An automotive designer, Karmann was known for sports cars, especially convertibles. He is well known for the Volkswagen/Porsche-developed Karmann-Ghia, which debuted in 1955.
In his 64-year automotive career, Karmann also worked on the designs of the VW Scirocco Coupe and Golf Cabriolet, and did design work for BMW, Ford, Opel, and Mercedes-Benz. Karmann, 83, died October 25 in Osnabrueck, Germany.