1968 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

Welcome to our latest listing, this time for a genuine right-hand-drive UK-registered VW Karmann Ghia. Extensively restored to a very high standard in approximately 1997, it is finished in Porsche Aubergine paint complemented by Neil Melliard flames and pinstriping.

The Type2 Detectives Fat Biscuit interior trim is still immaculate, and the detailed engine bay contains a 2,007cc engine built by Paul Miller at Harry Harpics. It sits on genuine Porsche Fuchs alloy wheels, shod with matching Yokohama tyres, and Pro-Tech adjustable dampers. It really does have all the good stuff.

Never driven in the wet in the eight years the vendor has owned it, it starts on the button, is still in fabulous condition and draws a crowd wherever it goes.

Generally excellent, the Porsche Aubergine paint is in a excellent condition. Beautifully applied in cellulose back in the late 1990s, it’s weathered the years very well and still shows nothing more than a little fading and some swirl marks from over-enthusiastic polishing.

And the flames and pinstriping are amazing. Painted by Neil Melliard, they are a genuine work of art and appreciated by everyone who stops to chat about the car – and that happens a lot.

The rest of the details are just as well thought out. Details like the genuine Porsche Fuchs 15x6J wheels (part number: 911 361 020), which are fitted with Yokohama 175/65R15 tyres on the front, and 185/65R15 on the rear.

The chromework is as good as you’d expect too, as are elements like the badges and light lenses. It still sports the original chrome windscreen trim, which enthusiasts will recognize as being rare. In fact, the general fit ‘n’ finish of the panels and the trim is streets ahead of that of most of its competitors.

In fact, problems are few: the rear offside quarter has a slight change in paint colour (described by the boss as being “tricky to spot”) and there are a very few minor bubbles starting to make their presence felt, not noteworthy normally, but as the rest of teh car is so good...

Also, there are light scratches on both side windows due to them rising and falling over the years, and the odd area of pitting on the door handles.

The cabin is every bit as fabulous as the coachwork. Fitted with a Type2 Detectives Fat Biscuit chequered faux leather interior, the beautifully trimmed and very comfortable seats are joined by matching door cards – and these two items set a high bar for the rest of the interior to live up to but one it rises to magnificently.

The three-spoke Mota-Lita steering wheel is fabulous and entirely in keeping with the rest of the fixtures and fittings. In great condition, it sits in front of the traditional Karmann Ghia dials.

The carpets are as clean and well-maintained as everything else, and sit on top of solid, rust-free floors. The headlining is very good too.

There are lots of lovely little details in there including immaculate pedal rubbers, period twin-spindle radio which is actually a RetoSound Zuma radio and MP3 player, lightweight window winders, cupholders set inside a useful wire basket, and the Gene Berg shifter.

A rev counter has been added, which seems like a shrewd move to us, just like the fire extinguisher.

The inside of the boot is immaculate and the spare wheel is a genuine Porsche space-saver, fitted with a Yokohama tyre; clever, huh?

Work to do? Well, there are a couple of minor marks on the driver’s seat but other than that it’s just about as good now as the day it was fitted.

The engine bay is immaculate – and we do mean immaculate. It’s even been painted in an aubergine-and-black chequer pattern to match the exterior. Beautifully detailed, the engine is clean enough to, well, you get the idea.

It’s a hell of an engine, too. Fitted with a Rimco machined case, ported and polished Mofoco cylinder heads - fitted only recently by by Paul Miller at Harry Harpics, the same chap who built the engine originally - Chevy rods, a performance crank, a lightened flywheel, and a 123 electronic ignition distributor.

There’s a deep oil sump too plus a full-flow oil cooler and breather system with CSP pushrod tubes. Fuel arrives via twin-choke IDF 44 Weber carburettors supplied by a Fuel King fuel regulator.

Drives goes to the rear wheels via a Rancho Freeway Flyer gearbox with Kennedy Stage 1 - 17lbs clutch and Gene Berg gear shifter. A high-torque starter motor fires it up, and a Vintage Speed Super-flow sports muffler with J tubes lets it breath easily. (The original heat exchangers and thermostat have been retained and are included.)

Suspension comes courtesy of an adjustable front beam that has been narrowed by four inches. It also features CV dropped spindles and castor shims.

The rear has a Kafer truss bar and a strengthened mid transmission mount, again by Paul Miller. There are Pro-Tech adjustable oil dampers on all four corners.

Regularly used, it is said to start on the button and go very well.

It goes without saying that it is immaculate underneath – and if you need a shortcut into the care with which this car has been built and maintained then just take a look at the latch for the engine cover. Precisely rivetted, it’s cleaner than the cutlery in most restaurants…

The VW doesn’t have a current MOT certificate as it expired in September last year. While it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

It has a number of expired MOT certificates and tax discs plus a few old invoices and bills to confirm some of the work that has been done to it over the years.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please contact the owner and ask if they can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like them to concentrate on.

Look, we know that this vehicle is going to have a limited audience because the traditionalists won’t like the modifications - and even the average classic car enthusiast might baulk at driving something that sprouts flames…

And yet, we think its appeal will extend far beyond the established custom car enthusiast simply because the quality of its execution is so perfectly judged. The engineers among you will appreciate the attention to detail, while the extroverts and beach bums will love the crowd it draws and the lifestyle it facilitates. Hell, even we have come to love it and we are very far from the demographic that sprung to mind when we first saw it.

Because it is, at heart, a well-modified beautifyully-built Karmann Ghia made fit for 21st century roads. Sprightly and fine handling, the interior is wonderfully decadent and a great place to spend time with three of your mates – and even its OTT paint job grew on us within a very short space of time.

So, how much will it cost you to make it yours? Well, we think it’ll settle somewhere between £14,000 and £20,000, which feels like good value to us.

And you could, of course, always respray the front of it Aubergine to match the sides and rear; this was, in fact, the vendor’s plan eight years ago but he, like us, grew to love the flames. Besides, given who painted them, it would be a bit like painting over a Banksy…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the seller in Wantage; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.