MOTORING T


he Golf GTi effectively invented the concept of the


hot hatch, a family hatch- back with a souped up engine, big wheels and stiffer suspension. It was first launched in 1975, at a time when Ford, Vauxhall and British Leyland didn’t even offer a compact front wheel drive hatchback, let alone a sporty version. The first left hand drive versions didn’t arrive in the UK until 1977 and it was 1979 before it was offered with right hand drive. Despite that four year delay, the Golf GTi set the hot hatch benchmark for other manufacturers to follow.


The lines and proportions of the Mk1 Golf were so perfect that they are still clearly identifiable in the 7th generation model 44 years later. The GTi added tasty alloy wheels, a boot spoiler and wheel arch extensions; it business


looked today. Inside


then and it still does there were bucket


seats trimmed in a distinctive tartan fabric, a few extra gauges in the dash and that iconic golf ball gear knob. It was powered by a 1.6 litre fuel injected engine that kicked out a modest 110bhp, less than half the output of the modern-day version, but it was also extremely light, just 810kg, so it managed 0-60 in under 9 seconds with a top speed of 112mph, serious performance for the time.


The real appeal of direct


GTi lies in the handling. The steering is


the Mk1 Golf and provides


loads of feedback and there’s a reasonable amount of grip but the handling is totally predictable when it breaks traction; throw in rorty engine note and close ratio gear box and pushing a Mk1 GTi hard down a twisty country road is about as much fun as you can have with


your trousers on. The ride is firm but not uncomfortable and, of course, you get all the practicality of a family hatchback.


the


Volkswagen sold thousands of Mk1 GTis over the 4 years they marketed the car in the UK, but the vast majority of them were daily drivers that have long since shuffled off to that scrapyard in the sky. Given that they were the car of choice for affluent boy racers, many more ended their days wrapped around a lamppost. As a result, by 2010 less than 900 of them were left on the road with another 1700 declared as SORN. Over the last 2 or 3 years, the Mk1 GTi has seen a resurgence in popularity and prices are rising strongly. Decent


cars start at


£12,000 and pristine examples are changing hands for between £16- 20k. Because of this, many of the SORN cars are being restored and put back on the road.


Now is a good time to think about buying one of these little beauties; with a potential pool of only around 2000 UK spec cars, prices are going to keep on rising. So, what should you look out for? Even the


last of the line 1983 cars are 35 years old now, so anything with less than 100,000 miles on the clock is worth snapping up. Rust can be a problem, particularly around the tailgate and front wings, though replacement body panels are readily available. Make sure you check for rust under the car; replacing floors and box members is an expensive business. The options list


for the Mk1 GTi was


remarkably short so there aren’t really many desirable extras to pay more for.


If you are buying a car


that’s been restored, make sure that the work was done by a reputable garage and, if possible, take a look at the schedule of works to see what was done to the car. You’ll wind up paying for any work that wasn’t done further down the line.


The Mk1 Golf GTi is a delight to own. It’s a style icon, a practical daily runabout and sports car all combined into one tidy little package. More than that, it’s a little bit of automotive history.


Kit Johnson


26 When responding to adverts please mention the ‘North Devon Insight’


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48