behalf of and on the OEM platform . The company's best-known model was the VW Karmann-Ghia based on the VW Beetle . A total of around three million vehicles were manufactured by Karmann. In addition, the company developed and manufactured roof systems, production systems and large tools for other vehicle manufacturers. In the last few decades, Karmann has also taken on development contracts from the OEM.

In addition to the headquarters in Osnabrück, there were also production facilities for automobiles in São Bernardo do Campo , Brazil, and in Rheine . Additional production sites, particularly for roof systems, were set up in Plymouth (Michigan, USA ), Puebla ( Mexico ), Vendas Novas ( Portugal ), Żary ( Poland ) and Yokohama ( Japan ) and Sunderland ( England ). A manufacturing facility for production systems was established in Chorzów (Poland).

After Volkswagen AG had taken over large parts of the insolvent company from the end of 2009, the newly founded Volkswagen Osnabrück GmbH began production of the VW Golf VI Cabriolet , the Porsche Boxster in September 2012 and the Porsche Cayman in November 2012 on the former Karmann -Terrain.

history

The beginnings from 1901 to 1945

Wilhelm Karmann senior took over the wagon construction company from Christian Klages am Kamp in downtown Osnabrück on August 1, 1901 and started his own business with a total of ten employees. As was customary at the beginning of the 20th century, the priorities were still in carriage construction, but in 1902 he delivered his first bodywork to the Dürkopp factory in Bielefeld . Further individual orders from private customers and the automobile manufacturers Adler , DKW , Opel and Minerva followed. In 1911 the Karmann works moved to Martinistraße in the desert district . In 1913, Wilhelm Karmann applied for the first patent: a mechanism for folding roofs. In 1921 Karmann received his first major order from the Aktiengesellschaft für Automobilbau in Berlin.

In 1924 Karmann traveled to the USA to study the production methods there and implement them for his vehicle production. After returning from the USA, he gave up his previous wooden body construction and initially switched to semi-steel construction. Wilhelm Karmann recognized the importance of the development and manufacture of pressing tools for serial automobile production. From 1926 he worked with the Adlerwerke in Frankfurt am Main and became a pioneer in the series production of special vehicles, especially for convertibles and coupés. In the 1930s, production started in the new factory in Fledder . In 1940 Karmann had to stop this production and during the Second World War produced army vehicle superstructures and parts for the aircraft industry.

The climb

After the Second World War and the reconstruction of the factory that had been destroyed in the war, Karmann mainly focused as a contract manufacturer and developer for the Volkswagen factory . As early as 1935/36, Ferdinand Porsche asked the company's founder Wilhelm Karmann to investigate the possibilities of developing a prototype for a Volkswagen convertible. The turmoil of the war prevented the idea from moving forward and working with Volkswagen to begin. On August 1, 1949, Wilhelm Karmann signed an order from Volkswagen “for 1,000 pieces of four-seater, four-window convertible type 15”. From these “1,000 pieces”, a total of 2,548,765 vehicles will then roll off the assembly line for the client Volkswagen over the next 50 years.

Last VW 1303 Cabriolet

In addition to the three VW Karmann Ghia models ( Type 14 / Coupé or Cabriolet and Type 34 / Coupé only), Karmann built all convertibles (except for the Hebmüller Beetle) for Volkswagen. Mainly these were the open models of the Beetle (until 1980) and Golf (from 1979). The Scirocco I (1974–1981), its successor (1981–1992) and from 1988 to 1995 the VW Corrado were also part of the production program. Karmann expanded and in the 1960s built additional vehicle plants in São Bernardo do Campo (Brazil) and Rheine . In the years from 1965 onwards, complete vehicles and bodies for the BMW Coupé 2000 C / CS (four-cylinder), later also the larger BMW E9 six-cylinder coupés (2.5 CS, 2.8 CS, 3.0 CS / CSi), were manufactured in the Westphalian plant in Rheine. "Wedding" (installation of the engine in the body) and final assembly took place at the Munich plant.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, Karmann produced the bodyshell of the BMW 6 Series Coupé and the convertible models of the Ford Escort as complete vehicles. From the beginning of the 1990s the Mercedes CLK Cabriolet (A208 and A209), the Ford Escort RS Cosworth , the KIA Sportage and from 1997 the Audi Cabriolet (Type 89) or the Audi A4 Cabriolet (from 2002) and the Chrysler Crossfire Coupé (2003) and Roadster (2004) manufactured as complete vehicles. Added to this are the discontinued production of the VW Golf II (1992/93) and the VW Golf III Variant (1997/99).

Karmann-Mobil on VW T2

In addition, from 1977 motorhomes and later also caravans were manufactured under the name Karmann-Mobil . Wilhelm Karmann got the idea for his first motorhome on a trip to South Africa. The first vehicles were built on the basis of a Volkswagen T2 , followed by the T3 and LT and the Mercedes-Benz T 1 . At the same time, the Postillion 4500 and 5000 caravan models were developed and launched on the market in 1982. Motorhomes in particular established themselves, and caravan production was discontinued after a few years. Other models followed, such as Gipsy, Davis and Distance. In 2000 the company Karmann-Mobil was sold to the motorhome specialist Eura Mobil .

Contract manufacturer in crisis

In the middle of the years between 2000 and 2010 problems arose for the European contract manufacturers of niche vehicles. The employment security contracts of the large OEMs with the trade unions on the one hand and the technical advances in vehicle construction meant that the construction of niche vehicles was no longer outsourced, but took place within the OEM production network. Additional liquidity was needed to cope with the looming crisis. Business areas not belonging to the core business were sold. Karmann also had to follow this trend.

Following the sale of the motorhome division to Eura Mobil in 2000 , the 100% Carmann subsidiary Heywinkel GmbH was sold to the financial investor Nord Holding Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft mbH from Hanover. Furthermore, on March 31, 2008, the Brazilian subsidiary was sold to Grupo Brasil , a major Brazilian auto supplier. So Karmann ended his engagement in Brazil after almost 48 years. As at the German locations in Osnabrück and Rheine, complete vehicles have been manufactured near São Paulo since the 1960s. In addition to modifications of the Karmann Ghia, the Land Rover Defender, built under license , recently rolled off the assembly line.

The path to bankruptcy

Since Audi wanted to take production of the new convertible, derived from the A5, and Mercedes wanted to put production of the new CLK convertible back into their own production due to the employment security contracts, Karmann had been looking for follow-up orders for the vehicle plants in Osnabrück and Rheine since the mid-noughties. Even before vehicle production was stopped, Karmann filed for preliminary bankruptcy on April 8, 2009. The domestic subsidiaries associated with Wilhelm Karmann GmbH in Rheine (Steinfurt district) and Bissendorf (Osnabrück district) were also affected. Ottmar Hermann was appointed as insolvency administrator , who was appointed by Woolworth in parallel to the provisional insolvency administrator and who had already wound up the construction company Philipp Holzmann . The last vehicle to roll off the production line was a black Mercedes CLK Cabriolet on June 23, 2009 at 11:35 a.m.

The dissolution of the Karmann group

Dismantling of the "Karmann" logo in July 2010

Six months after the opening of the preliminary bankruptcy, the insolvency administrator was able to record the first successes in restructuring the insolvent Karmann group. On November 20, 2009, Volkswagen announced that it wanted to take over parts of Karmann. As a result, vehicles were produced again in Osnabrück from 2011. Volkswagen took over the factory buildings as well as machines, systems and land from the Karmann bankruptcy estate. The Volkswagen Osnabrück GmbH has today with the exception of Dachsyssteme all former Karmann-divisions of the production systems (metal group) via the press shop, body shop, paint shop, assembly to technical development.

With effect from February 25, 2010, the Japanese production site of Karmann Japan Co. Ltd. acquired from competitor Magna International . Thus Magna Steyr now also manufactured the roof system for the Infiniti G Cabrio in addition to the roof system for the Nissan 370Z Roadster .

At the beginning of August 2010, the locations in the USA and Mexico were sold to the automotive supplier Webasto for approx. 60 million US dollars . With the takeover of these two production sites, Webasto expanded its production portfolio to include roof systems for the Ford Mustang, the Chrysler Sebring and the discontinued production of the Volkswagen Beetle convertible roof. The “Karmann roof systems” division with the remaining production facilities in Osnabrück and Żary in Poland were taken over at the end of 2010 by the Finnish automotive supplier Valmet Automotive , a subsidiary of the large Finnish company Metso .

On March 1, 2011, Volkswagen announced that it would take over the metal group from Karmann GmbH, which is responsible for the production of press tools. The Polish location of the metal group with around 34 employees was sold to IWM Automation GmbH (Porta Westfalica), which specializes in automation technology. Karmann Engineering Services (KES) with around 70 employees was sold to Ferchau Engineering on January 1, 2010 . The company now bears the name CES Engineering GmbH. The locations in Bissendorf, Wolfsburg, Sindelfingen, Ingolstadt and Munich are to be retained.

In June 2011, the Daimler subsidiary MBtech Group bought Karmann GmbH's 60 percent stake in Automotive Testing Papenburg (ATP GmbH). MBtech is now the sole owner.

vehicles

VW Karmann Ghia

Ghia Cabriolet
VW 411: Karmann convertible study

The VW Karmann Ghia Type 14 is Karmann's best-known vehicle model. Wilhelm Karmann had the idea in 1953, one year after taking over his father's body shop in Osnabrück. Karmann wanted to produce a sporty and open two-seater on the technical basis of the VW Beetle. Volkswagen was also interested in a sporty roadster that the American soldiers stationed in Europe would love and take with them to the USA.

Luigi Segre, the head of Carrozzeria Ghia in Turin, was included in the plan on the occasion of the Geneva Motor Show. He obtained a chassis for the Beetle from Osnabrück and placed a self-designed body on the chassis. To Karmann's amazement, Luigi Segre then presented him with a coupé rather than a roadster at the Paris Salon. VW boss Heinrich Nordhoff liked the coupé with its flowing lines and rounded shapes, and he agreed to build the car on the same day. In the first year of production, a total of 10,000 coupés were delivered instead of the planned 3,000 units.

Johannes Beeskow , who headed technical development from 1956 to 1976, continued to work on this and on many other vehicles at Karmann . The VW Karmann-Ghia was a sales success with over 360,000 copies, even if the performance of the car with only 30 hp and a top speed of 115 km / h did not correspond to its sporty appearance. In 1957 the Karmann-Ghia Cabriolet followed and in 1961 the larger Type 34 followed, the Karmann-Ghia 1550, the design of which also came from the Carrozzeria Ghia.

In terms of the number of units produced by Karmann, the Karmann-Ghia Coupés and Cabrios were later slightly surpassed by both the Golf Cabriolet and the Scirocco ; The Karmann Ghia was only Karmann's most successful vehicle if you add up the first Karmann Ghia types via coupé and convertible.

Patent dispute and vehicle development

In 1991 Karmann presented the prototype of the Karmann Idea , which should revive the success of the Karmann Ghia. Porsche also used the new Z-fold for storing the convertible top on the Porsche Boxster. Karmann had accepted the patent infringement for many years. It was only when Porsche questioned the Karmann patent that Karmann commissioned an expert opinion, the results of which Porsche did not accept. The subsequent legal disputes led to a compensation payment to be made by Porsche.

In addition to developing the Audi A3 convertible, Karmann was involved in the development of the Mercedes Vaneo and other developments in the commercial vehicle sector ( MAN ). Numerous other development contracts from German OEMs followed.

Vehicle models and design studies

Karmann Transformer Concept (IAA 2001)
Study of a Polo GTI Cabriolet (2007)

Karmann produced vehicles and bodies for the following vehicle manufacturers.

In addition, Karmann kept surprising people with design studies at international motor shows , such as the Karmann Open View SUV study in 1997, the Karmann Coupé in 1999 or the Karmann Transformer in 2001. Karmann presented a special vehicle at the IAA in Frankfurt 2005. It was an off-road vehicle with a convertible roof and doors that open in opposite directions. This established a new market segment, that of the Sports Utility Convertible . In 2020, Volkswagen Osnabrück will produce such a body type, the VW T-Roc Cabrio.

As a partner in development, design and production, Wilhelm Karmann GmbH also participated in the new market appearance of a traditional sports car manufacturer: The Spyker C8 Spyder super sports car from the Dutch brand Spyker has been manufactured in an exclusive small series since autumn 2006 . 350 copies of the extravagant two-seater were to be produced within three years.

production

Total production

In total, Karmann has produced over four million vehicles of the following models in the company's history.

Total production
model Year of construction from Year of construction to units produced Remarks
AMC Javelin 1969 1969 281 Assembly, painting, equipment. Versions with 6- & V8 cyl. Engines. Total of 13 with manual transmission
Audi 80 convertible 1997 2000 12112
Audi A4 convertible 2002 2009 187834
Bentley Continental GTC Cabriolet 2006 2010 Roof modules
BMW 2000 C / CA / CS 1965 1970 13700 13,151 bodyshells and 549 complete vehicles
BMW 3.0 CS 1971 1975 21147
BMW 635 CSI 1976 1989 86314
BMW 1 Series Cabriolet 2008 2010 Roof modules
BMW 6 Series Cabriolet 2010 2010 Roof modules
Chrysler Crossfire Coupe 2003 2007 45506
Chrysler Crossfire Convertible 2003 2007 30539
Ford Escort RS Cosworth 1992 1996 8082
Ford Escort FEC convertible 1983 1990 104237
Ford Escort convertible 1990 1997 80620
Ford Sierra XR4i 1983 1985 25662
Karmann GF
VW Karmann Ghia Type 14 1955 1974 362601
VW Karmann Ghia Type 14 Cabriolet 1957 1974 80881
VW Karmann Ghia Type 34 1961 1969 42505
Kia Sportage off-road vehicle 1995 1998 25984
Land Rover Defender 1998 2005 approx. 8000 (in Brazil )
Mercedes-Benz CLK ( A208 ) convertible 1998 2003 115264
Mercedes-Benz CLK ( C208 ) Coupé 2000 2002 28706
Mercedes-Benz CLK ( A209 ) convertible 2003 2009 110312
Mercedes-Benz E A 207 convertible 2009 2010 Roof modules
Merkur XR4Ti 1984 1989 4642 US version of the Ford Sierra XR4i
Mini convertible 2008 2010 Roof modules
Opel Diplomat A Coupe 1965 1967 347
Porsche 914 1969 1976 118949
Porsche 968 1991 1994 11803
Renault 19 convertible 1990 1996 29222 Bodyshells and convertible top systems
Renault Mégane I convertible 1996 2003 74096 complete body shells and tops
Renault Mégane II CC convertible 2004 2009
Renault Mégane III CC convertible 2010 Roof modules
Triumph TR6 1969 1976
VW Corrado 1988 1995 97521
VW Golf Cabrio MK I. 1979 1993 388522
VW Golf Cabrio Mk III 1993 1998 129475
VW Golf Cabrio Mk IV (based on Golf III) 1998 2001 82588
VW Golf Variant MK III 1997 1999 80928
VW Beetle convertible 1949 1980 331847
VW Scirocco I. 1974 1980 504153
VW Scirocco II 1980 1992 291497
VW bus with Karmann Gipsy camper body 1980 1992 891
VW LT with Karmann camper body

Toolmaking

Karmann was also a manufacturer of tools for deep drawing presses (Karmann tool and production equipment division). This area was also taken over by Volkswagen in 2011.

literature

Documentation

  • Joop Wösten: Karmann - Made in Northern Germany , series: Our story , NDR 2017

Web links

Commons : Karmann  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Press release on the Geneva Motor Show March 3, 2009.
  2. ↑ Bernd Wiersch: The Karmann story . 1st edition. Delius Klasing & Co.KG, Bielefeld 2015, ISBN 978-3-667-10121-1 .
  3. ^ Press release from Wilhelm Karmann GmbH: Karmann at a glance, December 2008
  4. ↑ VW starts Golf convertible production in Osnabrück  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. www.business-wissen.de internet portal, March 17, 2011.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.business-wissen.de  
  5. ↑ VW Volkswagen Osnabrück GmbH  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. www.volkswagen-os.de, November 12, 2012.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.volkswagen-os.de  
  6. ↑ a b c Ilsetraut Lindemann: City history in street names - Karmann  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Osnabrück 1972, on chronosroma.eu, accessed on March 23, 2018@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.chronosroma.eu  
  7. ↑ Knust, Dieter: From the coach builder to the car bodybuilder . 1st edition. Meinders & Elstermann GmbH & Co.KG, Belm 1996, ISBN 3-88926-896-X .
  8. ^ Speech manuscript by Dr. Ferdinand Piëch “Speech to celebrate 50 years of cooperation between Karmann and Volkswagen”, Osnabrück November 30, 1999
  9. ↑ Bernd Wiersch: The Karmann story. 1st edition. Delius Klasing & Co.KG, Bielefeld 2015, ISBN 978-3-667-10121-1
  10. ↑ International motorhome group Trigano takes over Eura Mobil Group. ( Memento of February 13, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) January 10, 2005.
  11. ↑ Marion Feldkamp: Car maker Karmann closes vehicle manufacturing in Rheine: The last convertible from Rheine. ( Memento from February 22, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) on: WDR.de , February 20, 2009.
  12. ↑ Clear- cutting at Karmann. on sueddeutsche.de , January 7, 2008.
  13. ↑ a b Karmann files for bankruptcy. on handelsblatt.com , April 8, 2009.
  14. ↑ Ottmar Hermann: Undertaker and yet savior. on handelsblatt.com , April 16, 2009.
  15. ↑ Karmann in crisis: convertible specialist manufactures the last vehicle. on Spiegel Online , June 22, 2009. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
  16. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Auto Bild : Karmann's last car: Nothing rolls anymore. , June 22, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  17. ↑ Volkswagen saves part of Karmann. on welt.de , November 20, 2009.
  18. ↑ Magna Steyr takes over Karmann's division. on derStandard.at , February 25, 2010.
  19. ↑ International M&A helps law firms reach record year on Crainsdetroit.com
  20. ↑ Webasto takes over Karmann roof division. on handelsblatt.com , August 5, 2010.
  21. ↑ On dry cloths, Finns secure 750 Karmann jobs ( Memento of the original from November 13, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on neue-oz.com , November 5, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.noz.de
  22. ↑ (Info CFL)
  23. ↑ (Info from the Ferchau Group)
  24. ^ Wilhelm Karmann GmbH (Ed.): The symbol . Meinders & Elstermann GmbH & Co.KG, Belm 2005, ISBN 3-88926-893-5 .
  25. ↑ Knust, Dieter: From the coach builder to the car bodybuilder. 1st edition. Meinders & Elstermann GmbH & Co.KG, Belm 1996, ISBN 3-88926-896-X
  26. ↑ Tradition: 60 Years of Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, from: DIE WELT, September 4, 2013
  27. ^ Wilhelm Karmann GmbH (Ed.): The symbol. Meinders & Elstermann GmbH & Co.KG, Belm 2005, ISBN 3-88926-893-5 .
  28. ↑ Bernd Wiersch: The Karmann story. 1st edition. Delius Klasing & Co.KG, Bielefeld 2015, ISBN 978-3-667-10121-1
  29. ↑ NDR: Made in Northern Germany - Kult Karosse Karmann. July 27, 2019, accessed October 24, 2019 .
  30. ↑ Bernd Wiersch: The Karmann story. 1st edition. Delius Klasing & Co.KG, Bielefeld 2015, ISBN 978-3-667-10121-1
  31. ↑ Bernd Wiersch: The Karmann Story: Haute Couture from Osnabrück . 2, revised edition, pages 198-199. Delius Klasing & Co.KG, Bielefeld 2015, ISBN 978-3-667-10330-7 .
  32. ↑ AMC made in Germany from the AMC Club Germany homepage .
  33. ↑ Production of the New Audi A4 Cabriolet from the Audiworld homepage .
  34. ↑ Dieter Günther: BMW 2000 CS: The face in the crowd . In: Oldtimer Market . No. 2 , February 1999, ISSN  0939-9704 , p. 8-15 .
  35. ↑ a b Chrysler Crossfire from homepage: Sportauto-Online .
  36. ↑ a b c d e Coupé ( Memento of the original from April 9, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. from NOZ from June 16, 2009: Tops and flops from 108 years: A look back at the car manufacturing in Osnabrück . @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.noz.de
  37. ↑ History_5_Facts. Retrieved April 10, 2018 .

Coordinates: 52 ° 15 ′ 57 ″  N , 8 ° 4 ′ 40 ″  E