1983 Mk1 VW Golf GL Goes for a Drive

The Mk1 Volkswagen Golf was one of the most important cars of the late 20th Century with sharp design and modern handling it was a massive leap forward, and this late example shows how advanced the original design was
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[@fhwolthuis]

I love the cars from the era when Volkswagen just made good cars and didn't have a massive ego. Great video, Matt! 👍😄

[@rogerhudson2814]

Great design, though the awful 'Flag mirror' location was an American idea, how often do people manipulate their mirrors? Durant rectangular mirrors on the wings would be much better.

[@EgoShredder]

@@rogerhudson2814 How often you ask? In my case very often as mine are motorised, and very useful for pointing downwards to see the curb edge while reversing, or white painted lines in narrow car park spaces.

[@suttonandre7784]

I guess Im asking randomly but does someone know a tool to get back into an Instagram account? I stupidly lost the account password. I love any tips you can offer me.

[@thaddeusnoel6548]

@Sutton Andre instablaster :)

[@suttonandre7784]

@Thaddeus Noel i really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and im in the hacking process now. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@vinceedwards3978]

These were known as Rabbits in the United States. I owned three of them as well as one of my favorite cars the Mark 1 GTI!!!!

[@jkk244]

Matt, the Mk I Golf was in production until 2009 (!) in South Africa. Yes. Really.

[@MLC...]

Correct! I had a fuel injected 1600 of the year 2005. How I enjoyed that little car. Unfortunately most of them got stolen, mine included. 12 years after production ended they are starting to get rare on the roads here.

[@marklittler784]

@@MLC... I had a Rover Montego the rear windscreen wiper switch cut off the diesel fuel pump stop solenoid so nobody managed to steal it, it was a saloon with no rear wiper but nobody trying to steal it noticed this discrepancy lol

[@MLC...]

@@marklittler784 Or you could drive an Alfa Romeo (155) like I do, you can leave the key in the ignition and nobody would steal it. If I have to park a car where theft could be a risk, I always take the Alfa.

[@MLC...]

@@marklittler784 Very clever btw.

[@MLC...]

@@marklittler784 My Golf had a factory alarm and factory (hidden) gearlock and got stolen despite that.

[@stephenjcuk7562]

Good to see a non GTi review. The design language is often overlooked in favour of red piping and the fun factor.

[@frothe42]

Yes, the five speed did get the golf ball gearknob! This reminds me of the 1976-80 Rabbit, to which, after building the plant in Pennsylvania, refreshed the façade and rear taillamps for 1981-84. First gen came as base, C, L, carburateur, then around 1977 fuel injection. Rabbit pick-up was extremely popular, and still some survive, especially the diesel versions! Where the ashtray is located would have been vents for the optional a/c, the dashboard from 1981-84 was different than this, as this is clearly made in West Germany 🇩🇪. 4 and 5 speed had overdrive in top gear for fuel efficiency, and the three speed automatic as well. And the rear wiper was a dealer accessory for quite a few years, wasn't available as a factory option until the early 80's. GL I believe was added in 1981. I had a 1978 Rabbit L; slowly it just started to die after purchasing it used, but the rear beam axel was so rotted that the vehicle should have never passed inspection, as I relied on the owner and that garage that said it was safe. No VW vehicles for me! Plus, the dash was shared by the Audi 80/4000, very similar controls. Also, automatic belts anchored to the doors were either standard or an option, I forget which, only available on the Rabbit (at least I think so, my memory is quite faulty!)

[@teodordima1815]

My grandfather had a red 1982 Mk1 golf 2 door. He gave it to the junk yard in 2013... I really liked that golf and I still miss it...

[@jonp5641]

Stunning car, in great condition. Absolutely love Golfs. When you mentioned a Daewoo Matiz in a ditch I wondered briefly was it Mr Hubnut, but then noticed it was a different colour of Matiz!😅

[@volvo480]

Myrtle the Matiz is blue and won't start at the moment so you couldn't find it in a Welsh ditch either. But the thought might have crossed little HubNut's mind as his suggestion was to set the Rover on fire when they couldn't get the alternator out. 😂

[@eggy1962]

Ian needs a car battery sponsor seeing as i think he has about one healthy battery in his entire fleet.

[@mybigfatpolishlife]

And Mister hubnut lives in wales

[@SharkoonBln]

I had the same thought also... Ian, are you OK? :)

[@pablojones5613]

This car was named "Golf" as it was the German spelling of the Gulf winds. The Scirocco, and I believe the Passat were also named after various winds around the world.

[@histriamagna1014]

BORA also. Is the northeastern wind in the Adriatic basin.

[@mx986]

Golfstrom = Gulf Stream. Apparently those involved in it's development called it Golf for short and the name stuck.

[@russcattell955i]

Correct Pablo.

[@303cerebral]

Glad someone has pointed this out! Also the Polo name was derived from the Polar winds!

[@mattw8332]

I used to think that the 2 smaller water-cooled VWs were named in honour of sports. Volkswagen Lacrosse, anyone? 😉

[@stevewilson8467]

70 bhp in something weighing roughly the same as Mike Brewer will always be fun. What a lovely car and in this case a superb example.

[@Cowley46]

I'm pretty sure the MK1 retained the same tailgate throughout its life. The swallowtail only referred to a slightly different shape in the rear panel and was purely aesthetic, the top lip of the boot area was always high and straight. Lovely car and a great vid.

[@danielrussell446]

after 81 they had larger rear lights with integral fog lamps

[@robindow1061]

The blanking plate in the centre console covered the apertures for extra instruments, preferably by VDO, Oil pressure. oil temperature and voltmeter.

[@maverick4177]

Forgot about the late 70’s GLS models? That was the model below the Gti Most people forget there was a series one golf, pre 81 cars had small back lamps, different interiors, just as sparse as a beetle was and the series 2 post 81 with the bigger rear lamps and revised interiors

[@allankernohan1828]

My first new car. I bought one of the last Mk1 Golfs in 1983. I had got fed up with rusty bits falling off my 10 year old Mk 3 Cortina but could only afford a Golf C. It was a brilliant bit of packaging, just big enough for my family of four on holiday. It seemed very modern and drove well after Cortina. Soon discovered even back then that the VW reputation for build quality was not entirely deserved - faulty paint meant re-painted a few months from new and seats worn out after three years.

[@waldi2302]

In the early 80s VW had to make a deal with erst german Goverment, to buy the sheed metal for the Golf from the GDR. It was low quality material, which cost VW alot of their quality reputation.

[@RayEttler]

15:50 production ceased in 2009 in south africa, "citi golf"

[@thepurdychannel8866]

Wow great import opportunities then

[@RayEttler]

@@thepurdychannel8866 all RHD tho

[@ads214]

And technically until 1993 in Germany with the Cabriolet

[@thepurdychannel8866]

@@RayEttler good for me i live in the uk

[@duncanedwards7840]

@@thepurdychannel8866 But there'll be shite in comparison, a la not made in Germany !

[@archechme]

The interior of this car is lovely. I love the design of the cloth seats & door inserts, they contrast perfectly with the dark plastic and black paint. Beautiful.

[@garyhewson7091]

The Golf did have a servo on the brakes. The one you tried did too. It was on the left hand side of the engine bay and operated remotely and connected to the brake pedal by a rod with two bell cranks. Over time the wear in these cranks led to a very long travel pedal... Also the Golf wasn't the first VW mk1 fwd to market that honour went to the mk1 Scirocco. The cabriolet mk1 was still on sale in the UK until '92.

[@daveshongkongchinachannel]

I think you're right. I remember a relative had one and it also had long pedal travel and remarking it was due to the servo being way over to the left. Obviously the original design, being German, would have been based on the lefthand drive chassis and they probably decided it wasn't worth the effort of re-engineering the car for the righthand drive version and so it stayed.

[@russcattell955i]

VW K70 preceded Scirocco but was in sense engineered by NSU division.

[@robertsedgwick1629]

remote servo as other say- these often feel a bit dead as the cross bar has an amount of twist in them which can lead to the occasional "oh shit" moment! peugeot 106 i'm looking at you here!

[@russcattell955i]

@@robertsedgwick1629 Yes, not an issue on LHD cars.

[@fulwell1]

I loved mine - the only downside was the lack of a fifth gear, so it screamed like hell at motorway speeds. Absolute hoot to drive on an A road though. Can't believe now that I traded it for a Volvo 340

[@carattop]

The angular simplicity of Giugiaro design is absolutely brilliant. In North America the golf ball shift knob was first seen on a "Rabbit" GTI, introduced into the US market in '83 (albeit, earlier in Canada).

[@armorer94]

I remember driving through the Netherlands and West Germany in one back in '81. Much more well assembled and durable than what Detroit was putting out back then.

[@GeneralMartok00]

I owned a MK2 Golf from 1991, and I am amazed how similar the dashboard is! It is actually identical, except the switches.

[@mpersad]

As others have commented the extraordinary thing is how contemporary the Golf Mk1 still looks! A step change in car design that very few other models in motoring history have achieved. Truly one of the most, if not the most, significant mass market cars of all time. "Driving for fun", I remember that! Great video as always.

[@andrewbarnes1295]

We had a 1979 1.5 GLS, the dashboards were quite different on the earlier mk1s. The front seat belt buckles were very unusual too.

[@jkk244]

Back in 1983 I purchased a brand new black VW Rabbit GTI, an American-built version of the Golf. It only had 90hp but handled like a dream. And it had Recaro seats and great-looking 14” alloy wheels fitted with what was then state of the art Pirelli P6 tires. It handled better and was just as quick as the under powered Camaros and Mustangs of the era. Yes, the Rabbit GTI had the dimpled golf-ball gear knob. Only car enthusiasts were vaguely aware the rest of the world called the car the Golf - the general public had no idea. It wasn’t until the Mk II version that the Golf name was used in America. Strangely two decades later, VW re-introduced the Rabbit badge on a version of the 2009 Golf. But that badging only lasted a couple of years.

[@marknelson5929]

I can still remember to this day when my dad bought my mum a white manual GL here in Sydney. I was a Beetle fan at the time, having owned several, but I could see even at my early 'biased age' the Golf was the way to go. I do remember on this particular car a black golf ball at the top of the gear stick, it didn't seem non factory. I really enjoyed driving it when I could. So nice to see a preserved example other than the proverbial GTi !

[@rogerhudson2814]

I went from 1500 Beetle to 1500 petrol Golf in 1979, a revelation. I would like to see a UK 1500 diesel, mechanical pumped diesel in it's purist form (EGR,EPF what?).

[@marknelson5929]

Hi Roger, I believe the diesel Golf when it first came out was a bit of a performer or have I got that wrong? I remember a mate here in Sydney had one from new in the late 70s and it drove very well. There is one 4 sale currently.

[@davidhinkson8856]

Don't know the last time I saw a non-GTi first generation Golf that was this immaculate! VW has really remained faithful to this basic body shape as well but nothing like the purity of the original.

[@PikarinePlays]

17:57 The tractor coming round the corner there gave me a bit of a heart attack

[@ivan747100]

My first car was a s metallic silver 1981 VW Golf 1 GTS - a model unique to South Africa - it had basically the same interior trim specification as the GTI - with the exception of the trip computer (it only had the digital clock function, but it had a 1.6 litre engine with an automatic choke carburettor, which had a power output of 63 kW (84.5 HP) @ 5,500 rpm & a torque output of around 118 Nm (87 lb-ft) @ 4,500 rpm. The GTS was a 5-door model - VW SA also made a 3-door version called the GT - same engine & interior trim spec, but it only had the 4-speed gearbox and no rear-wiper/washer. They both had the same 3 centre console gauges for volt meter, oil pressure & oil temperature just like in the GTI, and Recaro-style front seats & blue / grey / black tweed upholstery, the same bigger 2-piece rubberised front chin spoiler as the GTI (although I removed mine and fitted the smaller plastic one as seen on the GL, as the GTI one scraped the ground when negotiating a parking structure access ramp or steeply inclined driveway). The GTS had a 5-speed gearbox (with '5-Speed decals' on the front wings) but instead of the close-ratio unit of the GTI, it was fitted with the 4+E gearbox, which gave better fuel economy as your revs were much lower in 5th gear - 4th was a direct 1:1 ratio. I once managed a 800 km (500 mile) round trip on one tank of fuel (50 litres / 11 Imperial gallons), which gave me an impressive fuel economy figure of 6.25 litres/100 km (37.63 mpg). It had pressed 13" steel wheel rims, with chrome trim rings and 4-spoke cross shaped centre caps, fitted with 175/70SR13 tyres. I later upgraded it with 185/70HR13 Dunlop SP73 Sport tyres and also replaced the front & rear dampers with the same units as were fitted to the GTI. There were also black GTS decal stripes on the lower panels of the front & rear doors. THe 1981 model still had the bigger pressed steel bumpers as fitted to the first facelift models, but in 1982, VW replaced them with the plastic ones as seen on the GL (but SA models all came without the headlight washers). I purchased mine second-hand from a main VW dealership in November 1982 with just over 30,000 kms (18,645 miles) on the odo, and sadly it was written off in September 1984 when some idiot took an illegal short cut over a traffic island from the opposite side of the motorway & I hit him, luckily at around only 60 km/h (37 mph), writing off both cars in the accident. It had just over 90,000 kms (55,935 miles) on it by then - in fact, earlier on that fateful day, I had just had it serviced, which had included overhauling the alternator, replacing the water temperature sensor & doing a coolant flush - so there was a big puddle of nice new green coolant all over the road after the collision. To this day, it still remains the most fun to drive and chuckable 'warm' hatch I have ever owned. It just begged to be driven exuberantly on a twisty country road or mountain pass! Here are 2 pictures of the 1984 runout model of the Golf 1 GTS in South Africa - the only difference is that the earlier 1981 model had black painted steel bumpers instead of the later colour-coded plastic ones, and it also had black side rubbing strips instead of the 1984s red painted ones. Front 3/4 view - www.lunaticfringe.org/vwfox/pictures/Fox-SA/SA-1984Golf1GTSfront.jpg Rear 3/4 view - www.lunaticfringe.org/vwfox/pictures/Fox-SA/SA-1984Golf1GTSrear.jpg

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

wow! that is a warmly detailed write up!

[@watershed44]

@Ivan Leon Great post friend! I'm in the USA and our version of the Golf MKI was called the Rabbit, while very similar to what could be found in Europe, there were some differences, especially from 1981 on where VW mistakenly "Americanized" it making it look like a Chevy Chevette or US version of the Ford Escort (both of which were horrible) We only received the GTI in 1983 and the biggest difference from the European Golf GTI was the detuned 1.8L engine which only put out 90 hp...still a great warm hatch and was more entertaining to drive than almost anything else you could think of that was affordable in the USA at the time.

[@nicostenfors5690]

The old Volkswagens are lovely! I own a Beetle and a MK2 Golf. Should find a MK1 now🤔

[@nicostenfors5690]

The wonky mirror design was used until 1987 in the MK2 Golf.

[@losch78]

This, with a 50PS Diesel, was one of the cars of my early childhood. Still so many memories, including the incredibly non smooth Diesel sound resonating in the tiny interior - it was a bare bones, not even "C" - and the Beetle like handle on the b-pillar in the 3 door, which was great fun as a kid (also, no rear seat belts, so easy access all the time ;)

[@volvo480]

I had the 1.6 diesel with a whopping 55 bhp, the advertised top speed was 143 km/h.

[@MrOvershoot]

Yep had the 1.5D totally base spec even the hatch had to be propped up, no gas struts in those days. I always remember the high beam warning light was yellow, when everyone else used blue?

[@losch78]

@@volvo480 it was the same engine, jusy in Austria - for tax reasons - limited to 50 horses ;)

[@rogerhudson2814]

Where are they all now? Pre-1980 would be taxed as 'historic ' with DVLA so no emissions 'problems '.

[@Mr80sliveon]

Oh my. I had a mk.1 Gl golf and it was awesome.. mine was met green, but this black one is drop dead georgeous indeed.. didn't know the GL was available in black. Its beautifull...

[@BungleBare]

Great review as always. One small point though - NSU wasn’t part of Auto Union. They were bought separately by VAG, after the whole RO80 debacle caused them to have financial issues.

[@christiankolinski1563]

I think the confusion stems from VW merging NSU into AutoUnion (creating Audi NSU Auto Union), and not keeping it it's own entity withing VAG. So it kinda became a part of Auto Union under VW ownership. Even though they release the NSU K70 as a VW...

[@rogerhudson2814]

So they never added a fifth ring? How did Mercedes get Horch from VAG ?

[@christiankolinski1563]

@@rogerhudson2814 The Horch trademark is still owned by Audi AG

[@rogerhudson2814]

@@christiankolinski1563 Thanks. The English word for both 'horch' and 'audi' is 'hark', old English for 'listen '.

[@christiankolinski1563]

@@rogerhudson2814In German. "horch" or more used today "höhre" means listen, imperative. That relates the history of those two companies rather well.. Mr. Horch founded Horch, was pushed out by management and founded another company. As he couldn't give the new company his name "Horch", as this still belonged to the old one, he choose the Latin translation of his name "Audi". So they are meant to mean the same.

[@christineayres5339]

This cars older than i am lol but still driving very well, back when VW did great quality cars ,nowadays the newer Golfs are not very reliable, gearbox failure is a big fault

[@rogerhudson2814]

Reliability? Count the number of parts in a 1982 gearbox and in a 2020 gearbox, there is the answer.

[@christineayres5339]

@@rogerhudson2814 Tell me about CVT transmission or better yet ask Scotty Killer he is who said VW/Audi's QC is down the toilet in 2021

[@Stevieweevietv]

That's a beauty of a car. Not a huge fan of later VWs (Up being an exception) but the 70s and 80s ones I like. It's in superb condition. Would love to drive that...looks a hoot!

[@baggierols73]

👍 the Up lol. Big VW Lupo fan meself

[@tnetroP]

This brings back some memories. My first ever car was a mk1 Golf Driver in 1988. The Driver looked like a GTI on the outside but had the standard 1.3 engine and the interior of a CL or GL.

[@strongandco]

VW were miles ahead of the competition with their build quality and reliability during this period flooding the used market with cheap and cheerful runabouts that cost next to nothing to run. Sadly since the late 90s comparative quality and reliabiliy has drastically fallen and today they are no better or possibly even worse than your average French offering yet VW are still managing to trade on their reputation from 20 years ago.

[@51StPi]

The only ID3 I have seen was on the back of a recovery truck :( . I am not biased remembering my grandad's Beetle makes me want to like them and a mk6 Golf Match is the most accomplished car I have ever had, but the ergonomics of VWs since the Golf mk7.5 where they have been gradually ditching switchgear for touchpads makes them a definite no-no for me.

[@carlarrowsmith]

@@51StPi ID.3 was released too early and somewhat buggy. They are great value though, (maybe as they need to do this to sell them) about £5000 less than other cars the same size for similar range and battery.

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

the French have massively improved, all 3 brands are now offering a Kia-like warranty.

[@51StPi]

@@MaximilianvonPinneberg And at least Citroen are reintroducing heater controls in the Cactus, maybe next they can bring back all round independent suspension.

[@carlarrowsmith]

@@MaximilianvonPinneberg are you UK Martin. Renault is offering 5 years but the other 2 brands are still 3 year Warranty.

[@andytalbot6719]

Loft out the radio sized blanking plate in the lower console and you will find the three prepped holes for VDO gauges.

[@andrewbarten7347]

Still looks good. It's like a 1970 Range Rover in that it's clean, classic and timeless. It drove way better than any of it's competition in 1974 too. A pity VAG can't make anything as reliable these days!

[@superelectic45]

I had an '82 Golf 1.5 GL, drove it all over England with university friends, just a simple, reliable and practical car. Engine and gearbox are Audi sourced from the A50. The door window winders are the same as Beetle ones and the 1.6 GTI oil cooler was actually a Beetle oil cooler!

[@daxmcguinness4529]

A stunning car, those pure crisp sharp "definite" lines - Absolute classic and that GL model in black with chrome looks seriously classy!

[@jimififul]

I had a 1982 Golf 1.1C as my second car after my first beloved Mini was written off (not my fault!) The main beam light was a yellow LED like the one in the video (which is weird), it definitely had a temperature gauge and the strangest thing was that the indicator LED flashed out of sync with the indicators- something a lot of VWS did at the time (I also drove an LT van for work)

[@graemetaylor4149]

I had a 1983 Formel E. Brilliant car! 1053cc engine mated to a 4 speed manual. Top speed 70! The gears were so far apart you had to redline to change . 4th was like an overdrive. Handled superbly. Huge fun to drive and 50 mpg+ on a run. Still miss it.

[@SA-yb7mt]

Absolutely brilliant! Loving the recent reviews of my favourite cars. The W124, Granada, Polo, Volvo 240 and now the excellent MK1 Golf. Thanks!

[@shepshepherd]

Such a stylish car. One of Giugiaro's best designs in my opinion.

[@pards004]

I’ve seen this car around my home town. It’s a beauty. The roads you were driving around are very familiar to me.

[@furiousdriving]

fun roads around there, apart from the 30mph average speed check villages which are terrifying to drive through

[@hughbishopnh]

No cup holders, no power assist - perfect!

[@rodhili3946]

I borrowed one of these in the 70s. The lasting memory was the amazing road holding ability compared with what we were used to. I had a fiat 128 rallye & the golf was at a different level. Great video. Thanks 😊

[@gryfandjane]

My first new car was a 1978 Rabbit C (as we called the Golf in the USA). I traded in my ‘71 Beetle for it, and yes, in comparison it was light years ahead. I remember it very fondly!

[@EgoShredder]

16:38 - Woah! Thought Hubnut had overcooked it there for a moment!

[@furiousdriving]

hahahaha!!

[@ianpress8756]

Great little car and film. I’ve got a mk1 golf gls 1.5. Mines got less bits on it in spec but does have a wabisco sunroof that makes up for it.

[@goyadressunofficial]

I had a 1984 VW Rabbit (US spec, built in their Westmoreland, PA plant) Diesel. Replaced the steering wheel with the GTI unit. And yes, the golf ball gearchange knob.

[@TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels]

I saw a Motorweek review which included a US built Rabbit. Don't know if it was due to early teething troubles at the plant but the paint job was terrible.

[@armorer94]

@@TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels The Westmoreland factory was always dead last of all factories assembling the golf/rabbit in regards to build quality.

[@maxidyne]

My aunt and uncle had a brand new '83 GTD in Regatta blue. The Mk1 and 2 are so cool and classless. Great example, love the steel wheels with stainless steel hubcaps. Reliable, well built, modern and classless, that's the Golf.

[@furiousdriving]

Simple being beautiful here

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

now classless=classy?

[@donaldduck3843]

The mk1 GTDs are super rare I’ve never seen one in person before they are very expensive

[@RoadCone411]

My father bought a brand new 1980 W-reg Golf GLS (1.3, I think?) in a deep red, what a gorgeous car it was! I remember being in the car as he drove it off the dealer's forecourt on the first day of W-registrations in Britain - we must have been one of the first Ws on the road. My father loved that car! After years of owning various Minis, MGBs, and other BL products going back to the 1960s, the Golf was clearly several rungs above all of those cars on the engineering ladder. It was comfortable (for a small family car), versatile, reliable, well-made, good-looking and had a sporty character, even if the 1.3 would be considered woefully underpowered by today's standards. As a young onion, one of my memories of that car, when it was still quite new, was the wind almost ripping the driver's door off as my dad was getting out of the car on an especially stormy day at the top of the Great Orme in North Wales...perhaps 'ripping the door off' is a bit of an exaggeration but I believe the door did have to be realigned (maybe rehung?) by the dealer a few weeks later. My parents and I were sad to see that car go when it was time to sell it a few years later.

[@adams7405]

Still miss my 1980 GTI 5 speed in this black.Great fun and did over 100,000 miles in it.0-60 in 8 seconds and an easy 120MPH on the autobahn Probably silly money now.Forty years on it is still faster and more fun than my company 2018 A4 TDI

[@jaunteraudi817]

Ahhh good old memories, used to have one like this. It was like some Gold color 5 door 1982 Golf Mark1 with 1.6 carburetor and 3 speed automatic gearbox, light brown interior .....that was a very good car, and i still regret for selling it 12 years ago, it was easy to repair, cheap parts, it had soft suspension, soft seats, even 4 people could drive in it comfortably, decent trunk great visibility in city driving, and mine was in such a good condition. :(

[@strongandco]

Despite being well built and reliable, anyone who owned a MK1 Golf in the 90's will be well accustomed to the persitent dashboard rattles. An afternoon Loctiting all the dashboard screws and stratigically wedging in bits of cardboard usually fixed it for a few years.

[@51StPi]

My dad's Mk1 rattled within 6 months, it was the car I learned clutch control in, the brakes were dire too, with the clutch and brake having similar feel and travel, ok I am exaggerating though not by much.

[@drpaulcampbell188]

Such an iconic car and it had to be as it was replacing an icon with the Beetle. The rabbit name was used because they wanted to invoke thoughts of it being quick and nimble around town compared to all the land barges that currently (as of 1975) were all over the roads in America at the time. The Golf name wouldn't have had such an impact. The interior is similar enough to a Beetle 1303S that i can see how this would be marketed as a Beetle replacement. I think all the other car manufacturers saw the Renault R16 with its hatchback and thought "we need some of that" Having a hatch in a small car like this with such a small engine and then taking it to America was a bold choice. Yes they did have the Honda Civic and the Dodge Omni but this was the one that made the statement that small cars were the way forward. Here in the UK i remember seeing these when i used to walk to school, they were everywhere, usually the CL model though. The golf ball gear knob was fitted to the GTi i think only in the MK1. This does look a great car and is a credit to its owner so well done Sir for looking after this car so well. Great video as always, now you just need to find a MK1 Passat hatchback to road test :)

[@planestrainsdogsncars4336]

YEP ..I remember lusting after a 2 door Passat in Benson & Hedges gold ...lol

[@michaelconverse5127]

I agree with you on the comparison to the 1303 interior. People forget how much more modern the 1303 was than standard Beetles. A true fresh air ventilation system, a real dashboard, etc and they were also quite a bit more refined than a standard Beetle too.

[@miscrambler]

In the states, no golfball gear knob in the 84 Rabbit. Just a plain jane flattop shifter with the gear pattern on it. Watching this video brought back all sorts of memories. A great car!

[@420031]

I think the GTI has one though, no? In North America, Canada got the GTI in 79, while the US didn’t until 83. Engine choices were different here too. If I remember correctly, my buddy’s 77 Rabbit C had a 1.7L fuel injected engine. 1.5L was the smallest engine this side of the pond I think.

[@RobbieHerrera]

My 1979 Rabbit Diesel had a gear knob just like your test car. It was the slowest car I’ve ever owned but one of the most fun to drive.

[@jorgeherbster7510]

Brazil never had the Golf until the MkIII. Instead, we have the Vw Gol.

[@fulano1969]

That's right. VW never sold the Golf mk1, mk2, mk5 and mk6 in Brazil. And the Golf mk3 sold in Brazil was imported from Mexico. Only the mk4 and mk7 were made here.

[@carlarrowsmith]

VW changed the whole dash in the early 80's to match the style of the MkII Polo, previously is was a rather flat looking affair. My grandad had a Y reg Golf, I imagine it was the C grade. It had a separate tank of washer fluid in the boot for the rear screen and always got parked in front of a wall to stop someone stealing the badge.

[@stuarthall2180]

A real game changer, in perspective we were only about five years into the Maxis life and were making marinas and allegros etc. BL s board must have said we're doomed lol 😯

[@rogerhudson2814]

Golfs would be even better with linked hydroelastic suspension.

[@histriamagna1014]

My father owned one. The 1.3 GL from 1982 produced in Yugoslavia. Great little family car. We had it until 1996. The Mk1 was produced in Yugoslavia from 1977 to 1985 than replaced with Mk2. The factory was in Sarejevo, Bosnia.

[@davidmilne5122]

My first car was a 1976 Golf mk1 1100N - proper bottom of the range and very Furious Driving 😊. So much less kit than this GL! 4 speed manual, metal girder bumpers, Loved that car.

[@marklittler784]

I remember the heater on my friends mums 1978 Datsun 120Y coupe burnt your shoes off.

[@mattrawlingsmatt]

I was there with you. The sound of the engine at just over 3k sent me back to my youth. At 1 time I had an 83 golf 1.5GL in red, my Mum had a silver one (Which she owned from 86-97) and my brother had an 82 1.6 Jetta GLi. They did have a brake servo but the master cylinder was on the LH of the car and braking force was lost in the lever arrangement. Our family must have owned 20 vw's. My brother still has a Golf today. Shame you didn't mention the hofmeister kink, so important to the styling of the car in my opinion. Thank you!

[@colinbledlow8481]

Haven't read through all the comments, so could be repeating this. The position of the inside door release was a safety feature. The logic was to open the door with the left hand, where it was conveniently placed, and thus get out of the car looking over the right shoulder facing the direction any danger might be approaching. BMW did the same design in the 80s, and I was on a BMW 'intro' course when his design feature was explained.

[@furiousdriving]

Wow, there was some clever planning there

[@thedeadstig123]

The thing is everyone from the 80s has been saving the mk1 Golf GTI's and now it seems these more basic mk1 Golfs are rarer than the sportier models, same with escorts and other common cars of the 70s and 80s

[@jonholding3880]

Early 90s I had a mk1 Golf 1.1 N the extreme basic model followed by a 1.6 DL (Diesel) both of which were painfully slow to both go and stop.

[@robindow1061]

The smaller engines (1.1 and 1.3 litre) were VW designs. The larger 1.5 and 1.6 were from Audi. The good old EA827. First seen in the Audi 80. Though the K70 was the first front wheel drive car with a VW badge, it was meant to be an NSU to fit below the Ro80, Ro for rotary engine K for Kolben (piston) engine. The Passat, based on the Audi 80 with a 'north-south' engine and the Scirocco with its 'east-west' engine both preceded the Golf. The Polo came later, and was a rebadged Audi 50.

[@joeseeking3572]

These things were a hoot, I remember them. Compared to what was available in that class in 1970's America they were head and shoulders above. But they were not so reliable, and repair costs! And then VW totally destroyed the feel by giving us Americanized Rabbits built in Pennsylvania with 'full wheel covers', 'wood dash' and elastic suspension. But, you could still get a Mark I German Jetta, and they were better trimmed so that was nice. Could have used minimum of 30 more hp, but that wouldn't come until the Mark II Jetta GLI in, I think 86 - had one of those.

[@JoseSanchez-hf3bs]

In Mexico it was called Caribe, I had 2, 1982 and 1984, both with 1,700 cc engine, one standard 4 speed and one auto 3 speed, both have square lights. Good video.

[@chrismc1977]

The mk1 Golf also came in a GLS trim level in the early days My late father had one. 1.5 GLS. VTR 674T Metallic burgundy colour with beige velour trim & the earlier round pod instrument binnacle No rev counter as he installed his own in the lower centre console.

[@mrcogginsgarage7062]

That Golf was in fact built with servo assisted brakes which if you look at the engine compartment in the early part of the video are over on the passenger side above the gearbox, however they all suffered from a very poor brake pedal feel because of the linkage that was fitted to convert from left hand drive. Had a number of these back in the day both petrol and diesel engined great cars to drive even to this day.

[@jefferysmith3930]

Wow! What a nice car. Well, since u asked, USA Rabbit GTI’s had the golfball shift knob. Lower trim Rabbits would have a shift pattern knob 123E or 1234E. They also had seriously cheap and nasty “Americanized “ interiors after Pennsylvania production started in 1979. It was as if someone had given a general description of what the interior should look like over a poor telephone connection. Dash design, gauges, materials... just all of it, wrong! We still got the Cabriolet and Jetta from Germany that had the same high quality interior as your test “wagen”. At my high school graduation party 7 of us pilled in my friend Pat’s 82 Rabbit Convertible (only called “Cabriolet” post ‘85 after the mk.2...now called “Golf”...was launched) to cruise the beach. I wanted one from that point on. They were relatively expensive cars in the USA though. I finally got my chance with a slightly shabby triple white ‘87 Wolfsburg Edition in 1999. I did a sort of rolling restoration in it over the course of several years. I loved that car as did everyone who ever drove it. Even without a roof it was remarkably tight. Mine had p/s, p/b and a/c...and the USA spec 90hp 1.8 GTI engine. It still managed to scoot around pretty well. The blank place in the lower center console was to house auxiliary gauges: volts, oil pressure....oil temperature? I can’t remember. I’m not sure if it was the case in all Convertibles or just USA market, but the mid dash 3 cubby hole tray was replaced with a protruding padded and reinforced anti-submarining bar. I kept that car till 2007 by which time I was growing a little tired of it for daily use and our 2nd child had come along making for a tight squeeze inside. It never let me down and I’d gladly have another. Thanks for the review and the memories.

[@furiousdriving]

Ive seen that US dashboard thing in a lot of cars, always looks odd!

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

Better paint job than the Golf 8.

[@RoadCone411]

By the way, the Golf is a great choice for driving around the B-roads of Bedfordshire! Some classic British country roads on this video!! Looks like it was fun! The original US Rabbit did not have a golf ball gear knob to my knowledge, unless it was an option or aftermarket accessory. Most Rabbits were sourced from VW's Pennsylvania factory and although the general car would have been familiar to European Golf enthusiasts, the US Rabbits had different engines, American-standard bumpers (i.e., bigger, uglier), sealed beam headlights, different dashboards, seats, and carpets, and slightly altered trim inside and out. Many were sold as automatics, which must have been very slow even though none of the small European engines were offered in the US. I believe the suspension settings were tuned more for comfort and to be less stiff, so the cars handling was compromised as a result. Americans find small European cars to have hard, crashy rides, so VW tried to alter the Rabbit to suit American tastes. Strangely, the US Mark I Jettas got the European Golf dashboard and gauges, perhaps because they were sourced from Germany.

[@furiousdriving]

Thanks, and also interesting that the Golf and Jetta would be built seperatly

[@RoadCone411]

@@furiousdriving The Mk II Jettas were definitely built in Pennsylvania - and have continually outsold their hatchback brethren ever since in the US - but the Mk1 Jetta was not a huge seller compared to the locally made Rabbit.

[@watershed44]

@@RoadCone411 This was because of the DM vs $ value situation at the time the German made imported MKI Jetta was significantly more expensive than the similar trim Rabbit.

[@jankotze1959]

Awesome, I had a 1.1 LS, 1.5 GLS, 1.6 GTS and a 1.8 GTI in the golf 1 Series in South Africa, now a Polo 1.9 TDI, best cars for me ever made

[@robertneill3057]

About the brakes, the Mark 1 Golf had a brake servo mounted on the left side of bulkhead. Relied on a linkage shaft to the righthand pedal position which could be prone to some slackness developing during it's service life. This showed up on various tests done by Drive and Road & Track magazines of the period showing 96% typically at best. The clutch cable was also prone to bulkhead pull through on early versions.

[@neilmustow368]

Mint looking Mk 1 VW Golf Matty classic Giugiaro design 121,000 miles wow been well preserved this car think I may have this Golf brochure somewhere still he he remember that Golf advert

[@Canalsman]

I had one of these in South Africa around 1981, bright yellow with brown interior and the 1.3 engine. It had the golf ball gearlever knob. Great car and I loved driving it. It was a company car and my daily driver. The house had a large garage, big enough to house the Golf plus my own two cars. A white Stag and an orange 1275 Midget. My best collection of cars 😀

[@nickstevenson3276]

I had a 1979 GLS mk 1 in metallic green.. loved that car but unfortunately it was stolen and found burned out a common problem in the early '80's

[@furiousdriving]

shame that was a big problem late 80s

[@watershed44]

@@furiousdriving I bought a brand new MKI Rabbit GTI (last year on offer was 1984 in the USA) loved that car it was my daily driver all the way until 1995 when it was stolen! I still miss that car today, best car I ever owned.

[@maisiefreeman8597]

Absolutely stunning, iconic cars. Though, interestingly my '76 GL came with a leatherette trim on all the seats and door cards as standard - maybe just an Australian thing? Took me a while to figure out that the pocket in the rear passenger door was actually an ashtray! Seems bizarre to me, as a millenial. Mine also has an oil temp gauge and an altimeter where the blanking plate is in the centre console, though not sure whether that came standard - they look like they came with the car, nicely fitted and surrounded in the same kind of plastic as the centre console, so possibly a dealer-installed option. The seats are indeed ridiculously comfortable and one of my favourite parts of the whole car.

[@mk1maad]

different markets may have had different options. my south african made '82 LS has a leatherette all round too.

[@MandusahRamirez]

My Aunt wouldn’t drive anything but these when I was growing up so I have a special place for these! She passed away in 06 and had an 04 Purple VW GTI VR6.. My cousin has it parked in her garage and only had 23k when she parked it in 2006

[@mattw8332]

One of these was one of my 'wildcard' options when I was looking for a used car back in 1997. I saw an X reg 1500 GL or GX auto up for sale on a bomb site used car retailer for £1500 and I was sorely tempted. Metallic green I think it was.

[@wiskeydiamond4224]

I had a 1.6 Diesel for years.. was and excellent car very economical and ultra reliable.

[@Cavalier_Steve]

I thought that I recognised these roads not far from me 😁 don’t recall seeing this Golf about though which to me would be a delightful thing to see, I would definitely spot this in amongst the traffic. Cheers

[@johnmckay1423]

Loved the video - it really took me back to 1991 when I learned to drive in my mum's 1982 1100cc Golf mark 1. It was great fun to drive. Steering was great, although very heavy for parking. I had no idea how poor the brakes were until I drove a car with servo assist for the first time. Heater controls were better than my current car. Manual choke was the hardest thing to learn. In the 'C' trim there was no interior adjustable mirrors - and the passenger side one was a dealer for option! You had to get out to adjust it, so it rarely pointed in the right direction anyway... The only car I've enjoyed driving as much was the mark 1 Focus I had. Everything since had been more powerful, more comfortable, more spacious, but simplicity and good handling are so satisfying. My only query: I've never watched your channel before (I'll be back); I'm pretty sure I've never watched a mark 1 Golf video before; how did Google know to put this in my suggested videos?!

[@russcattell955i]

In 83 I had the earlier LS 1.5. Could not afford the GTi insurance, however I worked in a VW dealership so got to drive lots of GTi's. A few years later I borrowed a MKI 1.8 GTi for a holiday in SW France, that trip I regularly saw 44mpg average.

[@KonstantinosKandiliotis]

VW was utterly lucky and was saved -although it shouldn't- in the 70's for the following reasons 1)The purchase of NSU that showed them how to built a FWD car. 2) Giugiaro showed them how to design a car. 3) The only comparable -and far better- rival was Alfa Romeo with the Alfasud, but we all know the story of it. 4) The French and the British were in a world of their own, producing romantic or non working cars respectively. Things would be different IF the Italians, French and British were a bit more serious... My opinion...

[@jerzywoking1699]

I think range went L, GL, GLS and then later the GTi. I unwittingly bought, at night, what turned out to be the most rust riddled 1976 GLS. It was 10 years old. I had to scrap it about 7 months later On the MkII the clocks were prewired at the factory, so the L could have GL clocks installed in about 10 minutes.

[@volvo480]

It's more complicated than that. The one Matt is driving here is the facelift model with bigger rear light clusters. There was a basic C (for Crisis) model, CL and GL. You couldn't tell which engine was in just looking at the badge, except for the GTi which was different in many respects. And Diesels had a small badge with DIESEL on the grille. Before the facelift there was a base model (just GOLF on the badge), L and GL. If you had the 1.5 litre petrol an S was added (or D for Diesel). Hence your 1976 Golf GLS had the luxury trim level and an 1.5 litre engine.

[@jerzywoking1699]

@@volvo480 Thanks Robert, memory refreshed. My GLS was on an R plate, and the instrument glass were cones rather than flat. My MkII was a Driver model, and it was in that i changed the speedo and big analogue clock for the GL(?) speedo, rev counter and small digital clock. Simple to remove and plug and play. Really liked that car, as it was in beautiful condition, although a little underpowered (1.3). Was great to fling around the local roads, handled really well. And none of the rot that killed my Mk I

[@y4nnickschmitt]

What a nice example it is! So clean and neat.

[@alexanderstefanov6474]

MK1 golfs were being produced until 2009 as the Citi golf in South Africa in RHD, but with a dashboard from the mk 1 Fabia

[@gunnarkvinlaug9079]

Speaking of ratling: My father had a 82 Toyota Cressida witch started to make funny noices if you pressed it in 5. Gir at about 50 mph. In sounded like the rear axel would fall off. We tough it to be the bearings for the driveshaft, but it was just the roof rack!

[@neilgrandin8891]

Nice I have a 1981 version of this with 77k on the clock, had it for over 24 years now brilliant little car, also got a couple of mk2s, an 85 gti and 88 gti, fabulous cars

[@IsDone]

In Mexico it was called "Caribe" and the golf ball only had the GTI which was also only named with the initials GT, because at that time they were carbureted cars and not injection ones.

[@volvo480]

I had a 1979 MkI Golf 1.5 LS for a short while, the S denomination was for the engine and the L was trim level (basic was just S and top spec GLS). Traded it in for a 1983 MkI Golf CL Diesel which was the facelift model like this one. The speedometer was broken, it showed 180 km/h while a Suzuki Alto was passing me. 😂 The dashboard had the large clock instead of a rev counter. My next car was a 1983 MkII Golf GL with 75 bhp 1.6 litre petrol engine, one of the first MkII Golf delivered in this country. That one didn't have a rev counter either!

[@watershed44]

*Checking in from the USA. I bought a brand new at the time 1984 Rabbit GTI (in the USA the last year for the MKI model to be on sale) I absolutely loved that car. It had brilliant design, durable, and a blast to drive. The only big difference from the European version was the detuned 1.8L engine (90 hp due to US emissions), and a slighly different dashboard. I'd gladly buy one of them again brand new if they made them, they were just that good. Far better than the over engineered, over complicated and numb modern vehicles we have today.

[@michaeltutty1540]

Great trip down memory lane! I learned to drive a manual gearbox on a teacher's 78 that she bought when the body rot on her 72 Volvo 144 became too bad at 250,000 miles. Being in Canada, it was badged as a Rabbit. The golf ball shift could be had as an accessory. Early ones here came with the 1.8 litre. Servo assisted brakes were also standard here. Really great cars to drive. I also have a friend who had 2 diesel Rabbits. The first was, I believe, an 80, without the turbo. His second was an 84, I think, and it had the 5 speed backing up the turbo diesel. The turbo made all the difference. The turbo diesel had been manufactured in Pennsylvania, USA. All in all, these cars had something for almost everyone and every pocket. The 1.8 litre was also used by Chrysler in the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon. It never felt as lively in the Chrysler as it did in the Rabbit.

[@planestrainsdogsncars4336]

Rabbits Foxes Dashers Quantums....it was all a bit hit and miss wasn't it..why would a Rabbit have a golf ball ?

[@michaeltutty1540]

@@planestrainsdogsncars4336 Someone at Volkswagen Canada decided it was a neat accessory to offer. It certainly felt nicer than the base model gearshift on the 4 speed manual.

[@glensainsbury428]

This takes me back to early 1990's driving one in South Africa. They were built there as well for a few years. Great 👍 fun to drive.

[@marklittler784]

A time when cars were getting lighter and lighter until they got safer and heavier with far far more extras.

[@marklittler784]

@marcus price wonder if the brakes,tyres, and brains have improved correspondingly?

[@GoldenCroc]

@@marklittler784 Funnily enough, I am pretty sure all those things except brains actually has... too bad about the brains, huh?