-84 VW Golf GTI Mk1
"A car that needs no introduction, a true icon of it's time"
The MK1 Golf GTI is considered by many to be the “spiritual father of hot hatchery” – the car that gave birth to a phenomenon.
VW engineer Alfons Löwenberg saw the potential in his company’s then-new supermini, so he gathered together a group of like-minded colleagues willing to work in their spare time on what they called the ‘Sport Golf’. When it was done they showed it to the executives, who were so impressed they gave it the green-light.
VW unveiled the Golf GTI (gran turismo injection) at the 1975 Frankfurt Motor Show. Except for the chin-spoiler, tartan upholstery and pin-striping, it was very similar to a regular Golf. But under the bonnet was the 1.6-litre, fuel injected engine from the Audi 80 GT, which gave 0-60mph in around nine seconds and a top speed of 110mph. Not fast by today’s standards, but more than enough for the early Eighties.
Later MK1s had enlarged 1.8-litre engines (and five-speed gearboxes, rather than four) which made little more power (112 bhp instead of 108) but nonetheless helped them to 60mph in eight seconds. Torque increased from 103lb ft at 5,000rpm to 109lb ft at 3,500rpm. At 840kg, it’s 14kg lighter than the most featherweight modern-day VW – the Up – and near enough half the weight of a MK7.5 GTI.
Much has been written about the Mk1 Golf GTI. A true icon of its time.
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The Golf GTI became very popular in Norway. A combination of light weight and front wheel drive proved to be very good on snow and ice, and pricewice it was within range for quite a few. Being so popular throughout the 80's, there is still a lot of them out there. But clean, original and unmolested cars are not that easy to find. At the current price level, a car like this is a very good investment.
This -84 GTI Rabbit is a Norwegian car with matching numbers, and a recent respray in "Flash Red". The owner has an eye for details, and is continously upgrading the car.
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