Converted dreams

As far as boyhood dreams go, owning a convertible Karmann Ghia is a pretty dreamy one, and for Arran Atkinson, that love of their irresistible curves was ignited as a boy when someone in his home town took ownership of one. “I vividly remember seeing it driving around,” he recalls with a smile. “It was so beautifully designed and distinctive.” That sowed a seed that germinated for many years until Arran turned the majestic age of 50, when he decided it was finally time to do something about letting it flourish.

“I looked around and found this 1971 US import for sale,” he begins. “A young lad had brought it over, and it wasn’t on the road yet, but was available for a fair price.

“My plan at the start was simply to buy it, make it