This 1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia was reportedly sold new from Luft Volkswagen of Pekin, Illinois, in May 1975. It is said to have been driven approximately 41k miles through 1988, followed by a period of inactivity ending in 2011 when it was acquired by Autohaus of Peoria, Illinois, from whom the seller purchased the car in June 2011. Finished in yellow over brown vinyl, the car is equipped with bucket seats, chrome bumpers, an AM/FM radio, and…
This 1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia was reportedly sold new from Luft Volkswagen of Pekin, Illinois, in May 1975. It is said to have been driven approximately 41k miles through 1988, followed by a period of inactivity ending in 2011 when it was acquired by Autohaus of Peoria, Illinois, from whom the seller purchased the car in June 2011. Finished in yellow over brown vinyl, the car is equipped with bucket seats, chrome bumpers, an AM/FM radio, and a Weber two-barrel carburetor. Power is supplied by a 1.6-liter flat-four paired with a three-speed “Automatic Stickshift” transmission, and service under current ownership included the installation of an electronic distributor conversion and replacement of the starter, the ignition switch, the shocks, the tires, the exhaust system, and the engine pushrod tubes and seals.
The body is finished in yellow, and sections of the body including the front trunk lid and nose are believed to have been repainted under previous ownership. Features include chrome bumpers with rubber-faced guards, chrome nose vents, lower body-side moldings, a driver-side mirror, and dual chrome exhaust tips.
Silver-painted 15″ steel wheels are fitted with branded chrome hubcaps and BFGoodrich Silvertown Radial thin-whitewall tires that were mounted in June 2012. Four replacement shocks including rear coilovers were installed in June 2019.
The cabin features seats trimmed in brown vinyl with matching door panels and carpeting. A refresh of the interior under current ownership included reupholstering the rear window shelf, and replacing the seat foam, dash pad, and sun visors. The keyed ignition switch is a replacement.
The Wolfsburg-crested steering wheel fronts a 120-mph VDO speedometer and a matching clock with an inset fuel gauge. The five-digit odometer shows 45k miles.
The air-cooled 1.6L flat-four was fitted with a Weber 32/36 progressive two-barrel carburetor in January 2012 along with an intake runner and a custom air-filter housing. Other service at that time included the installation of a Bosch electronic distributor and replacement of the exhaust system, the spark plugs, and the pushrod tubes and seals. The starter was replaced in October 2017, and the oil was changed in October 2020.
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a three-speed “Automatic Stickshift” transmission equipped with a torque converter as well as a vacuum-operated automatic clutch mechanism. To shift, the driver pushes on the shift knob, which activates a vacuum solenoid to disengage the clutch and allow a gear change. The seller states that Ziebart rust protection was applied to the underbody and inside body panels under previous ownership.
Owner’s and tune-up manuals, service records, a set of woven floor mats, a metal-frame roof rack, touch-up paint, a California Car Cover, two sets of keys, and removed parts including the carburetor, the distributor, and the air cleaner housing are included in the sale.