WARNING.— The person in whose name this vehicle is displayed may or may not be the current owner of the vehicle. Readers are warned, therefore, that this entry is not proof of ownership.
Details
- Registration Mark
- 72 D 863
- (a) Type:
- Karmann Ghia
- (b) Year:
- 1972
- (c) Colour:
- Currently Silver
- (d) Paint code:
- Unknown
- (e) Engine CCs:
- 1600
History
- (a) Country of origin:
- United Kingdom
- (b) County first reg'd:
- Dublin
- (c) Current or last known location:
- Cork
Model information
Type 1 Karmann Ghia
Info
Tony Collins is a hero in the vintage Volkswagen scene because of his long term restoration of a genuine Irish assembled Split Screen Panel Van that was used by the Post & Telegraph. These P&T vans were once all over the country at one point but as with any commercials, they had a hard life. Tony was lucky, if you could say that, to have discovered one such van and has been working hard to restore it while retaining the original sign writing. It’s a mammoth task but he is working through it and making great progress.
But we’re not here to talk about that Splittie because right now we’re all about his old Karmann Ghia, a 1972 Karmann ghia to be exact.
Tony used it for 4 years and looking back at these old photos Tony laughs at what he considered lowered, almost 4×4 standards when compared to his current Karmann Ghia (ZV 2057) which is ground hugging!
Tony sold his old Karmann Ghia to an enthusiast in Cork after loving it for 4 years but it did need a lot of work at the time. The current owner, Ian, is based in County Cork and has carried out a huge amount of welding and restoration work. It is now resplendent in a fresh coat of silver.
Tony recalls that the body had seen some dubious repairs over the years by previous owners and the filler was inch thick in places. The doors would never line up properly, no matter how much fettling he did and that was because of the poor repairs in the rear quarters and the subsequent amount of filler that was layered on in a failed attempt to regain the unique lines of the Karmann Ghia. I think Tony sums it up perfectly when he described his old Karmann Ghia as “a perfect example of shiny paint covering rotten metal.”
Hopefully we’ll see this March 1972 RHD Karmann Ghia back on the roads of Ireland very soon. Soon to be uploaded onto the Beetle.ie Census and definitely worth keep an eye out for are Tony’s latest Karmann Ghia and his P&T Panel Van.
Submitted by: Tony Collins
Additional Photos
