This is of my Phoenix Red 1974 Karmann Ghia. While the Beetle and the Bus seem to get most of the world's attention, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the Karmann Ghia. This version is as close to a factory original 1974 (delivered from the factory on February 15th, 1974) that I have ever been able to find. As I am sure you are aware, this was the last production year with only 5608 coupes made (based on my research). According to VW's records, this one has the original engine (CA only type) too!

While I had many options of different years I could purchase (most in better shape than this one when I found it), I wanted the 1974 for one reason; my uncle bought one brand new in 1974 and that's when I fell in love. I can vividly and fondly remember riding in the back (if you can call it a back) and bumping and being tossed around as he drove up and down and through twists and turns of the backroads of Connecticut. It was most definitely a different world in 1974 and no one thought twice about it, and I loved every minute. When he would come over and visit, I would head out to look at the car; I never saw anything cooler. Flash forward a bunch of decades and the day the car arrived at my house; my uncle was there to greet it with me. I heard him whisper to himself when he first saw it "now I remember why I loved this car so much".

My goal has been to keep it as original as possible, and the parts I have purchased from JBUGS have fit the bill.