Several cars in history have been labeled "the poor man's Porsche" but only one has the proper genes: the Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia Type 34. It's a rare day when you'll see one in a club event and an even rarer day when you'll spot one on the road. So imagine trying to rent such a beauty for a journey in England or the Continent! Yet that's about to become possible, thanks to The Open Road, which specialises in the rental of vintage sports cars. Tony Merrygold, who manages the business along with his wife, shares my enthusiasm for the Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia Type 34, to the extent that he purchased one for future rentals. It's not yet available as work needs to be done and Tony plans on driving the Ghia through the winter in order to fix any deficiencies, among them various suspension alterations by the previous owner. Note: The car above is not the rental coupe. The image was scanned from an old VW calendar. I chose this photo because Tony's Ghia was altered by a previous owner and doesn't look as attractive. Yet. He plans on restoring it to its former glory.
Funny, just yesterday, about a block from my apt. I saw an earlier Karmen Ghia VW on the back of a truck.
November 4, 2008 @ 9:22 am