1972 VOLKSWAGEN KARMANN GHIA COUPE Registration: ERL 933K  ...

Hammer

£14,285

1972 VOLKSWAGEN KARMANN GHIA COUPE

Registration: ERL 933K  
Chassis Number: 1422493758

The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia was produced between 1955 and 1974, with some 360,000 coupes and over 80,000 cabriolets made. What is certain is that it was the most beautiful car ever produced by the BeetleMeisters, what is unclear is exactly how the car was designed and conceived. Certainly the initial idea was sparked by Dr Wilhelm Karmann, who was building the Beetle cabriolet, suggested to Ghia that a beetle-based sports car could be made and presented to VW for their approval.

Several people claim a stake in the cars concept, in addition to the obvious triumvirate of VW in Wolfsburg, Karmann in Osnabruck and Ghia in Turin. What is assured however, is that this elegant design, considered by many to be way ahead of its time, holds a firm place in automotive design classics and the hearts and minds of many enthusiasts and collectors around the world.

First registered in August 1972 to a Bob Habermacher of St. Antonio in Texas, Mr. Habermacher kept the little Willow Green Coupe for over 20 years before trading it in the 1990s to the second owner. The Karmann had one further owner in US before arriving in the UK in 2015. The current keeper (since 2016) has been fastidious in his upkeep, using marquee specialists to maintain the car correctly, and undertaking any work as and when required. In recent years, and in addition to much previous maintenance, the Karmann has been serviced as and when required, with work to the brakes, clutch, steering, fuel delivery, (original dealer-fitted) air-conditioning, wheel refurbishment and any other minor cosmetic items.

Now showing 58,000 miles from new, and offered with two keys, original service book/manual, original dealer/customer ID card, various literature, US license plate and large folder of invoices, this is a wonderfully original Ghia in a period-perfect colour scheme.