Suppose you really like the mechanicals and engineering of a certain car but you’re not crazy about the styling. No worries, just add a whole new set of clothes. It’s been done to more than one but the model that stands out the most in my mind is the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia – WV simplicity and reliability in a sharp-looking set of threads. So, present for review is a 1971 example, located in Charlotte, North Carolina and available here on eBay for a current bid of $4,227.00, twelve bids tendered so far.

The story of the Karmann Ghia’s origin has a list of players and goes into more twists and turns than there is space here to explain, but in a nutshell, have a body designed by Ghia, produced by Karmann and bolt it on to a VW Type 1 (Bug) platform, repeat 445,000 times between 1955 and 1974 and voila, you now have a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia or what VW referred to as a Type 14.

This Karmann Ghia presents itself pretty well. The finish is flat and faded in places but all in all, still pretty presentable. The seller does add that the finish has been “touched-up” in places but I would expect that for a driver quality car of this age. The fact that there is no visible rust is encouraging as these “K-Gs” are known to suffer from that malady when exposed to certain climatic conditions (as a matter of fact, a teenage car friend first showed me how to repair rust holes with Bondo and newspaper on a ’66 Karmann Ghia). The seller adds that the “floors are not soft” which is a bit of backhanded praise. What does that really mean? They’re starting to go, they just don’t bow yet. Maybe it means nothing at all but I would suggest to a potential buyer that they check them out. The seller makes no reference to the wheels but they appear to be aftermarket of some brand; they’re sharp-looking and enhance this VW’s visuals.

Power-wise, this K-G has a 1600 CC, flat four-cylinder engine good for 60 HP. The seller claims that it, “runs good and does not smoke.”  The odometer registers 43K miles but that is not advertised as a selling feature so perhaps it has been around once and thus the claim of no engine smoking as it would be of more concern on a high mileage engine. As is usually the case, the motor is connected to a four-speed manual transaxle. But here’s what’s interesting, the seller has a lot of additional replacement/enhancement parts that have not been installed but are included in the sale, specifically: “40 IDF carb, center section manifold, new boots to connect to end castings, flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, Empi heads, external oil filter, and more.” So if this flat-four engine is tired and needs a wake-up call, there are some parts to help with that mission. Finally, the seller advises that this VW has new brakes.

The interior looks fair, the seller does state that the seat covers need to be replaced and I spied a passenger-side door card that has gone missing, no word as to whether it’s available or not. Also noticed, is an aftermarket radio with box speakers. Beyond that, the interior doesn’t appear to need much else – Karmann Ghias, like VW Bugs, rolled with fairly spartan insides so at least they are easy to maintain and repair as needed.

So if you like the Bug’s endearing mechanical qualities but you’re not much on its long-term existential styling, here’s the chance to acquire a spiffy little car that incorporates venerable engineering design with stylish clothes.  This auction goes until Saturday afternoon, so check it out if you are interested. Question of the day, a show of hands if you have ever owned a Karmann Ghia and if so, how did you like it?