1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Coupe It's no coincidence. When we decided to build a sports car, we also decided to go where the most beautiful sports cars in the world are built. Italy. We went to the renowned Ghia Studios of Truin, Italy, and had them design a sleek-looking sports car for us. Pretty soon we had some beautiful plans on our hands. We needed someone who could take them off our hands and put them into metal. So we went to the Karmann CoachWorks in Osnabruck, Germany, where artisans have been building coaches for European nobility long before engines existed. From a 1974 print ad. For consignment, a 1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia coupe with a title verified 19,681 actual miles. Family owned since 1991 and barely driven, this represents a rare survivor and despite some time induced imperfections, we'd have no trepidation about taking this to a car show tomorrow! Or simply cruise for fun. Exterior Single stage Saturn Yellow is hard to miss, and that's the point. But on a body where any color would look good, the yellow is especially vibrant and complementary to the curvaceous lines of the coupe edition of the Karmann Ghia. The tail is especially dynamic with the rear lights popping off the yellow, the decklid louvers cooling the engine, the epic Karmann Ghia script call out, and twin exhaust tips under the bumper and its symmetrical bumper guards. Just great! A raked windshield leads to a gently sloping roofline, held up by slightly articulated fenders front and rear, arching over 15-inch wheels and 165/80R15 tires. Up front, the bugeye expression is naturally Porsche-like while the intake vents are a distinct field mark. Imperfections include some oxidation on the lower window reveal, a few paint chips, painted over tape, some lower bubbling and blistering, edge surface rust, and a cracked marker lens. Interior VW's grained black vinyl lines the door and we note the header piece has several cracks on the driver's side while the passenger's is fully intact. Bucket seats are tall and clean with well defined grain in the vinyl and smooth headrests. Up front, the monochromatic black coverage continues with a Wolfsburg logo on a nice steering wheel that does have a crack in the rim, fronting a clean dashboard with a speedometer and clock while an AM/FM radio resides dead center in the dash where a crack is noted just beyond the Karmann Ghia emblem. A shifter rises from the center tunnel which is covered with gray flannel that continues to the cargo shelf behind the seats. The front trunk is spotless with a rubberized mat and spare tire. Drivetrain Esthetically, this is driver quality with some patina on an otherwise fully intact and complete engine with a few newer looking components. It's a 1585cc flat 4 cylinder engine that puts out 60 horsepower. It's fueled by a 1-barrel carburetor and is mated to a 4-speed manual transmission that keeps power in the back and routes it through 3.875 gears. Undercarriage Typical patina here and just a touch of residual oil and some grime around the CV boots but nothing out of place nor rusty. We have disc brakes up front and to our eyes, the calipers look newer but have no information to confirm last service. The rear has drum brakes and dual exhaust comes right in front the engine and meets at a stock style muffler which emits two tail pipes. Suspension is fully independent and includes a transverse leaf spring up front and swing axle, trailing arms, and torsion bars in back. Drive-Ability Low and compact, but surprisingly roomy on the inside with great visibility, the KG is almost toy-like in the enjoyment it provides. If you ever wanted to feel fully engaged with a car in motion this one fits the bill! Meanwhile, other than the horn and radio, all functions operate as intended and it's time to take this one inside to brighten our halls. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot gua