Paul's car? - Love Potion No. 9 (1992) Discussion

It's a VW Kharman Ghia convertible.

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Paul is apologetic about driving a Volkswagen, but doesn't seem to realize that his VW Karmann Ghia cabriolet is a real classic. Well preserved or restored examples are now (2012) selling for tens of thousands of dollars. The Karmann Ghia has been recognized as one of the most beautiful cars ever produced. OK, mine's a '72 coupe!

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[–] Strawberrry35 9 years ago

My friend drove one in HS and she hated it, I think because it was stick so she traded for her dad's fiero. I always liked the Ghia better since it just had a cooler look, but I prefer stick to auto.

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[–] pedroburbankado 7 years ago

She traded a Kahrman Gia for a Fiero?

That's worse than Pedro Ramirez for Delino DeShields!

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[–] StarWarsIsForKids 18 years ago

What's Diane's car?

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[–] Blueghost 17 years ago

It's a Ford or Dodge; an American car. I've actually seen a couple locally, but I can't remember the make.

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[–] Mickyfinn 12 years ago

I thought Diane's car was a chevy Cavalier - with just a few modifcations so it looked like the fictional "Pillazo" or whatever it was.

Edited to add: the Internet Movie Car Database (www.imcdb.org) lists it as a '92 Cavalier

You just have to be resigned-
You're crashing by design

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[–] davidwile 10 years ago

Hey folks,

Take the bodies off the Kharmann Ghia and the VW Beetle, and they were essentially the same car. Both had the same frame construction, suspension, and engine. The Beetle body had front and rear seats while the Kharmann Ghia with its two-seat style was VW's sports car.

There were a whole lot of Corvette, MG, and other sports car owners who demeaned the Ghia because it was just a VW Beetle with a puny engine. Now, I liked Corvettes and MGs, but I could never understand the contempt so many heaped on the Ghia. Yes, it was just a VW four cylinder engine, but that Ghia body was a thing of beauty to me. Sure an MG was faster than a Ghia, but the MG was also humiliated if compared to the power of a Corvette.

The Ghia was a great looking car that delivered great gas mileage even if it was not a high powered race car. If I remember correctly, the Ghias did have a problem with certain areas of the body rusting out, but that was also true of many other car models at the time.

I would have loved to have had a Ghia back then, but as a young married man going to college, we had to be more practical and bought a Beetle instead of a Ghia. Forty-one years later, I finally bought a traditional roadster sports car - a 2008 Mazda Miata MX-5 with a power retractable hard top. At my age, it is a bit of a struggle getting in and out of my Miata, but I certainly do enjoy driving around with the top down and my grey hair blowing in the wind. In spite of my love affair with my Miata, I still think the Ghia was a great looking sports car and would have loved to have had one back then.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

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[–] Clintessence 10 years ago

Hey Dave,

I, too, have always like the look of the Ghia. In fact, I think I ran over one in my 400 cubic inch GTO once.

Clintessence

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[–] davidwile 10 years ago

Hey Clint,

You really do have a nasty streak in you, don't you? That big old GTO you had may have had 400 cubic inches, but it still was not a sports car. At least my MX-5 is a true roadster, and if you put enough twists and turns in a race course, it would put your GTO to shame.

And speaking of shame, you ought to be ashamed for kicking sand in the face of the classic Ghia.

Best wishes and Happy New Year to my very good friends out west.
Dave Wile

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[–] gosseyn 8 years ago

It has a Lancia emblem on the grill, but I'm not sure if it is. It would be appropriate, though, since Lancia's were notoriously unreliable and prone to breaking down.

"Oh Benson, dear Benson, you are so mercifully free of the ravages of intelligence."

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[–] elvin315-1 9 years ago

Two things:

1) I used to own a 67 Ghia Convertible so I get a warm feeling whenever I see one on the screen. Great looking car and a lot of fun to drive. Poor man's Porsche back then but commanding as much as Porsches did back then, today.

2) The car Paul speeds away in after escaping the police station is a Beck 550 Spyder. It's a replicar of the famous Porsche race car from the '50s. Underneath it's all VW though the engine is placed before the rear axle and can be Porsche, Subaru, VW, or whatever though VW is the most common.

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