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Little Red Moneymaker!
Karmen Ghia
. The Karmen Ghia
In June 1970 when I turned in the company car my wife
informed me that she needed our station wagon. (I was not to get
the company car from ADA until September when the former
manager really retired). Needing a car to travel around the state
selling space at the Illinois State Fair’s Dairy Products Building, I
was happy when one of my old Boy Scouts offered to sell me his
“bug”. This old Volkswagon was a Karmen Ghia (a convertible)
that had seen better days. There was a hole rusted in the floor
just behind the gas pedal. The top was truly a “rag top” and had
duct tape holding part of it together. It’s redeeming virtue was
it’s price...$250.00. It also got 28 miles per gallon. ADA paid me
eight cents a mile and I had a lot of driving to do.
On The Congress Expressway in Chicago a big black car
didn’t see my stop light and the driver rear ended me. This was
during the morning rush hour. We swapped cards with
insurance company’s names. When I went to a repair shop in
Quincy, I was informed by the adjuster that my car was a total
wreck. He issued a check for $250.00. I had already rigged up
some tail lights and had bent the rear hatch cover out away of the
fan (it was an air-cooled vehicle) so I could still drive it.
On the final trip I drove that car from Effingham to
Quincy in September of 1970. The gear shift kept “popping out”
of high gear because the transmission was so worn. I had to hold
the knob down with my hand to keep it in 3rd gear. I did get
back to Quincy and park it. It had more than paid for itself in
mileage allowance plus the insurance check.
That night there was a knock on our back door and when I
opened it, there stood a school teacher who lived down the street.
“Would you be interested in selling that little red Karmen
Ghia?”, he asked. I explained all the problems that the little car
had. He took the keys to test drive it and came back about a half
hour later.
“I’ll give you $250.00 for it in cash”, he said when he
returned the car. Naturally I took his money and wished him
well.
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