This is a rare, early 1959 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, with a colorful history that includes the first owner’s purchase as part of a European delivery program. It is known by enthusiasts as a “low light” model due to the front headlights sitting lower in the front fenders than later models. The seller has pieced together its past to determine it’s had just two professor owners before he discovered the car in highly original condition. It’s now listed here on eBay where it’s attracted bids over $12K with several days left in the auction.
Other unique features of these earlier models include the taillights, and the fixed rear quarter glass. Among Karmann Ghia enthusiasts, the low light models are prized collector items due to the more graceful styling and closer interpretation to the original concept design. The front air inlets on the nose are also more svelte. This example has been repainted but the seller has determined its original paint code, which was a very pretty “…L241 Bamboo body paint, L318 deep green roof paint, L41 black wheel rim, L241 bamboo wheel disc, and two-tone green grey/green interior.”
Both owners were University of Florida professors. The first one emigrated to Florida in the late 30s, then returned to Germany on a vacation and purchased the car, importing it on his return trip. The Karmann Ghia remained in Florida for all of its life, and has some modest rust as a result – based on the listing, it sounds like it’s mostly in the floors. The engine was supposedly rebuilt in the 1990s and the odometer reading of 84,107 is believed to be correct. The interior retains its original details though the color change also affected the upholstery; the original radio is installed but doesn’t work.
The seller notes that the engine runs well and retains its six-volt system. Overall, it’s hard to ignore the high levels of originality on display, and the following for low light Karmann Ghias is a passionate one. Registries have been established expressly for tracking these cars, and their production numbers are limited by comparison to the later models. While I hate to see cars repainted, this one should return to its original color combination and have its chrome re-done; it will be a stunner when complete. Have you ever seen a low light model in person? How did it compare to the more common later KGs?
The original color combination is great, bamboo with deep green roof.
As they say in German, “Super!”
Looks like the ol’ 36 HP engine got a Bosch Blue Coil and full centrifugal distributor, which from my experience, can liven up the opposed four.
Das ist gut! Ja?
Ausgezeichnet!
Thanks, Jeff, for pointing out the styling details. Love the color combination on this, especially the white wheels.
Ja, das ist eine Great find!
Hard to tell, but perhaps those are non-sealed beam headlamps – they look great, but unless they’re high output halogen units, not as good as sealed beams.
I looked at the Ebay ad, there is a pic of some paperwork showing sealed beam headlights as an extra/option.
This was the first good looking VW that I can remember ever seeing. That’s because it was designed by someone outside of VW —- by Ghia of Italy.
I had a 69, wonderful cars, I know about the fanatic low light guys bless them, as fa as I’m concerned any VW Ghia would be great. Someone buy this and enjoy. I have no room.
I’d find a safe place for that engine while I drove the car with a 2l dual carb, but that’s all I’d change. Very pretty.
Thanks for explaining the low light thing. I thought this one looked a little weird. I prefer the high headlight look myself, the headlights flow into the fenders better. I always thought these were goofy as a teenager in the 60’s. Now I like them, they just need a Corvair six so they have some torque and aren’t so slow to accelerate or pass. This one is cute though and I like the color combo as is.
My favorite VW, but TWELVE g’s! GOTT IM HIMMEL!!!
@Rube Goldberg
Karmann Ghia prices have surged in the last few years. We have a friend who’s selling a very nice ’64 KG convertible – and asking $39,500. I thought that she was nuts until I checked Hagerty’s price guide. Hers is (by professional appraisal and my opinion) a #2+ car and her price is pretty much on target according to Hagerty!
They’re ALL nuts.( and Hagerty isn’t helping) I’m just mad I didn’t buy these when they were $500 bucks and nobody wanted them. KG’s were never popular in the Midwest. You probably saw 20 bugs for every KG. Not sure why.
My first car was a 59 Carmen Ghia. 36 hp. It had a gas gauge AND a reserve switch. I once took 6 people (including the center of our basketball team) to lunch it it. My 59 was not the ‘low light’ model though.
Wow!.. I’m jealous, love those Karmanns.
Color be fine, but those wheels need the two-toned treatment. Being a uni-body construct, most of this vintage suffered from punched nose into ft. hood and rust under battery and wheel skirts and door bottoms. Body parts can be Porsche-like in cost!
looks to be in relatively good shape, but in my eyes it is just a downgraded standard model 914… which were made by Karman Kia! but in good news, a rocket compared to the VW bus. imagine the excitement as you zoom to 60 mph in under 1 minute!
No connection between a 914 ( which didn’t even appear until about 1970) and a Karman Ghia.
My very first VW was a 1957 Karmann Ghia, with a red body and a silver top (repainted; I never knew what the original top color was). I bought it in 1969, when I was a grad student. It had 33,000 miles on it and was in great shape. After I left grad school, I had a job that required lots of driving, and it simply couldn’t bear up. I traded it in on a 1971 Ghia, which had a larger engine, and which I drove for over 200,000 miles. That was my last air-cooled VW, but not my last VW – I have had over a dozen since.
I would love to have either of my Ghias again….
I’m afraid it was about 30 years ago
now, but there was one of these
sitting in a yard near the Bethesda
MD subway station. It was red.
I sent a couple VW friends after it,
but they said it was too rusted.