1969 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Captures Hearts on Bring a Trailer

This sky-blue beauty proves you don’t need supercar performance to turn heads. With Italian styling wrapped around bulletproof Beetle mechanicals, it’s the perfect blend of style and practicality. Could this be the ultimate vintage daily driver for fall cruising?

There’s something special about a car that looks like a million bucks but won’t drain your wallet to keep running. That’s exactly what you get with this gorgeous 1969 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia up for grabs on Bring a Trailer right now.

It is a sleek, sky-blue coupe that catches everyone’s eye as you cruise down the street. People think it’s some exotic Italian sports car, but here’s the best part. Under that beautiful body, it’s basically a Beetle. Yep, the same reliable little Bug that refused to die no matter what you threw at it.

The Karmann Ghia wasn’t trying to be the fastest thing on four wheels. It was all about looking good while getting you where you needed to go. Pop the hood and you’ll find the same trusty air-cooled engine that powered millions of VWs. This one has the 1.6-liter version making about 60 horses. Not much by today’s standards, but plenty for a fun weekend drive.

The guy who designed this car, Luigi Segre, was actually a spy during World War II. Talk about a plot twist. His company Ghia literally snuck a Beetle, built this stunning coupe in secret, and surprised VW with the finished product. Lucky for us, they loved it.

This particular car hits the sweet spot. Early models look great but struggle to keep up with traffic. This 1969 version has just enough pep to feel comfortable on modern roads. The paint got a makeover back in 2007, and the black interior still looks sharp.

You’ll want to swap out the old tires first thing, but after that, you’re golden. Just imagine rolling up to a coffee shop or cruising through fall leaves in this thing. The auction wraps up on October 8, so don’t sleep on it.