1964 Volkswagen Type 34 Ghia - Jay Leno's Garage

Matt Jacobson stops by the garage to show Jay the rare 1964 Volkswagen Type 34 Ghia.
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1964 Volkswagen Type 34 Ghia - Jay Leno's Garage
• 1964 Volkswagen Type 3...
Jay Leno's Garage
/ jaylenosgarage

[@1SaG]

Karmann Ghias weren't "Italian built". They were Italian

[@kwahaus]

Five words that will never come out of my mouth - “like my Bugatti over there...”

[@larryfoster4455]

I had an auto restoration and detail business for 50 years. Back in the mid 70's a young guy working for me got a type 34. It had been brought back by a serviceman. The car was silver with black/gray interior, very good shape. I had a 1961 Plymouth Fury convertible at the same time (along with a dozen other cars, ya can't have just one) Park a type 34 next to a '61 Fury and a strange thing pops out. Line for line it's the same styling. After that I couldn't see a type 34 without thinking '61 Plymouth. Then about 30 years ago was reading about the type 34 in a European magazine and read, "Just as the original Karmann Ghia styling was taken from a Chrysler dream car, the type 34 was styled after a pre-production 1961 Plymouth sent to Ghia to be turned into dream/show car that was seen in the studios and styled into the 34." The article had a photo of the '61 Plymouth at Ghia with VW execs in the foreground looking at it, My helper drove aggressively (he was 17) and flipped the car onto it's roof three times, each time restoring it beautifully with my help. The last time he modified the suspension and lowered the car, but he nearly rolled it again and regretfully sold it. Next car he got...a 1961 Plymouth Fury 2 door hardtop that he painted silver with a black and silver interior. I never liked some styling elements of the '61 Plymouth, the type 34 made the styling work. L.R. Foster

[@nygelmiller5293]

Actually, Jay, these cars ARE German-made. They are actually made by the coachbuilders, KARMANN. They have made models for well known makes, like BMW, and made the convertible versions of Ford's Escort, and Volkswagen's Golf (or RABBIT, in the States). Karmann also followed this model when it ended, by making the Porsche 914/6. AND last, and not least, another of my favourites, Chrysler's CROSSFIRE! Karmann wanted to have a make of their own for a while, and got Ghia to style them, and Volkswagen to supply the mechanical, and sell these in their showrooms. (Except in America, where America's head of Volkswagen didn't want too many models, whilst building a Volkswagen prescience in the States with the Beetle and van/pickup,/bus/camper. Pity, since the style is obviously aimed at America!

[@hurrdurr25]

This guy sure loves saying his cars are 100% original and telling us everything that's not original.

[@aceroadholder2185]

My cousin said that when he was in the Navy in the early 60's aboard the USS Forrestal they returned from a cruise with a stop over in Hamburg. They returned with over 1100 VW Beetles on the hangar deck. He said that if they had to have launched a plane, they would have had to have dumped a 100 Beetles overboard to get it to the flight deck!

[@HereIsMyOffer]

Come to jay's garage, where jay will tell you all about your own car.

[@andreasvenator]

When I grew up in Potomac, Md in the 1960´s I was the "Defrost Nazi" for a group of young military men that earned their keep in the Pentagon and parts of Langley, since I was practically the only one who actually understood the German owners manual and knew how to get the heat to run in their 911s with that triple-decked battery of levers in the center of the dash and the levers to the left and right of the hand brake. I remember amazing a young Navy Lieutenant by pulling the lefthand lever next to the handbreak after I started his engine. He had no idea it was a governor to set the engine rev so the oil heated up better after starting. Those were the days: The Americans back then - sadly - had no idea how to enjoy or care for those air-coolred cars! Nobody knew the oil had to be over 50° C warm before you passed 2500 rpms, while you had to have 80° C before you went past 4000 rpms. Combine that with sloppy attitudes to oil changes and the "Defrost Nazi" shook his teen-age head all the way to his Eagle Scout ceremony in the Red Room of the White House. The Cold War was very good to me!

[@betaich]

Hey Jay, this cars weren't build in Italy. They were build in Germany in Osnabrück to be precise. According to German sources they only sold 42505 cars.

[@creekhed1]

I have yet to see any man who does not look ridiculous in Skinny Jeans or pants! This is one trend I do not get! Hmm...I'm officially OLD! lol

[@IncogNito-gg6uh]

The 6V on my '65 beetle worked flawlessly through the harshest midwest winters. No dimming lights. Always started.

[@jackjmaheriii]

One of the things I love about older cars is the mechanical click of a door opening. It really is a very satisfying sound and feel.

[@patrickchubey3127]

I always see that beautiful '42 Plymouth coupe in the background in these videos and I think I've fallen in love with that car.

[@momchilminkov5722]

In Bulgaria, one of these was parking on my street. Not so shiny as this one, but the same car. My neighbor was driving it every day to work, 35 years after it was produced :)

[@servicarrider]

You just never know what's going to pop up on Jay Lenos garage. A true transportation guy. Good job Mr. Leeno.

[@usergonemad]

There's something understatedly elegant about this car. It's easy to understand why the owner is so pleased to have it. Really nice, a treasure. I'd love to find one someday.

[@BorisW150]

The looks of this car really grew on me. The owner, Matt, is quite interesting and cool in his own right. Good to see something so out of the ordinary.

[@jamesborthwick155]

Catching up on older videos and came across this gem. I love Beetles and Type 3s, and the Type 34 is one of the coolest looking air-cooled VWs ever.👍

[@VS-zu8jk]

I never knew about these until my kid reach me this funny looking convertible Hot Wheels.

[@RUCKERMAN]

I worked for a VW dealer in the mid 1970s and we had parts books for these Type 34 Ghias. There were none around in my area though as these were never imported into the US in any quantity. We had the Type 3 Fastback and Squareback instead which were good cars in their day.