Vroom Vroom

I guess you are looking at this going 'he's thrown us a curve ball this evening!' Well... despite my focus on fashion and flora I'd like to draw your attention to the sleek lines of the Carmen Ghia. I have a barely suppressed Pavlovian response every time one of these classic autos purrs past me. My father had a red MG when he was a young man and I'm afraid I've never possessed the typical 'sports car'. We did have neighbours in Albert Park who drove a vintage gold Mercedes with their stuffed pet cat in tow. I never quite understood the cat in the car bit but I assume it looked better than a hat in the rear window.

In a nutshell the Carmen Ghia (sounds like rollers my mother used!) was designed in the mid 1950's. Also called the Karmann Ghia they were originally produced by Volkswagen in Germany and later Brazil. They were out of production by 1974 but their distinctive silver brand is easy to spot. They were a transition towards luxury cars after the recovery from World War 2. To me they represent a time where optimism in the future was strong and the domestic architecture of the period was free of the strictures of rationing. In my humble opinion it sure beats a Commodore with fluffy dice !