Memories
Having been attracted to the great looks of the Karmann Ghia, during my teens and after owning a couple of Ghia's, it quickly became apparent that their performance just did not match their looks (being powered by a standard 1200cc 40HP VW engine.
So whilst undertaking my engineering course at Uni, I pencilled a few ideas of my ultimate KG and work began on creating my V8 killer.
As a poor student, I was unable to afford having anyone do any of the work for me so I learnt along the way from undertaking all the mechanical mods through to forming the metal fabricated flared guards, fibreglass sunroof panel, rear whale tail and the 14 coats of cortez red followed by 5 coats of clear acrylic laquer (as was the case in those days in the late 70's).
Two years after penning my initial ideas and working on it every spare moment, between studying and part-time work, AVQ-034 was on the road and it was frighteningly quick! I couldn't believe what I had created.
Powered by a 13B bridgported rotary engine that was pushing out some 200HP, it was seriously quick and the run of the mill V8's at the time were no match.
Fitted with 4 wheel discs all around and modified suspension it not only went, but it also stopped and handled like nothing else.
It won various awards in shows entered and featured in the short lived "Muscle Cars" magazine at the time.
Have had many other cars since then, but non as fondly remembered and recollected by myself, family and friends as this Karmann which was spawned from an idea and built whilst I was a poor Uni student and before Karmann Ghia became a fad.
Sadly, it was sold to enable the purchase of our first house and was totally written off by the young owner within a few months of being purchased. Luckily he survived but my dear KG did not. R.I.P. :(
