keiser31 Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 A friend of mine had this in his yard for a while and he told me it was a Karmann Ghia. It DOES have VW hub caps, but what year is it? It also has no grille and is rear engined. I never looked to see what engine was in it. I think it had the twin pipe muffler in the back like a VW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89REATTAJIM Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 It does resemble a Karmann Ghia, but I don't recall ever seeing one like it. With that "SWEEPSPEAR" on it, maybe it's a Karmann Ghia "Body By Buick"????. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Hi Keiser31,In the late 1940s and 1950s several firms made limited production of coach built bodies for the VW chassis. Most of these bodies were made of aluminum. I dodn't know the name of the body builder, but the car is worth restoring. I don't think that the body was made by Karmann. Grandpa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stonefish Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Looks like a Rometsch to me...very hot car! does he still have it? Coach built VW... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 Thanks Stonefish...you called it. It confirms that I was not crazy when I thought someone told me it was a VW. I took the photo about thirty years ago in San Diego. The car was at a friend's for restoration. I am not certain if the car got finished. It was the only time I ever saw it and I have not seen it since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 I am a former Karmann Ghia owner (1957) and I have NEVER seen or heard of one of these. It looks very much like a shortened Studebaker Starlight coupe.RonCan you elaborate a little? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stonefish Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 whew...I hope it found a good home, they can bring some good $$$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leif Holmberg Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Here you can read about Rometsch.http://www.vwtrendsweb.com/features/0106vwt_rometsch/ Leif in Sweden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pbaptist Posted May 26, 2013 Share Posted May 26, 2013 Very cool pictures. Was your friend Greg Adamec? He owned it in the 80th and bought it in Alpine in 1983. Greg sold the car in the late nineties and till now the car is still in restoration. Attached a picture of its current condition. Regards Patrick, VW Coachbuild specialist and keeper of the Rometsch Lawrence register. (85 build, currently 31 known left in the world) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted May 26, 2013 Author Share Posted May 26, 2013 Very cool pictures. Was your friend Greg Adamec? He owned it in the 80th and bought it in Alpine in 1983. Greg sold the car in the late nineties and till now the car is still in restoration. Attached a picture of its current condition. [ATTACH=CONFIG]195029[/ATTACH] Regards Patrick, VW Coachbuild specialist and keeper of the Rometsch Lawrence register. (85 build, currently 31 known left in the world)The friend's home where I saw the yellow car was Gene Mayfield's in La Mesa, California, but it belonged to someone else, I believe. He worked on and restored cars for folks in the Horseless Carriage Club and AACA in La Mesa and San Diego/La Jolla areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pbaptist Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Hallo Keiser, Thanks for the info. I am the keeper of the Rometsch Lawrence registry. If you or other have more information, please let me know. Attached the registry overview. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted May 27, 2013 Author Share Posted May 27, 2013 I had no idea they were that rare! I just know that it's the only one I ever saw in person. You might try to find a roster for the Horseless Carriage Club to see if the car I saw is listed there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pbaptist Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 I had no idea they were that rare! I just know that it's the only one I ever saw in person. You might try to find a roster for the Horseless Carriage Club to see if the car I saw is listed there.I know were the car is now. the car is currently in the LA area and being restored for a Japanese VW collector.Rometsch Lawrence #547 Restoration Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted May 27, 2013 Author Share Posted May 27, 2013 Oh. So THAT'S the car now. That is really looking great! Thanks so very much for the link to those photos of it. I often wondered where it went. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Casper Friedrich Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I wouldn't have indentified it as a Lawrence Rometsch. But I do know the earlier, 1950-57, Beeskow Rometsch with it's Mercedes Benz 190/300 SL front fender treatment. Nothing for the American market:suicide front-doors and the coupe was a three-window as a 30s Ford or Fiat Topolino. the-history Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pbaptist Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 The Rometsch Beeskow are more known than the Lawrence. Most people fancy the Beeskow over the Lawrence and there are also more Beeskows known and restored than Lawrences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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