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Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 12:35 pm
by jmvv
While chatting to a customer of mine about Beetles and Aircooleds in general he mentioned to me that he had a KG convertible.
According to him its a type 3, so with my curiosity piqued, I had to see the car.
The next day I took a drive out to see the car and this is what was found
According to magazine clippings he showed me, Karmann proposed a convertible of the T3 Ghia and VW was keen enough that they even started producing brochures.
(Copies he sent me of the printed matter would not load on Photobucket)
Unfortunately, the project was stillborn.
This particular car was ordered from Wolfsburg by the then German Consul in Pretoria. From the assembly line the car went straight to a German coachbuilder in Wolfsburg, to have the conversion done, before being shipped out to South Africa.
The car has all the trim as shown in the sales brochure, with all the fancy aluminium beadings on the rear cover. This would make me suspect that the couchbuilder might even be Karmann. According to unsubstantiated rumours, they built a run of 13 vehicles.
He plans to complete the restoration (eventually). But what really tickled my fancy was that he had all the trim, and this is definitely not a backyard hackjob.
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 12:41 pm
by Pine
That is certainly a very interesting car!
Found this on the T34 registry at
http://www.t-34.co.uk/index.php?page=tech&id=1
Most of the cars produced remained in Germany, with the remainder being exported mainly to other European destinations. Of the 42510 cars produced it is estimated that there may be as few as 2000 left in the world today, with only a very small percentage of these being electric sunroof versions. In fact of the few that are left, there are supposedly only 12 right hand drive sunroof models known to be in existence.
Up until recently, there were two convertible versions known, both of these are prototypes, one being owned by Karmann and housed in their museum in Osnabruck, and the other I believe is in Ghias museum in Turin. That is until a third was discovered when a Volkswagen dealership went bankrupt and had its assets auctioned off; one of the lots being a previously unknown Type 34 Ghia convertible. This car was bought by Lars Neuffer, a German Volkswagen enthusiast who reproduces many of the hard to come by parts for Type 34 Ghias. He is presently undertaking a full nut and bolt restoration, and is logging all of the features unique to the convertible, should anyone consider converting a coupe.
There are several non-original convertibles in existence, most of these are pretty good looking cars, in fact Lee Hedges of the Type 34 Karmann Ghia Registry is presently in the process of building a 1962 convertible from a coupe, - you've got to be pretty committed to cut the roof off of one of these cars.
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 12:46 pm
by Blitzkrieg
I would be very interested to see the VIN plate of that car....can easily verify what it really is/was.
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 12:49 pm
by Pine
Air cooled VW Convertibles (Ghia/Beetle) usually have quite unique wind-down side rear windows
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 12:57 pm
by Muderick
Type 34 convertibles really do exist as it coiuld be ordered from the VW factory, or they would do the conversion on your own vehicle... first offered after the unveiling at the 1961 Frankfurt motor show...
check here...
http://www.leehedges.com/t34/puret34/conversions.htm
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 12:59 pm
by Ron&Gill
He wants to take better care of those dash pads, they are made from unobtainium.
These cars did not come from Wolfsburg, they came from Osnabruck.
Yes, as far as i know Karmann built only 2 prototype convertibles and they were never put into production. There were enough coach builders building cars on ACVW running gear around then to make your head spin so it would not surprise me if there is the odd professional convertable conversion around. nothing wrong with that. I have seen a few very nice "hack jobs" too.
The pity is you loose that fabulous rear window!
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 1:06 pm
by Ron&Gill
Muderick wrote:Type 34 convertibles really do exist as it coiuld be ordered from the VW factory, or they would do the conversion on your own vehicle... first offered after the unveiling at the 1961 Frankfurt motor show...
check here...
http://www.leehedges.com/t34/puret34/conversions.htm
I don't see where it says these were done by VW. I believe VW did not do that. Typically, Karmann did all convertibles for VW, including the T31 and the 411 sedan convertible prototypes and as far as i have been able to acertain, there were only 2 done by Karmann, and then the one later one from a existing T34 coupe.
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 1:08 pm
by fig
I came across a Type 34 cabrio years ago in North Riding, Jhb. It was black and white, IIRC, and it looked very professionally done. After seeing it I read up on them, which told me it couldn't have been a factory job. I wonder if this might be the same car?
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 2:46 pm
by splitfan
Now thats one resto i would love to call mine !
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 5:39 pm
by jmvv
Blitzkrieg wrote:I would be very interested to see the VIN plate of that car....can easily verify what it really is/was.
I did take a picture of the VIN plate, unfortunately technology is not my friend today and it won't upload to Photobucket.
The relevant numbers are:
Heizg Typ 3/225 Prutz S039
Fahrgest Nr 34 8047990
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 8:39 pm
by eben
VW built one
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 9:31 pm
by karmakoma
Very cool car!
Would be something really special when completed. Hope it happens
!
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 9:44 pm
by Farhaad
ask him to join us here. we might just persuade him to start sooner than later
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 11:33 pm
by Ron&Gill
eben wrote:VW built one
Says who, the hubcaps? My T34 also had those hubcaps...
I have still not seen any evidence that VW in Wolfsburg took T34 Karmann Ghia's from Osnabruck and turned them into convertibles, and quite frankly I don't believe it.
. For the very simple reason that VW scrapped or turned down the Karmann prototype because of structural strength, and Karmann was (is) the coach builder who built (builds) ALL of VWs convertibles, Beetles, Golfs, T14 (ok, that's a KG, but still). Not 100% sure about the New Beetle... but then who cares. Karmann are the expert convertible builders, not VW Wolfsburg.
Re: Karmann Ghia Convertible
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 7:58 am
by eben
Yes Ron that's what I meant, Karmann, VW's preferred coachbuilder.....
it looks like from the VIN, the one at the top might be too late a model to be an M341
http://www.type34.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... =20&page=2