The economy has caught up with Karmann, the independent German coach builder whose name was most famously applied to Volkswagen’s 1950s roadster, forcing it to file for insolvency. Most recently the company’s 3,470 workers were assembling Audi A4 and Mercedes CLK convertibles.

Over its 108-year history the brand has done work for many marques including building Porsche bodies, the Chrysler Crossfire, the roof system for the Pontiac G6 and Nissan Micra, and at one point the European version of the AMC Javelin. Declining car sales, however, have kept Karmann from being able to fulfill its financial obligations and forced it to pack it all in.

The economy has caught up with Karmann, the independent German coach builder whose name was most famously applied to Volkswagen’s 1950s roadster, forcing it to file for insolvency. Most recently the company’s 3,470 workers were assembling Audi A4 and Mercedes CLK convertibles.

Over its 108-year history the brand has done work for many marques including building Porsche bodies, the Chrysler Crossfire, the roof system for the Pontiac G6 and Nissan Micra, and at one point the European version of the AMC Javelin. Declining car sales, however, have kept Karmann from being able to fulfill its financial obligations and forced it to pack it all in.