1956 Karmann Ghia Sells for $67K at Pebble Beach

[John P]

(I don't know if it also includes buyer's commission.)



Granted, it is stunning, but what the hell is our hobby coming to?  Between that, and the $217K bus that sold in June:



See: http://www.cal-look.com/forum/cal-look-high-performance/someone-scored-big/ for more details.

It just feels wrong; humble, affordable cars with humble origins, being coveted and possessed.

You may not be able to go home again, but memories of your youth are always on the market.

J

[David Ward]

One thing that amazes me about these is that they're restored and they're restored to be something that appears to be different than what someone would have likely been able to drive off the dealer's lot.  In other words, the paint is of superior quality, it has accessories that are different, and in some instances, color and interior combinations that never existed.

Don't get me wrong, that car looks amazing, but it looks modified.

[John P]

Agreed, David. I think that the VW scene will eventually emulate other collector car scenes, where top dollar will be spent on matching the builder's spec sheet; from color, to interior, to the original, numbers matching drivetrain (something that has been largely irrelevant in the VW scene to-date).

More and more people will eventually be contacting VW for their car's "birth certificate" to support this.

I know that Ghias and Buses suffer from rust and neglect, and rectifying it is much more costly than a Beetle (where you can easily - and inexpensively - unbolt a fender), but the prices still astound me.

Pity the day when our cars are seen as "investments." It already permeates the Porsche world, and the odor stinks. 

My 1.5 cents.

J

[gkeeton@zbzoom.net]

The cost of the hobby is allready "weeding out" the enthusiasts at the bottom of the totem pole. There are the off-roaders using the suspensions/drivetrains for their buggys are no longer willing to pay the price for a part that is now considered a rare classic car part. Then the older idividuals wanting to relive their youth by buying a classic VW simply give up their dream once they find out they will have to spend 1000+% more than they ever imagined to buy a vehicle. There are those that have collected vehicles for future restorations that end up cutting them up to part out because the cost of the restoration has gone up ten fold since they got the vehicle 5-10 years ago, and the vehicle is now worth ten times their original purchase price as parts. There are the "younger" group in their late 20's early 30's that are getting married/having kids that simply can no longer afford $20k to invest in their 70 Beetle to have a nice Cal-Look Bug with a stroker engine, nice paint, and interior. It's getting closer to the Porsche example than you think in my neck of the woods.