1978 Volkswagen Golf GTi Mk1 Hatchback (LHD)

Description

The replacement for VW’s legendary Beetle, the Volkswagen Golf has carved out an equally prominent place for itself in automotive history. Launched by the German automotive manufacturer in 1974, the front-engined, front-drive family car is now in its eighth generation and still as popular as ever. The original Golf Mk1 was a three-door hatchback though later generations saw the introduction of a five-door hatch, a four-door sedan (badged Jetta), a station wagon and several drop-top cabrios and convertibles. But perhaps the most desirable model of all was the GTi, a sporty ‘hot hatch’ that was launched in June 1976 and became a genuine competitor for the category benchmark Peugeot 205 GTi. The Golf GTi has been a staple of the range ever since, evolving as the base car has advanced. September 1983 saw the introduction of the second-generation Golf (Mk2) which grew slightly in terms of wheelbase, exterior and interior dimensions, while retaining, in a more rounded form, the Mk1's overall look. For the Mk2 weight rose 10 per cent but aerodynamics improved dramatically, the drag coefficient dropping from 0.42 to 0.34 thanks to integrated gutters, flush glass and more fluid styling. Heating and ventilation were better, and longer suspension travel refined the ride, while braking was now via discs all round. The Golf GTi Mk2 also featured four headlamps and red bumper inserts to set it apart from lesser models. The GTI initially featured a 1.6-litre eight-valve fuel-injected engine up till 1982 when it was revised to a 1.8ltr, however a more potent 16-valve twin cam version capable of more than 220 km/h ultimately appeared in 1985. This featured the same engine size but was 24 per cent more powerful. It also had lower, stiffer suspension and bigger front brakes. These final 16-valve big-bumper models are the most sought-after.