1969 VW Karmann Ghia Type 34 'Razoredge' For Hire

Having looked at a number of VW Beetle Convertibles and a few Type 1 Karmann Ghias, both coupes and roadsters, and not seen one that I considered good enough, this Type 34 Razoredge Karmann Ghia came up for sale and I just had to buy it. There are only about 100 Razoredge Ghias in the UK so it isn't just the colour scheme of Porsche International Orange with a blue roof that makes this car unusual.  

 

This is the only Karmann Ghia Razoredge for rent anywhere in the World and has to be the ultimate classic VW!  This car is even rarer than I thought.  While it was exhibited at the VolksWorld Show at Sandown Park in Esher in March 2009 I was talking to the chairman of the Karmann Ghia Owners Club.  He confirms that there are about 100 Type 34s in the country, but only around 40 have MOTs and only about 30 are regularly used on the road. Basically the chances of seeing another one on the road are virtually nil.

 

The Type 34 Karmann Ghia was introduced by Volkswagen in 1961, based on its new Type 3 platform.  It was the launch vehicle for Volkswagen's new 1500 cc engine and was the fastest, most luxurious, and most expensive Volkswagen at the time.  Due to potential model confusion with the release of the Type 1 Beetle 1500cc in 1967, the public dubbed the VW Type 34 the "Razoredge" in England, "Der Große Karmann" (the big Karmann) in Germany and "European Ghia" in the United States.  By 1969 when our VW was built the cars were fitted with a 1600 cc engine.  This makes the car 40 now.  Have you ever seen such a funky 40 year old?

 

This car has been the subject of an extensive re-build with much metal replaced, a full respray, including the bumpers, which would originally have been chrome.  To go with the exterior colour scheme, the seats have been re-trimmed in orange and black leather.  The overall effect is excellent, such that the previous owner won a number of 2nd and 1st place awards in VW Concours competitions during 2006 and 2007.

 

However as with all cars that are new to our fleet, I worked through a list of small jobs that needed doing before we would let it out on hire. When purchased, the suspension had been lowered and needed raising a bit, the heater didn't work and there were a number of other minor items that needed fixing.  To make sure it is reliable enough not to break down while out on hire, I drove it throughout the Autumn and Winter covering at least 1,000 miles in it before hiring it out.

 

Although this car does have a rear bench seat, this is very small, has limited headroom and no seat belts.  Even the instruction manual calls this an 'emergency seat'.  We therefore recommend that you treat this as a two seater car.

 

Work completed on the car before letting it out on hire:

• The suspension has been raised back to it factory settings.
• Anew exhaust has been fitted togther with a set of new heat exchangers and the heater is now surprisingly effective.
• Unable to find the correct VW heater vents I fitted a pair of Triumph sourced vents in the back - perfect fit and a Land Rover vent to the parcel shelf to demist the rear window.
• The electrics were tidied up and bigger front indicators fitted.
• The old fashioned seat belts have been replaced with modern inertia reel belts.
• Woofers and tweeters have been fitted into the side panels behind the seats.
• A small rev counter has been fitted under the dashboard.
• A radio, complete with CD player and MP3 socket, will be fitted as the final bit of the electrics.
• Some of the carpet has been re-trimmed and extra soundproofing installed.
• The liners for the front and rear luggage compartments are no longer available so I had a full set made up in black carpeting by a local trimmer.
• The car featured on the VolksWorld Magazine stand at the VolksWorld Show at Sandown Park in Esher, Surrey, attended by about 18,000 people, from the 28th to 29th March 2009.

It is amazing how much cars change over their lifetime. In June 2009 I received the Heritage Certificate from the Volkswagen AutoMuseum.  It was originally painted Chrome Blue with a black roof and electric steel sunroof - no sign of that.  It left the factory with the following extras fitted: Twin reversing lights - no sign of them, and a heated Rear Window - no sign of that either.

 

Car	Daily Rate (9am to 8pm)	4 Day Rate	7 Day Rate	Insurance Excess
Karmann Ghia Razoredge (2 seats)	£185	£555	£925	£750

 

Additional Driver (any car)	£15 per Day
Picnic - We provide picnics to order, in a hamper with a waterproof picnic rug. Fresh seasonal food is included using local produce where possible. For obvious reasons we will not provide alcohol.	From £15 per head

 

For daily, weekend and weekly hire rates for all of our cars, see the section on Hire Charges.