1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia review from North America
"A car that makes everybody smile"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I had a lot of the engine redone, including cylinders and exhaust system.
Minor routine work has included belts, hoses, brakes. After all, it's a 30 year old car.
General comments?
I love it. It is a total looker and I get one or two comments a day. It doesn't hurt that it is a convertible and lime green. Many people ask if it's a Porsche.
Because it has basically the same engine as the Beetle, parts for the car are very easy to find and relatively inexpensive.
On the downside, because of the "Beetle" engine, performance is a little slow. 0 to 60 in, say, a minute or two. Some have called it the slowest sports-car ever made.
Ingenious engineering brought us the air cooled engine. Because it is so simple, I've had very few problems. Reliability is superb. It's my daily driver in the fall and spring, but could be year-round.
My grandfather bought the car new in '74 and I'll never part with it. If you have the chance to own one, go for it!
Recommended reviews
| 1972 - Karmann Ghia 1.6 petrol It helps to be mechanically minded to own one |
|
| Really wish I still had it. COLLECTORS CAR now |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1974 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 4 cylinder Semi-Automatic |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 66000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 77000 miles |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Jetta |
| Date of Entry | 14th April, 2003 |