Dennis Troggio’s 1955 VW Karmann Ghia is Awarded the Goodguys 2026 Meguair’s West Coast d’Elegance Title
Last weekend’s Goodguys 25th Meguair’s Del Mar Nationals presented by FiTech Fuel Injection, filled the coastal fairgrounds with an amazingly diverse gathering of hot rods. This blend of styles from low riders and mini-trucks to highboys and classic cruisers and trucks is a hallmark of the So-Cal car culture – which is exactly why Goodguys presents their coveted Meguiar’s West Coast d’Elegance Award at this show.
The West Coast d’Elegance is the first award given in 2026 as part of Goodguys Top 12 of the Year awards presented by BASF. The title recognizes a classy and elegant ‘65-and-earlier vehicle that showcases an abundance of West Coast style, and the top five did not disappoint. It came down to a ’32 Ford Roadster, a ’55 Nomad, a ’51 Studebaker, a ’37 Roadster, and a ’55 VW Kamann Ghia – with the Ghia, as you can see, scoring the 2026 West Coast d’Elegance title. Check out the video below to learn more each of these Top 5 Finalists straight from interviews with each builder!
The Ghia, owned by Dennis Troggio, was built by Type One Restorations out of Tempe, Arizona. This marks the first ever import to score a Top 12 of the Year title at Goodguys and as you can see, thanks to the styling refinements, subtle body modifications, and incredible attention to details, the d’Elegance title works on this incredible Volkswagen. The car oozes vintage West Coast VW along with Italian styling influences, and of course it’s German heritage, all wrapped up with hot rodding attitude.
Dennis had worked with Buddy Hale and his team at Type One on a ’63 Ford Falcon project, and knew the Ghia would be next. It’s interesting to note that Dennis had recently retired and told Buddy that he wanted to be involved in the build process. Many builders may have scoffed at the concept, but Buddy welcomed the input and the extra hand in the shop along the way.
The team started with a fairly solid Ghia with plans to retain the original body lines and styling though there are loads of subtle refinements throughout. The fenders have been restyled with the headlamps slightly resculpted, the quarters were widened and stretched to accept wider wheels, the doors were reskinned, and the body lines extended. Everything was sharpened, massaged and what wasn’t painted was chromed or polished.
Under the bonnet, or boot in this case, is a beautifully detailed 2.3L air cooled engine that pumps out about 245 horsepower with another 50 thanks to a nitrous shot. VW fans may note that the fan assembly is centered in the engine compartment rather than the stock offset, which Buddy noted as requiring considerable work to pull off. Four 51mm carbs flow air and fuel through a set of 3D printed runners and the engine is surrounded by custom panels, tubing, and even custom retainers.
The interior follows suit with stitch work by Tracy Weaver and his team at Recovery Room Interiors. Everything inside has been custom machined from the pedals to the pulls, matching the engine compartment work in form, fitment, and function. Even the trunk, accessible with the twist of a trick emblem turned latch, features incredible workmanship including a trick five-piece fuel tank.
As you can see from the images, the Karmann Ghia is a beautifully crafted machine with striking elegance in its final form with a touch of west coast styling throughout. Congrats to Dennis and the crew at Type One Restoration on being named the Goodguys 2026 Meguiar’s West Coast d’Elegance Car of the Year!
Photos by Michael Christensen and Damon Lee
