This 1960 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia convertible was reportedly sold new by Concours Motors Inc. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is said to have been parked in the 1960s with 3,600 miles on the odometer. In 1982, the car was purchased by the owner of Concours Motors and became the subject of an eight-year refurbishment process coming to completion in 1997. With 4,100 miles showing on the odometer, the car underwent a recent multi-year modification process by Fast Freddies Rod Shop in Eau Clare, Wisconsin, that included performing a 12-volt electrical conversion and installing a Fat Performance 1,776cc flat-four, a Rancho “Freeway Flyer” four-speed manual transaxle, a RetroSound radio, Fibersteel Speedster-style seats, an adjustable front axle beam, four-wheel disc brakes, a rear camber compensator, and 15″ Möbelwagen wheels. This modified Ghia is offered on behalf of the current owner with a tool roll, manufacturer’s literature, partial service records, and a clean Wisconsin title in the name of the current owner’s trust.
The car received a repaint in black (L41) as part of the initial refurbishment approximately 27 years ago and features a black convertible soft top, European-specification chrome bumpers, 12-volt exterior lighting, and Talbot Berlin-style side-view mirrors in addition to bullet-style front turn signals, polished beltline trim, and “banana-style” taillights.
The car has been fitted with an adjustable front axle beam, an EMPI steering box, KYB Gas-a-Just shocks, a rear camber compensator, and four-wheel disc brakes in addition to a set of 15″ Möbelwagen 730M Schnell wheels wrapped in 155-series Vredestein Sprint Classic tires and mounted with 5x205mm to 4x130mm wheel adapters.
Inside, a pair of heated Fibersteel Speedster-style seats trimmed in black leather with houndstooth inserts have been fitted along with a custom-fabricated roll bar that incorporates adjustable height headrests for each occupant. Gray German square weave carpeting lines the footwells, and additional interior details include a folding rear bench seat trimmed in true red leatherette upholstery in addition to a fuel reserve flap, Simpson racing harnesses, an EMPI trigger-style shifter, a USB charging outlet, and a RetroSound radio linked to Infinity speakers, which are mounted in custom-fabricated pods below the dashboard.
The two-spoke steering wheel wears a polished horn ring with a Wolfsburg crest center cap and frames a trio of VDO instruments consisting of a 90-mph speedometer, an analog clock, and a fuel level gauge. The five-digit mechanical odometer shows 4,300 miles, which the seller believes to be accurate, and notes approximately 700 of which have been added under current ownership over the last 42 years.
Opening the decklid, which has been fitted with gas-charged struts, reveals a replacement air-cooled flat-four was built with a displacement of 1,776cc by Fat Performance of Orange, California, in 2022. It was built using an aftermarket engine case fitted with 90.5mm pistons and cylinders and a 69mm crankshaft in addition to a spin-on oil filter adapter, an extended capacity oil sump, a Bosch blue ignition coil, electronic ignition, a 12-volt alternator charging system, a degree pulley, an upright oil filler/breather, a “doghouse” fan shroud, an electric fuel pump, dual Spanish Weber 44 IDF carburetors, and an A–1 Sidewinder exhaust system.
Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transaxle sourced from Rancho Performance and modified with a “Freeway Flyer” gearset and a 3.88:1 ring and pinion.
The vehicle’s Wisconsin title lists “Exempt” in the Odometer Status box.