The Karmann Ghia of Memories

If only we could keep the cars that shaped our memories.
It’s a dream many people have entertained at least once.
In reality, though, beloved cars are often quietly sold off or, if they do survive, left to gather dust until they eventually merge with the earth itself.

Against those odds, this 1971 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia—set to be offered at auction this November—still holds the vivid traces of a family’s life, as if by some small miracle.
This car doesn’t suit rust or neglect. Turn the key, and the engine wakes cheerfully. While the wood trim inside shows a patina appropriate to its age, everything else remains in remarkably fine condition.

The first owner of this yellow Karmann Ghia was the current owner’s mother.
At 19, after getting her driver’s license, she first acquired a red Beetle. But her heart was set on a Karmann Ghia, and she persuaded her parents to agree.
Why she chose a Karmann Ghia—or why yellow—are questions that can no longer be asked.
Still, remembering how she kept driving it through marriage and motherhood, it’s clear she had her reasons that she wouldn’t compromise.

Debuting in 1955, the Karmann Ghia was a small jewel of a coupe: designed in Italy by Ghia, built in Germany by Karmann, and based on the humble Beetle.
Nicknamed the “poor man’s Porsche,” its graceful silhouette and modest sportiness made it an object of longing for many young drivers of the time.
Surely, she too felt pride in the days she spent behind its wheel.

Records show she brought it in for a 5,000-kilometer inspection just six months after delivery, and for a 10,000-kilometer inspection after the first year. These logs alone hint that she was a meticulous owner, someone who truly loved her car.

The odometer now reads around 45,000 kilometers. Nearly 20,000 of those were covered in the first two years, and afterward, the car settled into a quieter rhythm.

The current owner’s memories are of the view from the passenger seat:
Riding along while their mother drove, with the family’s shepherd dog poking its nose over the back seat.
Whether it was trips to kindergarten, lessons, or shopping excursions with their grandmother—everything happened with the yellow Karmann Ghia as a backdrop.

Summers were hot without air conditioning. Even so, she drove it for 17 years, until she finally upgraded to a Crown Wagon with cool air in 1987.
Soon after, she moved on to a red 190E 2.6, and the Karmann Ghia was retired to the garage.

Even after she passed away, no one in the family could imagine letting go of the car that held so many memories.
There was a time when the current owner considered driving it—going so far as to upgrade from an automatic-only license. But the tricky clutch and the uphill start in front of the garage proved daunting.
Still, showing their father the new manual license remains an irreplaceable memory.
All of this became more than enough reason to let the Karmann Ghia keep its place in the garage.

Time went by, and rust began to appear on the body.
Feeling they couldn’t leave it that way, the family decided to restore it.
Tonox, a company known for building the first-generation Silvia—and whose president was a friend of the father—took on the project.
The emerging rust was thoroughly treated, the exterior was returned to near-new condition, and the engine and transmission were overhauled.
Meanwhile, the interior was left untouched to preserve the atmosphere of those years.

Since then, regular maintenance by Tonox has kept the Karmann Ghia in exceptional condition.

With their father’s passing, the current owner has inherited the steering wheel.
“I have a strong desire to keep it,” they admit. “But I also want this car to keep making new memories as it goes.”
And so, they decided to find a new owner through an auction.
Memories don’t disappear. As the owner sat once more in the passenger seat, that resolve was written across their face.

Registered for the first time in June 1971, this one-family-owned car still carries its original Yokohama 55 plates.
The set includes the Yanase registration holder likely issued when new, as well as service records, the owner’s manual, and nearly all maintenance records to date.
Reviewing those records makes it clear the mileage is genuine.

The file also contains the 2008 restoration estimate from Tonox and photos taken during the restoration.
While no records remain of inspections performed after the start of the Reiwa era, a maintenance report documents the recent work done by Tonox to prepare the car for its new registration this year, at which point ownership passed to the current caretaker.