Karmann for sale?

According to Auto News via our friends over at AutoBlog Karmann may be up for sale sooner than later. Karmann is a German coach builder that also happens to produce the top for the BMW 1 series convertible. Audi had pulled their contract for the since departed A4 Cab earlier in the year disrupting a much needed source of income. It is a family run business and they are currently weighing all of their options. The workforce has been slashed by 500 already and 1000 of the 5000 workers are slated to get cut as well in order to keep the company afloat.

The convertible roof business has been steady (partly thanks to the 1) but the real issue is in the vehicle assembly for automakers. They operate much like Magna does for BMW in producing vehicles via contract. Cars that have recently been produced by the company include the Audi A4 Cab, and the MB CLK. They also assemble kits and produce chassis.

Part of the reason for the decrease is the fact they basically designed the Chrysler Crossfire from the ground up, and needless to say that was not a huge hit.

Karmann for years produced many VW products, from the cabrio Beetle and Ghia to the much aclaimed Corrado. The BMW 635 CSI was also produced in significant numbers by the company.

What will the sale of the company mean for BMW is still up in the air, but hopefully it will not impact the production of the 1er roof.