1960-1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia — MPG & Fuel Facts NO OFFICIAL EPA RATING

The EPA's public fuel-economy dataset only goes back to 1984 — the 1960-1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia (Type 14) predates it, so there is no government-rated MPG number for this car anywhere, including here.

Estimated 21–32 MPG combined.

No EPA guide row exists (US sales ended in 1974, the year before the first Gas Mileage Guide), so the range rests on period tests and owner logs: Road & Track's 1962 test noted about 35 mpg on the small early engine, Hagerty's buyer's guide cites a claimed 32 mpg, and modern owner fuel logs run roughly 21-31 mpg depending on year and tune — 21-32 is the defensible, source-backed spread.

This is our estimate, not an EPA rating — built from the period road tests, marque-specialist guides and corroborated owner reports cited below, hedged where sources vary. Treat it as a ballpark for planning, not a spec to rely on.

The Ghia is a Beetle in a Karmann-built Italian suit: 1200 (40 hp) through 1960-65, 1300 from '65, 1500 from '67, and the 50-hp dual-port 1584cc from 1969 to the end. Per Hagerty UK's buying guide, the sleeker body let it reach 77 mph versus the Beetle's 68 on the same drivetrain — better aero, slightly more weight, so fuel economy is essentially Beetle-like, with the small-engine early cars capable of the highest figures.

Period evidence: Road & Track's 1962 road test noted an impressive-for-the-time 35 miles per gallon (as cited by HotCars; the original test is archived at The Karmann Ghia Connection along with 1972 Car and Driver and 1973 R&T tests). Hagerty's US 1956-74 buyer's guide states the car would do over 70 mph with a claimed 32 mpg.

Modern corroboration: Fuelly's 47 logged Karmann Ghias average in the mid-to-high 20s, with per-year averages from 21.2 (1970) to 30.6 (1972). Samples are small — one to six cars per year — which is why the floor is held at 21 rather than claiming a tighter band. The 35-mpg 1962 figure is best treated as an early-1200, gentle-driving best case rather than a mid-range expectation for the heavier 1600 cars.

Sourcing note: The two strongest period figures (R&T 35 mpg, Hagerty's 'claimed 32') are a secondhand citation and a factory claim respectively, and owner-log samples are small; the 21-32 range is well supported but a verified period measured figure is still missing.

Sources: Hagerty — Your Handy 1956-74 VW Karmann Ghia Buyer's Guide (claimed 32 mpg) · Hagerty UK — Buying Guide: VW Karmann Ghia 1955-1974 (engines by year) · HotCars — citing Road & Track's 1962 Karmann Ghia test at 35 mpg · The Karmann Ghia Connection — archive of 1962 R&T, 1972 C/D, 1973 R&T road tests · Fuelly — Karmann Ghia owner logs (47 owners, per-year averages)

All classics Search Volkswagen Karmann Ghia (Type 14) on FuelFacts (in case a later model year is in our 1984+ EPA data)