1958 VW / Porsche Kaiserslautern Coupe

An exciting one off find – now offered for restoration

A unique opportunity to acquire this one off coach-built special. The VW Porsche Kaiserslautern coupe was designed and built in the late 50’s by students and teachers as a project for the well respected automotive design trade school ‘Meisterschule Fur Handwerker’ based in Kaiserslautern, Germany. This one off design was constructed in period on a 1958 VW Karmann Ghia chassis, the coach-built bodywork was constructed in steel with an aluminium bonnet and boot lid and was powered by a Porsche 356 engine, used 356 brakes and 356 wheels and running gear. There are many other recognisable parts used throughout the build, such as an early Porsche 356 steering wheel, early VW Beetle ice pick door handles, Beetle horn grill used as a vent, Porsche seatbelts, VW speedo, Hella headlight rings and a sunroof mechanism from Golde (who also supplied VW and Porsche). All the glass used has German markings such as Sigla and Duro-Glas. The design of the body does seem inspired by some period Porsche based sports cars like the Porsche 356B Karmann notchback coupe and the Porsche Abarth Carrera GTL. At some point in the cars life it was exported to the USA and in 1992 it was documented at ‘Bug-O-Rama’ in Sacromento and was later seen at a VW show in Southern California around 2004. More recently the car surfaced again thanks to air-cooled barn find specialist Randy Carlson who was featured with the car on Hagerty’s Barn Find Hunter show as well as his own ‘Carchaeology’ Youtube channel. He also showed the car at Luftgekuhlt 6, it was featured on Petrolicious and in Classic Porsche magazine, and Gasoline magazine in Sweden. This unique car then made its way into the collection of legendary UK antiques dealer Drew Pritchard, who is also the star of Salvage Hunters on the Discovery Channel. Drew is now downsizing his collection which presents an opportunity for someone else to acquire and restore this highly unusual VW-Porsche creation. As for its current condition, it obviously requires full restoration but it does run and is actually remarkably solid in all the important areas including the floor pan and sills. It is offered with extensive period images and documentation relating to its build and is UK taxes paid with V5 present, registered as a 1958 Volkswagen. Several articles have been written about the car and some interesting photos have surfaced of it being built in period. Overall a completely unique opportunity to acquire a very special period hand built car which has significant appeal to both the air cooled VW and Porsche fraternity. It would be fantastic to see this car restored and used. It would be sure to turn heads at your local cars and coffee event or on display next to the rarest cars from around the world on the lawns of a prestigious concours.