'59 Karmann Ghia

Kris Bogaerts emailed us towards the end of the restoration of this stunning Karmann Ghia and we could tell it was going to be something very special indeed. He debuted it at EBI 2 and when I saw it I literally stopped in my tracks. Now, as you may or may not know, Low-light Ghias - those built up until 1959 - do not exactly grow on trees so it was a rare treat to see one as good as this. Perhaps it's the climate that dictates how many of these beauties survive, or maybe it's down to the high proportion of early cars being exported across the Pond. But one thing's for sure: you don't often see first generation Ghias in Europe, especially not ones as good as this. What was it other than the rarity value that drew me to this car? Well, I think the photos speak for themselves; it's truly stunning, but it's that colour that makes it: Lizard Green, a colour which has a tendency to change hue according to the intensity and refraction of the light. Catch this car on a sunny day and, like a lizard's skin, the colour seems to come alive giving it an almost organic texture.
So what's the story with this car? I'll let Kris fill you in: "I have always been inspired by the lovely lines of the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. In the year 2000 I was lucky to find a 1968 Convertible Ghia at a very reasonable price and I drove it for three years and enjoyed it very much. As I became more and more interested in Ghias I found out about the Low-light model. From that moment on I started an intensive search for one that was in good enough shape for restoration."
Kris's search took him to his armchair and keyboard where, after some educated research, he found most Low-light models had been sold in the USA.