Ethan's 1962 Lowlight Karmann Ghia

It’s a sight to behold, a real head turner, a once in a lifetime car. Ethan’s Lowlight Ghia was a piece Rothfink Industries were aware of for a little while having being around the Bristol / South West area.

Mainly out and about mooching for potential sites for future Rothfink photo and video shoots. We were dumbstruck when we clocked the Lowlight Ghia in the showroom of EC Autosales in Nailsea.

Chance would have it that we drove past and slammed the brakes on hard, we just had to run in and find out why it was nestled in between a variety of BMW and Range Rover thinking it might not even be for sale, that it was the proprietor’s pride and joy, which he likes to park it up, pride of place just so he can show it off and entice customers in. Maybe?

You just don’t see super clean, museum quality, perfect Lowlight Karmaan Ghia’s. Ever. Especially one just plonked on some forecourt or in some snazzy showroom ready to buy! It doesn’t happen.

It turns out that the proprietor of EC Autosales is in fact Ethan’s father. A classy showroom full of high end quality wagons, the centre piece, in it’s regular spot as the main show room marketing tool being the Lowlight itself.

The Lowlight is a 1962 RHD beauty which was purchased by his dad as a 21st birthday present for Ethan. Nice dad huh? Upon closer scrutiny (and we like to scrutinise) the quality of the restoration handiwork of the Karmaan Ghia Centre in London becomes apparent. The attention to detail is exquisite. So I wondered if Ethan had taken this to any VW shows, or had it featured in any magazines, surely he had because this is a scoop. “No, never” was the answer, which further highlights the exclusivity of this Rothfink feature.

So tell us, how else would you folks even get to see this incredible machine unless we did the groundwork to bring it to you? Rothfink: 1. Any other VW magazine: 0

The Rothfink Industries Crew just had to have a day out to play with this machine and have some fun. We arranged a shoot with Ned, Ethan and Steve Upton (Ratboy of the Kerbside Kustoms) and our previous #RFI model from our merchandise shoot a few weeks prior, Esther Terrestrial. A lady who can make any vehicle look much better just by standing anywhere near it, let alone working her magic.

We all meet for the shoot at Ratboy’s pub just up the road from our location. Tyntesfield House, one of the many treasures looked after by The National Trust. Grandiose ain’t the word, this place made Downton Abbey look like Old Kent Road. Coupled with what has to be the finest Low Light Karmaan Ghia we’ve ever seen, and a model that would give a monk a tingle in the loins, this was going to be some day out in the country.

We still can’t believe the odds of literally just driving past and seeing this in a showroom. It was fate I’m sure. Frame these pictures up and get them on the mantelpiece, they’re as beautiful as your kids.

Thanks Ethan for helping us with another Rothfink Industries exclusive.