1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Convertible

This Karmann Ghia was owned by my aunt and uncle. They moved out of the country, and so they put it up for sale, and gave me first dibs. The car is a 1974 model. The original color is Ravenna Green, but the POs had it painted when they bought it in 1977. It also has a fairly new top and is in generally very good shape. The engine was original, with only 84,000 miles on it. It has been garage-kept for many years and not driven very much. While I had it I kept it up well, eventually having to rebuild the engine. Soon after that, an opportunity arose for me to buy a very nice '79 Westy, which I did. To buy that van, I had to sell the Karmann Ghia, which I also did. It was sad to see it go but good to know it was going to a good home.

The vital stats:

VIN: 1442669811

1.6L horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engine, rear-mounted and air-cooled.

46 SAE net horsepower at 4000 rpm.

72 lb.-ft. SAE net torque at 2800 rpm.

7.3:1 compression ratio.

Single camshaft, pushrods, 2 valves per cylinder.

Magnesium crankcase, aluminum cylinder heads.

Rear-wheel drive.

4.5" x 15" steel wheels.

Bosch 50-amp alternator.

Four-wheel independent torsion bar suspension.

Worm and roller steering, not power-assisted.

Four-speed manual transmission.

Solex 34PICT-3 carburetor.

Front disc brakes and rear drum brakes, dual circuit, not power-assisted.

Dry, single-plate clutch, cable-operated.

Wheelbase: 94.5" (7.9 feet).

Length: 165.7" (13.8 feet).

Width: 64.3" (5.4 feet).

Height: 52.0" (4.3 feet).

Ground Clearance: 5.9" (0.5 feet).

Seating for 2 occupants, including driver.

• Convertible by Karmann Coachworks in Germany
• Fully padded and lined cabriolet top
• Glass rear window
• Electric rear defroster

14 = Karmann Ghia (Volkswagen Type 14).
4 = Model year (in this case, the 4 indicates 1974).
2 = Place marker.
669,811 = Sequential production number. In this case, my car is the 669,811th Type 1 chassis of all kinds (Beetle, Super Beetle, Thing, Karmann Ghia) produced in the 1974 model year.

In addition, below is the production information I got from Volkswagen of Germany after sending them the VIN.

Model: 141-041
Engine: AH 446 552
Color: Not registered
Production date: April 26th, 1974
Delivery date: April 30th, 1974
Delivered to: USA

Below are some pictures of the car that I took in Johnson City, TN, immediately after washing it. Click on the thumbnails for the full-size pictures.