Vehicle Description
1956 Volkswagen Judson Supercharged Karmann Ghia ?Gorgeous VW
Lowlight Coupe and debut model year for the Karmann Ghia in the U.S
?No expense spared 7 year professional correct restoration
?Produced in Osnabrueck, Germany 11/23/56 ?Left the factory for San
Francisco 11/27/56 ?California Ghia that still retains 1956 yellow
California license plates ?One of only 11,556 Karmann Ghias made in
1956 ?60HP 1.2L four-cylinder engine with period-correct Judson
supercharger ?Four-speed manual transmission ?Correct Trout Blue
exterior (code L330) and correct gray interior (code 53) with thin
seatbacks, black trim and ivory ancillaries ?Hella headlights, VDO
gauges and Marchal fog light ?Included with original VW Auto Museum
Certificate, original Judson Supercharger literature, original
Judson emblems and Judson parts list ?Extremely tidy and detailed
undercarriage Karmann Ghia styling combined with Volkswagen
simplicity and reliability make for a beautiful post-war 2+2 coupe.
This US market 1956 VW Karmann Ghia is an exquisite example of this
marriage. This example has a period-correct Judson Supercharger on
the engine that provides a big boost in midrange torque and 20HP.
The previous owner who is a serious Volkswagen enthusiast in
California took seven years to put this car together professional
to make it exactly the way he wanted it to be. Just take a look at
the photos of the stunning undercarriage to see the extreme level
of detail on this rare to see California 1956 Ghia. In 1956,
brothers W. Haddon Judson and Charles Judson, of Collegeville,
Pennsylvania, produced a supercharger kit to make the Beetle a
healthier performer. Known for producing superchargers for flathead
Ford V-8s in the 1940s, their name was relatively well known and
their reputation was solid. As foreign sports cars began invading
the U.S., they saw a market for superchargers and went to work
developing them for Beetles, MGs, Volvos and Renaults, to name but
a mere few vehicles that benefit from Judson superchargers. It was
a fun and popular modification that gave a little more power to
cars that weren?t known for much torque. Today, finding a vehicle
equipped with a period-correct Judson supercharger is quite the
treat, and this early Karmann Ghia is one of those, let alone a
extremely rare 1956 model. Presented in the desirable and correct
for this car Trout Blue exterior and correct gray interior
upholstery. Dressed in Trout Blue (code L330), this Lowlight?s
paint and trim are in overall excellent order, with only the
slightest of blemishes visible upon close inspection. The car?s
original Sekurit windows are clear and intact and its lights,
particularly the Hella headlights. The engine bay is extremely tidy
with a battery to match while the frunk is immaculate and has a
full-size spare tire and wheel ahead of the fuel tank. The hood
retains its Judson supercharger badging and impossible to find air
scoop. The body is straight and solid while the wraparound chrome
bumpers shine brilliantly. In front is a functional single Marchal
fog light. This Ghia is shod with Firestone F-560 tires, size
155R15 at every corner. Each tire is mounted on correct a steel
wheel topped with a full VW chrome moon wheel cover. The wheels
look pristine while the tires or in very good condition. In back is
a 1.2L horizontally opposed, air-cooled four-cylinder engine
supplanted with that Judson supercharger that boosts the 40HP motor
to 60HP! The motor is mated to a correct four-speed manual
transmission. Inside, the car is finished in gray, with black and
ivory trim with the original reproduction correct interior and
headliner. The front buckets and rear demi-buckets look excellent
while the gray carpet is in very good order. The neutral headliner
is in similar condition while the correct hard to find two-spoke
steering wheel, floor-mounted shifter and parking brake handle and
other hand controls are done in ivory, which provides great
contrast to the black and gray. The Trout Blue metal instrument
panel is in excellent shape and keeps its VDO gauges while the
inner door panels look very good. This is a radio-delete car.
Internally designated the Type 14, the Karmann Ghia combined the
chassis and mechanicals of the Type 1 (Beetle) with styling by
Italy's Carrozzeria Ghia and hand-built bodywork by German
coachbuilding house Karmann. Long noted for its exterior styling,
the Karmann Ghia was designed with input from numerous individuals
at Carrozzeria Ghia and was strongly influenced by Virgil Exner's
work, though all of its designers passed without a definitive
individual styling attribution. American industrial designer Walter
Dorwin Teague included the Type 14 Karmann Ghia in his list of the
world's most beautifully designed products. Exterior changes in
1961 included wider and finned front grilles, taller and more
rounded rear taillights and headlights relocated to a higher
position ? with previous models and their lower headlight placement
called lowlights. Included with the original VW Auto Museum
Certificate, original Judson Supercharger literature, original
Judson emblems and Judson parts list. VW fanatics, sports car fans
or anyone who appreciates a post-war 2+2 with style, panache,
reliability and a surprising power boost owes it to themselves to
check out this rare to find Lowlight. It will not last long, so
stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today! VIN: 1354238 This car is
currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current
mileage on the odometer shows 2,769 miles. It is sold as is, where
is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt California title with 1956
California yellow plates that match the current title. GET OUT AND
DRIVE!!!? Note: Please see full terms and conditions listed below
that pertain to the purchase of any said vehicle, thank you.
