Golf GTI Mk1

[HappytalkAgain]

A friend had one (although he put 16V badges on his!) and I remember it as quite loud, not overly comfortable and not that quick.

My point exactly. We tend to look back at these cars with rose tinted specs. Good at the time because we didn’t know any better. Value aside I wouldn’t swap my current car for an 80’s ‘classic’.

 

[Will]

A friend had one (although he put 16V badges on his!) and I remember it as quite loud, not overly comfortable and not that quick.

How would it compare to say a typical 1980s Ford XR or Vauxhall SR/GTE hatchback for example?

A lot of classics/older cars are like this. They’re not new cars but of their time. I reckon cars like old Golf GTIs were solid and fun to drive and most older hot hatches had plenty of character

Some were quicker, some were cheaper, some were better built etc. Horses for courses

 

[DSM10000]

They were of their era.

I didn't say that the original Golf was a bad car, it wasn't but rose tinted glasses still doesn't make them necessarily something you would want to own and regularly drive today.

It was, however, an important part of motoring evolution.

 

[Alps]

Here is my Mk1 Golf Rivage GTI, had her 8 years now, they still are fun cars to drive, I do think kids nowadays would struggle without power steering and a heavy clutch .

 

[del320]

At the beginning of 1989, a temporary period of impecuniousity obliged me to trade down from a Saab 900T 16v 185bhp to a mk2 GTI. Fully loaded with p/steering, leccy windows, aircon, and sunroof, with only 112bhp, the bugger max’d out at 112mph – a full 20mph less than the SAAB!

The couple of seconds or so shortfall to 60 and through the 20 mph increments through the gears was particularly noticeable and annoying.

However, the GTI was and remains one of the most satisfying and enjoyable drives over the 21k miles I owned it.

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As DSM10000 says, ‘they were of their era’ and the advert encapsulates that time – though, for me, the roles were reversed!

 

[Phil1968]

A mate had one in, yes the ubiquitous black, in the mid 80s. Riding as a passenger it felt genuinely quick, was the first car I rode in that actually forced me back in my seat under acceleration. I also had one, albeit a Mk.2, in black again ha ha, in the early 90s as a company car. That didn't feel anywhere as quick, but they got slower as the Golf evolved from Mk1 to Mk.2 apparently.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Here is my Mk1 Golf Rivage GTI, had her 8 years now, they still are fun cars to drive, I do think kids nowadays would struggle without power steering and a heavy clutch .

View attachment 140555View attachment 140556

Lovely, I like that a lot

 

[Darrell]

And I swear the ones without the (optional) power steering felt as though all of that 900kg was on the front wheels.

"Never meet your heroes" springs to mind.

Mine never had power steering.

 

[Darrell]

Here is my Mk1 Golf Rivage GTI, had her 8 years now, they still are fun cars to drive, I do think kids nowadays would struggle without power steering and a heavy clutch .

View attachment 140555View attachment 140556

Lovely Golf.

 

[Darrell]

My point exactly. We tend to look back at these cars with rose tinted specs.

Definitely.

Good at the time because we didn’t know any better.

There wasn’t much that was any better for us young ‘uns.

Value aside I wouldn’t swap my current car for an 80’s ‘classic’.

Neither would I. People buy these for some fun on a Sunday and perhaps to make a couple of quid. Its something nice to leave to your children as well.

These cars are all about character and nostalgia, both are which big business these days.

 

[Darrell]

£25,000? This nice looking example sold for less than £8,500 including fees a little over a year ago.

1981 VW Golf 1.6 GTi MKI | Anglia Car Auctions | results for saturday 29th sunday 30th january

The Volkswagen Golf GTI is considered to be the car that kick-started the whole hot hatch craze, with the MkI variant regarded as one of the zeniths of the type. This 1981 1.6-litre example was initially used in Germany before coming to the UK in 1983, being registered in the UK in September...

angliacarauctions.co.uk

View attachment 140549

My one had the same wheels as these but not the twin headlamps.

This is the 1600cc. The very last of the MK1 which are some Y and all A plates had the 1800cc which subsequently went into the MK2.

 

[Spider10]

A J-reg Mk2 Golf GTi 16v in Oak Green with black leather, the all important big bumpers and Alojne stereo was my dream car when I was a teenager at school.

I used to catch a bus, two trains and another bus to get to TVR Central in Perry Barr, Birmingham to look at their stock, and they had a used one for a while. Beautiful.

I bought 1 brand new in 1990 ltd edition GTI 16V BIG BUMPER LHD the reg was HF LZ 156 absolutely loved it

 

[Darrell]

I bought 1 brand new in 1990 ltd edition GTI 16V BIG BUMPER LHD the reg was HF LZ 156 absolutely loved it

Where’s the plate from??

 

[Spider10]

HERFORD GERMANY I was in OSNABRUCK at the time

 

[ChipChop]

My one had the same wheels as these but not the twin headlamps.

This is the 1600cc. The very last of the MK1 which are some Y and all A plates had the 1800cc which subsequently went into the MK2.

I had the cheapskates version in the mid 90's. The MK1 Golf Driver. Looked like a GTI but was slow as with a lowly 1300cc lump under the bonnet. Pretty cars imho and well rustproofed from the factory compared to most other cars at the time.

 

[ALFAitalia]

And I swear the ones without the (optional) power steering felt as though all of that 900kg was on the front wheels.

"Never meet your heroes" springs to mind.

Mine never had power steering.

That's because it was never available on the Mk1 even as an option....on ever fitted to LHD models.

 

[Darrell]

That's because it was never available on the Mk1 even as an option....on ever fitted to LHD models.

I know.

 

[st13phil]

That's because it was never available on the Mk1 even as an option....on ever fitted to LHD models.

You’re right. Brain fade on my part confusing the Mk2 with the Mk1.

 

[ALFAitalia]

My early MK2 didn't have it either...£567 option price put many off.

 

[davymead]

Why? Tell us.

After a slight ‘bump’ I sold it in 2010 for £2250.