25 Years of the Golf GTi

October 1976 was a memorable month for anybody buying a Volkswagen, for UK buyers could at last get their hands on the brand new Golf GTi. OK, the first GTis were all left hookers (the first RHD GTis only came in 1979) ; but here at last was a Volkswagen that was all the usual things; reliable, well built, low depreciation etc., but now had the sort of performance usually reserved for two seater sports coupes.

However, the story of the GTi ; like all the best cars- was not a tail of management inspiration ; but came about because committed and enthusiastic VW employees decided that the Golf could be made into a real goer, and had all the potential to make a great performance car.

The original Golf grew out of a series of attempts by Volkswagen to create a successor to the Beetle. While the Beetle had proved a massive success, building up the company from nothing to a world presence, by the late sixties it was a blessing and a curse. Sales were still solid but would not keep up volume forever, and VW were increasingly seen as a builder of somewhat archaic, if reliable, cars. The Beetle, and its aircooled successors', the type 3 and type 4 were becoming a noose around the VW neck.

By the 1970s VW were dipping their toes into the watercooled car market. The first water cooled model was the VW K70; not really a true VW since it was just a badged NSU K70, whom Volkswagen had taken over. Next came the Audi 80 based VW Passat (1973) and while the Passat proved to be a solid seller it was just that, solid and reliable. The big irony is that even before the Golf, VW launched the Sirocco ; a baby of Italian designer Giogetta Guigiaro. The Sirocco was based on the forthcoming Golf and built by Karmann, but was launched at the Geneva motor Show in early 1974, and was in part an attempt to test the Golf mechanics before the Golf itself went on sale. The Golf entered production in July of that year and was on sale by the second half of the year. The Giogetta Guigiaro designed Golf was here at last at a time when everybody was expecting Volkswagen to go bankrupt if it could not produce a winner, fortunately ; the Golf was just that.

The 1975 show car - ready to change the hatchback

Rewind 2 years and the Golf was internally known as project EA337, and it was in 1973 that Volkswagen engineers started looking at the motorsport potential of VW's new Beetle killer. VW engineers, foremost amongst them was Dr. Friedrich Goes (there's a pun in there) ; who later went on to engineer the 1990s SEAT Ibiza. In their spare time they developed a sports Golf, raiding the VW Audi parts list and building the forerunner of the GTi unofficially. At the heart of this all-new high performance Golf was an engine first used in the Audi 80 GT. The original 1471cc unit was bored out from 76.5 to 79.5 mm, resulting in an increase in capacity to 1588cc and 110 hp. There were larger diameter inlet valves, as well as revised inlet and exhaust manifolds. The Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system was previously used on American-spec Audi 80s, but now found itself a new use. Other modifications included an oil cooler, oil temperature gauge and rev counter.

The project was unveiled to management in 1973, but was given a lukewarm reception. VW were struggling financially and the last thing on their minds was a sports hatchback. Volkswagen were well known for extremely reliable family cars and had little history of performance motoring. Other manufacturers had beefed up production models, Ford had teamed with Lotus to create the Lotus Cortina, and later on the RS (rally Sport) Escorts, but most of the motorsport models came from the likes of Triumph, Alfa Romeo and Jaguar. Perhaps management should have been looking at the success of the Mini Cooper ; which transformed the original BMC Mini into a serious motorsport contender.

Friedrich Goes went on to VW of America, but by 1975 ; the Golf was receiving rave reviews, and the VW sales department had warmed to the idea of a sporting model. In May 1975 Herbert Schuster was transferred from Audi to head up the new GTi project, and was lucky enough to inherit 2 years of development ; much of the ground work had already been done ; which explains why the GTi went to market only a year after the appearance of the Golf.

Club member - Lisa Russell’s MkI GTi

It is a pity that VW never copyrighted the GTi badge ; since now so many manufacturers have stolen' it. GT stands for Gran Turismo and had been used by the likes of Aston Martin (DB4 GT Zagato) and even Audi (the Audi 80 GTE). VW married the sports GT badge to the projects injection engine to make the classic GTi, which has proved a popular combination of 3 letters.

The GTi was shown to the world at the 1975 Frankfurt Motorshow and the go ahead was given for an initial 5000 production run, a figure that was the minimum needed to enter a production car for motorsport. This initial figure sold very swiftly and was soon upped to 5000 per month.

Perhaps hard to imagine now, with a world full of hot hatchbacks, but when the Golf GTi went on sale in 1976, the only cars that it could be reviewed against were real sports coupes. Here was a practical hatchback, but with the ability to put many sports cars to shame. The Golf GTi changed what could be expected of production cars and remains the first 'Hot Hatch', the first of many.

The Golf The GTi's 110bhp of power was delivered through a larger clutch to a standard Golf gearbox; although the final drive ratio was changed from 3.9:1 to 3.7:1. Specially rated shock absorbers, backed up by anti-roll bars all round kept it going straight ahead on the road. The suspension remained at the original ride height, but was soon lowered by 20 mm. Providing the grip were 175/70HR tyres attached to 5.5 inch wheel rims. Ventilated discs at the front, backed up by a larger servo, brought the Golf to a halt.

It was available to special order only in the UK, in left-hand drive. Specialist companies like GTi Engineering offered conversions, but the official imports arrived in July 1979, complete with wrap-a round bumpers. January 1980 saw the introduction of the five-speed gearbox, with closer ratios, dropping the 0-60 mph time from 9.1 to 8.5 seconds, and increasing top speed from 112 to 113 mph. Alloys were also standardised. September 1980, and along came a new dash with warning lights, digital clock, extra fresh-air vents and striped, rather than checked trim. September 1981 saw the arrival of windscreen pillar air deflectors, larger rear light clusters, angled door pulls and bigger door bins.

In September 1982, the GTi got a major upgrade when the 1600 was bored out from 79.5 mm to 81 mm. The stroke went up to 86.4 mm and the 1781cc unit was born. Also the pistons and connecting rods were lightened. The valve size was increase d and cylinder head modified. With a compression ratio of 10:1, mid-range torque improved. Its peak 109lb ft. was delivered at 3500 rpm, whilst the full 112 bhp arrived at 5800 rpm. The 0-60 mph dropped to a startling 8.2 seconds, and top speed climbed to 114 mph. Inside there was a temperature and economy gauge, showing mpg, and the legendary windscreen wiper stalk-operated MFA on board computer. August 1983 saw the Campaign model, the swan song of the MkI and designed to keep sales up while the imminent MkII went into production. This had a four-headlamp grille, Pirelli 6Jx14 in P slot alloys with 185/60HR-14 tyres. Standard equipment included sunroof, tinted glass, metallic paint and a leather-trimmed steering wheel.

The Mk1 GTi cabriolet - built by Karmann

The Golf MkII GTi arrived in February 1984, a bigger and heavier model and while it lost some of the original lines, it updated the model and took the Golf into the 1980s ; indeed it is one of the cars that defines the 1980s. The wheel-base was lengthened by 75 mm, and the overall length increased by

170 mm and the width by 55 mm. The car's weight increased from 840 kg to 920 kg, yet it wasn't any the more sluggish for it. Indeed, thanks to its new rounded edges, drag was dramatically reduced from 0.42 to 0.34 cd. The GTi was pretty much as the standard car, except for disc brakes fitted all round. The 1.8 engine still produced 112 bhp at 5800 rpm, reached 60 mph in just over eight seconds and had a new top speed of 119 mph.

The spec for UK cars was generous at first, including P slot alloys and sunroof - although these were deleted from the three-door and transferred to the five-door version, which arrived in February 1985. From February 1987, ABS brakes became optional.

In August, in came a new shape grille, left-hand parking wipers and central rear VW badge, while out went the front quarter-light. The 8-valve now had Digifant engine management and new trim, and the five-door got steel wheels as standard. Special equipment models in the summer of 1988 celebrated production of 10 million Golfs. The spec included seven-spoke alloys, central locking, and multi-stripe trim and tinted rear lights. Available in Helious Blue, metallic black and Oak Green, they proved a

big success.

The MkII, this one is a 16 valve monster

In August 1989, the so-called big bumpers arrived; whilst on the mechanical front, a catalytic converter became optional - but 12-hole steel wheels were now standard. October 1990 and power steering, tinted glass and central locking were fitted to the 8-valve. 1991 was the run-out year for the model, so in October the equipment package was up-rated to include BUS alloy wheels, partially smoked rear light lenses, electric front windows and 16-valve-style rainbow upholstery. Metallic paint finish was now a no-cost option. The MK2 model range was officially discontinued in February 1992.

September 1986 was when Wolfsburg gave us the 16-valve Golf. The only clue that this had eight valves more than the standard GTi was a bright red badge below the logo - and if you took a tape measure to it, you'd find it 10 mm closer to the ground. Under the arches sat stiffer springs - 10 per cent more (front), 20 per cent more (rear) -with modified shocks and anti-roll bars. Even the ventilated front discs were larger, at 265 mm, helped out by beefier brake pistons all round. The 6 inch rims wore 185/60VR-14 tyres, and the standard spec included central locking, electric windows and sunroof. The really important component though, lay beneath the bonnet. A cast alloy, thermally hardened 16-valve cylinder head, operated by two counter-rotating, chain-driven camshafts. Both shifted competition-spec inlet and exhaust valves and were mated to hydraulic tappets. The set-up needed an oil pump from a diesel engine to stay lubricated. A 10:1 compression ratio and Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system helped increase power by more than 24 per cent over the 8-valve. A bhp of 139 at 6300 rpm and peak torque of 121.5lb ft at 4600 rpm, translated into a 129mph top speed an d 60mph in just over seven seconds. Developments were pretty much as the 8-valve, although in February 1987, 16-valves were offered with digital dashboards - but few were actually ordered. Everyone wanted the special equipment versions in summer 1988. In August 1989, big bumpers arrived, with front fog-lamps and larger side rubbing strips. Although smoked rear lamp clusters and BBS alloys were fitted, out went electric windows. Power steering was now part of the spec. January 1990 welcomed the five- door 16-valve. In November, electric windows reappeared on the spec sheet. October 1991, and a Panasonic RDS pull out radio/cassette became standard. Like the 8-valve, the model was discontinued in February 1992.

The all-new MkIII Golf arrived in 1992, and was promptly christened 'Car of the Year' - but not 'Hot Hatch of the Year'. That's because it was bigger, safer and heavier. Despite the body being very slippery, with a drag factor between 0.30 and 0.33, it was seriously heavy . The original GTi weighed 844 kg, and the MK3 was up to 1032 kg. The power-to weight ratio had slipped from 133 bhp per ton to 113. That translated into a top speed of 124 mph and a sluggish 0-60 mph time of 8.7 seconds -surprising, as the new GTi had a larger 2.0 litre engine with Digifant multi-point electronic fuel injection system and regulated catalytic converter. With an enlarged bore and stroke at 82.5 mm and 92.8 mm respectively, the output rose to 115 bhp at 5400 rpm. At least it looked the part, with its colour-coded two-bar grille, black wheelarches and bumper extension, rear spoiler, tinted rear light clusters, 6.5Jxl 5 inch Long Beach alloys and twin exhaust pipes. Inside came sports seats, electric windows, on board computer and height-adjustable sports steering wheel. Handling wise it was a lot softer and more refined. Basically, it was a modified Mk2 set-up with standard power steering. From September 1992 came split rear seats and, a year later, passenger seat height adjustment formed part of the package. October 1994 was safety month, as ABS brakes, driver's airbag and immobiliser were included - but a sunroof became a cost option.

The Mk III - and a members car

July 1995 saw the arrival of rounded side indicators and a bee-sting aerial. May 1996 marked the 20th anniversary of the GTi, hence the 600 limited edition Anniversary, with red alloys and traditional golf ball gear knob. King of the limited editions though was the Colour Concept, in April 1995, available in yellow, red, blue or green, with matching leather Recaros, silver-faced instruments and 6.5 in Solitude alloys. The eight valve was deleted in November 1997.

Two years after the 2.0-litre 8-valve GTi failed to impress anyone greatly, Volkswagen decided that what the world needed was another 16-valve version, which was launched in January 1993. Beneath the familiar 16 valve head was the 2.0 litre unit, which produced 150 bhp at 6000 rpm and was quite different from the units fitted to the Corrado and Passat. New valves and revised breathing were intended to provide extra power and Low-down torque. Acceleration improved, which meant that 60 mph arrived in around eight seconds. Top speed was a useful 134mph. The five-speed gearbox was a carry over from the GTi, as was the suspension. So it was secure, safe, but a bit roly-poly, and still not enough fun. Interestingly, it came with the traction control system, as used on the VR6, which meant that it worked with the ABS system to eliminate torque steer (weaving as you bury the throttle) by monitoring the speed of the driving wheels. Standard specification was pretty much as the 8-valve, plus 6.53x15 inch Monte Carlo alloy wheels with 205/50R-15V tyres, but still a space saver in the boot, bee-sting aerial with amplifier, plus a brake lining wear indicator. September 1993 heralded the arrival of passenger seat height adjustment, as the five-door model got rear electric windows. For October 1994, a driver's airbag and engine immobiliser were fired. July 1995 saw the arrival of those neat rounded wing-mounted indicators.

1998 saw the MkIV come into production. If you take a close look at the fourth generation Golf, you won't notice anything tremendously different from the car's predecessor. The Golf is the VW Group's top selling automobile, and the wildly successful (worldwide) Golf was basically fine-tuned.

The new corporate A-chassis features many new improvements, namely chassis rigidity. The car has grown in size, normally not a popular change for the European enthusiast scene though with the added rigidity, the move has been widely accepted.

Since build quality has improved by leaps and bounds with the new chassis, the Golf has moved almost to another level. The luxurious interior specifically makes the car surpass many of its traditional competitors.

By 2000 20 million Golfs had been made, many of them GTi models. For many, the MkIV sees the GTi become a rather tame and safe beast compared to the old MKIs and IIs. While the Golf was the original Hot Hatch, in many ways it has been overtaken by hotter hatchbacks from Renault and even fellow VW Group company SEAT. But the Golf GTi remains the original and a benchmark in its class.

To celebrate the success and 25 year reign of the GTi, Volkswagen have produced an anniversary edition, so read on™