Look All You Want, But You (Likely) Won’t Find A Better Original VW Golf GTI Mk1 On Sale Than This

The first generation Golf GTI was the car that put Volkswagen on the hot hatch map. The go-fast version of the people’s car broke cover in the mid-1970s and was supposed to be offered in a very limited number.

Little would the brand’s execs know the stir it was about to cause, as back in the day, almost every petrol head wanted one. In 1977, the first units started arriving in Britain in left-hand drive, and a right-hand drive factory conversion wasn’t available until two years later.

The Actual Car That Will Go Under The Gavel

That’s when this very pretty Golf GTI arrived in the country, shortly after it left the assembly line in Wolfsburg in June, and was first registered on August 24. Its first owner bought it for £5,132.39 (equal to $6,625.47 at today’s exchange rates) and held on to it until his passing in 1990. To date, there are only 3 owners in the papers and 5 holders in total, including the vendor.

Listed by TheMarket for the auction that starts on March 19, the hot hatchback is in top-notch condition, with under 17,000 miles (27,360 km) on the odo and beautiful black exterior on top of the model-specific tartan interior. Some say that it is “even better than the example that is on display in the VW Museum in Wolfsburg”, and the multitude of pictures shared down below speak for it.

12-Year Storage And Recommissioning

From 2003 to 2015, this classic GTI was dry-stored in a collection alongside other Mk1s, and almost 5 years ago, it was treated to recommissioning by a renowned expert company. The work included taking care of the underside, replacing the dampers, brake components and fuel lines, and saw the engine removed for cleaning and the gearbox rebuilt.

As it is one of the early examples, it has the 4-speed transmission, highlighted by the golf ball gear knob. It’s paired to the 110 horsepower, 1.6-liter four-pot that let it sprint to 60 mph (96 km/h) in around 9 seconds and up to 113 mph (182 km/h) back in the day. It also features the early-type taillights, mud flaps, non-locking fuel cap and 3-spoke steering wheel.

Clarkson’s Car Years

Jeremy Clarkson checked out this particular example back in 2000, during BBC’s ‘Clarkson’s Car Years’. Jezza called the Golf GTI Mk1 “the car of the century”. It also made other appearances in front of the camera and was featured in a number of specialist magazines.

The car is accompanied by an exact scale model, original bill of sale, log book, brochure, old MoTs, bills, road tax discs, correspondence with the BBC and other paperwork. As for the estimated selling price, you’re looking at £31,000 to £42,000 (~$40,000-$54,000), according to the vendor.