From the Classifieds: Volkswagen Karmann Cabriolet

Backyard Volkswagen Beetle convertibles were something of a phenomenon in the 1980s, but today there aren’t many survivors from the era. Depending on who was doing the job, local soft-top Beetles were either a total waste of a once-decent car, or a well-engineered conversion that did some justice to the dwindling fleet of original Beetles still on the road.

But there was one Beetle convertible that stood comfortably above the pack. This was the Karmann Cabriolet version that first appeared in 1949 as a higher-priced variant of Doctor Porsche’s most famous creation and was built at the Karmann factory in Osnabruck on Germany.

The Karmann Cabriolet was a far more thoroughly engineered creation than your average Australian backyard convertible. With its additional body strengthening it weighed around 120kg more than a Beetle sedan.

Following the dragged-out evolution of the original people’s car, the final Karmann Cabriolet came off the line in 1980. During its lifetime, the Karmann Cabriolet was modernised along similar lines to the sedan Beetles and the final version was based on the 1303 model, complete with curved windscreen and Volkswagen Golf-derived front suspension. More than 330,000 Karmann Beetles were built in the model’s 31-year history.

If you want to detect a genuine factory Beetle convertible today, look for the Karmann badges on the front quarter panels and the higher door sills that were part of the body-strengthening process. With the roof down, also check for the unwieldy lump of folded fabric sitting high and proud behind the rear seat. There simply wasn’t room to put the folded roof anywhere else.

Because the Karmann Cabriolet was a factory-built variant of the Beetle sedan and is quite rare in Australia (it was never sold here), the asking prices, depending on condition, are quite high.

The Karmann’s status is such that it is a sought-after restoration target. Where a tattered old Beetle might escape attention, a Karmann Cabriolet, even in sad condition, is usually judged as a potentially viable restoration.

Not surprisingly, few Karmann Cabriolets are to be found on carsales.com.au, but they do make a limited appearance. This particular Signal Yellow example of a 1971 1303 version features in the showrooms of Classic Throttle Shop in North Sydney as a good example of how far a dedicated restoration will go. The dealer says it was subject to a full mechanical, interior and body rebuild about six years ago and the photos support it.

The efforts and expenditure are reflected in the price: The Karmann Cabriolet is listed at $29,995, which is at the top end of what you’d expect to pay for a restored example. Then again, it’s a fair price to pay for a rare, standout convertible guaranteed to deliver plenty of street credibility.

Two private, restored 1303 Karmanns from 1977 and 1974, were also listed at the time of writing on www.carsales.com.au. Both are priced somewhat lower, at $21,000 and $16,500 respectively, and both are claimed to be in immaculate condition.