About Us

Where it all began…

Having been a Volkswagen enthusiast since watching Herbie at the age of 7, Managing Director Pete Morley’s fascination for these cars has played a large part of his adult life.

The first Volkswagen Karmann Ghia he built was in 1996, and his first magazine feature car followed shortly after in 1998.

Over the years, he has steadily increased his knowledge of the Karmann Ghia – and soon had a realisation that there were no companies that adequately catered for Karmann Ghia owners.

And thus, an idea was born…

Driven by passion.

We were established in 2015, out of a need for a UK Volkswagen Karmann Ghia presence. Frustrated with outsourcing metal fabrication, body & paint, parts supply and mechanical expertise, these crucial elements were combined under one roof, and Californian Classics was born.

We employ a talented team of fabricators, paint technicians, master mechanics and parts experts, and have now emerged as Europe’s largest dedicated Karmann Ghia specialist. Each member of the team has been selected based not only on skills & knowledge, but also on passion, so you can rest assured that we will treat your pride & joy as if it were our own.

So whether you are looking for a missing knob or wish to have your own Karmann Ghia restored, we are the place to come.

Californian Classics, your one-stop Karmann Ghia shop

Nobody knows Karmann Ghias quite like Californian Classics.

This statement is evident in our ever-growing customer base; our consistently stellar reviews, and the award-winning quality of the cars we restore.

Today, we are a premium stockist of aircooled Volkswagen parts, and have since progressed into the restorations of the classic Porsche through a love of all things aircooled. From full body-off restorations, to simple servicing jobs, in-house auto-upholstery, the manufacturing of hard-to-find parts, we have risen as “your one-stop Ghia shop” for customers and clients all around the world, with a specialisation in aircooled VWs and Porsche.