The hubcap and tire of a 1962 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia reflect the lobby of Tacoma's Hotel Murano. Hotel Murano effectively incorporates artwork throughout the building. The hand-shaped and smoothed body of the Karmann Ghia stands next to Karen LaMonte's "Pianist's Dress", a delicate sculpture of cast glass. The car is part of the LeMay collection of automobiles. In the mid-90's this amounted to over 3,500 vehicles. On June 2, 2012, the LeMay America's Car Museum will have its grand opening. The 165,000 square foot building located adjacent the Tacoma Dome has the space to show 350 cars and will be one of the largest such facilities in the world. Cars in the collection include a 1906 Cadillac, a 1926 Ford Model T, a 1953 Citroen 2CV, a 1965 Studebaker Avanti, a 1983 DeLorean and a 1968 Pontiac Firebird.
As the name suggests, the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, or Type 14, was a collaboration of sorts between three firms. The chassis and mechanicals come from Volkswagen, the styling by Ghia and the bodywork by Karmann. The result was a beautifully designed coupe based on the foundation of Volkswagen's extremely successful Beetle. It was in production from 1955-1975.
