The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia is a coupe whose design was inspired by the legendary line of VW “Bugs”. Many refer to this car as Volkswagen’s prettiest, and its sleek appearance makes it look even faster than it actually is.

Model: VW Karmann Ghia coupe, Type 14
Year of manufacture: 1971
Manufacturer: Volkswagenwerk AG, Germany
Color: green
Engine: boxer, 4-cylinder
Volume/output: 1584cm³/37kw
Transmission: manual, 4 gears
Wheels: cast aluminum
Interior: black, leatherette
Number of seats: 4

Volkswagen Karmann Ghia 1971

State: Completed project – full restoration

Description

This beautiful sports coupe was premiered at a 1953 car show in Paris. With its sleek design, it caught the attention of car enthusiasts and the public alike, and it became particularly popular in the US, where it was featured in several movies. The car’s design relied heavily on the Volkswagen Beetle legacy, both in terms of construction and engine design — it might be for this reason that the Ghia would eventually become known as the “slowest sports coupe”.

Ghia would eventually become known as the “slowest sports coupe”.

Short story

The first owner of this particular car was a trader in Chicago. His job would often lead him to Europe. During one of his trips, he bought this Karmann Ghia for his travels around the old continent, and he fell in love with it so much that he actually had the car shipped back to the states. It served him for 16 years before he sold it to a new owner in Geneva, Illinois. The new owner also loved the car and drove it every day — it served him well for as many as three decades, after which he decided to sell it for personal reasons.

The car boasts a complete documentation, including a full-service history. We always love to see a car whose story we can trace back all the way to its first mile!

When we first inspected the car, it looked great from the outside, but an unpleasant surprise was hiding under the first layer of paint — the body was corroding significantly. In some places, the corrosion created holes the size of a football.

Still, we decided to take the challenge, and go through with a complete restoration job down to the last screw. We really think the results speak for themselves — check out the gallery below!

We also decided to contact the previous owner and show him what his beloved car looks like all those years later. If all works out, we’re hoping to add a photo of him standing next to the restored piece.

Restoration was completted.