Although these hatchbacks are considered to be kryptonite to cars such as the MGB, we argue that this Wolfsburg favourite is nonetheless a hugely practical classic. Chris Hope is your guide to the MkI and MkII Golf

Words: Chris Hope 

We don’t think that it’s outlandish to say that this car started a revolution when it hit our shores in the mid-Seventies. Suddenly the sports car was no longer the master of B-road Britain. The hot hatch was the new king and among this new breed of machines, it was the Golf that reigned supreme.

Fast forward to today and the MkI Golf is nothing short of legendary. It’s also quite expensive, which is where the MkII comes in: while it’s not the original, it’s brilliant nonetheless. Many enthusiasts describe the second generation Golf as a ‘grown-up MkI’. There’s some truth to that; the MkII is a little bigger, weighs a little more and is a tad more refined. However, where the differences in character are fairly minor, the differences in price is astonishing – when buying like for like, a MkI can cost almost twice as much as a MkII (still, you’re buying hot hatch royalty).

Both early Golfs enjoy fantastic club support and, despite having being around for decades now, replacement parts are still plentiful. What’s more, these are cars that you can genuinely maintain and service yourself. Seriously, what’s not to love?

Values: Although the MkII Golf is stronger in several important areas – handling, braking, mod cons and so on – it doesn’t yet boast the cult status of the original. As such we reckon you’ll need around £2000-£3000 to buy a MkI that you’ll be happy with. Whether that’s a tidy 1.3- or 1.5-litre standard hatch, a fairly sound cabriolet or a dog-eared example of a late MkI GTI is entirely up to you. Early MkI GTIs are in a different league though, costing upwards of £8000.

If all this sounds a tad expensive then consider the Mk2 GTI: 16v Golfs are generally more desirable than the 8v models, but depending on condition either can be had for between £1250 and £2500. The supercharged models (that’s the GTI G60 and Rallye models) aren’t cheap by comparison – expect prices to start from £6000.
Any project under a grand is more likely to be a Mk2 model than a Mk1. This is a car you can buy as a fixer-upper, just be sure you’ve done your homework on both models before any inspection.

factfile

Clubs
● MkI Volkswagen Golf Owners Club, www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk
● MkII Golf Owners Club, www.vwgolfmk2.co.uk
● Club GTI, www.clubgti.com
 

Specialists
● Corbeau Seats, E. Sussex. 01424 854499 www.corbeau-seats.com
● Crazy Quiffs, Oxon. 01491 202054  , www.golfmk1.co.uk
● C&R Enterprises, Notts, www.candrenterprises.co.uk
● Euro Car Parts, Nationwide. www.eurocarparts.com
● GSF, Nationwide. 0208 917 3803, www.gsfcarparts.com
● G-Werks, W. Sussex. 01903 730006, www.g-werks.com
● Newton Commercial, Suffolk. 01728 832880, www.newtoncomm.co.uk
● Retro Custom, Herts. 01462 732182, www.retrocustom.com
● Stevens Volkswagen Dismantlers, Essex. 01245 362020, www.vws.me.uk
● Tuning Werkes, Surrey. 020 8681 0208, www.tuningwerkes.com
● VW Heritage/Big Boys Toys, W. Sussex. 0845 873 9960, www.vwh2o.com

Magazine
Volkswagen Golf+, look for our sister title on the shelves of most good newsagents on the final Friday of every month.  Priced £4.50.
 

Insurance Quotes
for a 1990 Volkswagen Golf GTI 16v
Comprehensive cover, 25-year-old in Co. Durham, two years’ no claims, clean licence, 10,000 miles a year, main car, kept on driveway: £900 (£350 excess)
Comprehensive cover, 50-year-old in Co. Durham, full no claims, clean licence, 3000 miles a year, second car (classic car policy), garaged, club member: £130 (£50 excess)
Quotes from Performance Direct (0844 5733504, www.performancedirect.co.uk)

RUNNING ON UNLEADED
Most early Golfs should be fine but tou may need to retard the ignition timing. However, high-octane unleaded is recommended for the 16V GTIs.

Specifications

Golf LS (MkI)
ENGINE    1588cc/4-cyl
POWER (bhp/rpm)    75/5600
TORQUE (lb ft/rpm)    88/3200
TOP SPEED    99 mph
0-60mph    12 sec
CONSUMPTION    24 mpg
GEARBOX    4/5-sp man (op 3-sp auto)
LENGTH    12ft 3in (3.72m)
WIDTH    5ft 4in (1.61m)
WEIGHT    1810lb (822kg)

Golf GTI (MkI)
ENGINE    1588cc/4-cyl
POWER (bhp/rpm)    110/6100
TORQUE (lb ft/rpm)    101/5000
TOP SPEED    110 mph
0-60mph    10 sec
CONSUMPTION    27 mpg
GEARBOX    4/5-sp man
LENGTH    12ft 3in (3.72m)
WIDTH    5ft 4in (1.61m)
WEIGHT    1862lb (845kg)

Golf GTI 16v (MkII)
ENGINE    1781cc/4-cyl
POWER (bhp/rpm)    139/6100
TORQUE (lb ft/rpm)    124/4600
TOP SPEED    129 mph
0-60mph    8 sec
CONSUMPTION    30 mpg
GEARBOX    5-sp man
LENGTH    13ft 1in (3.99m)
WIDTH    5ft 6in (1.68m)
WEIGHT    2222lb (1009kg)

Golf GTI G60 (MkII)
ENGINE    1781cc/4-cyl
POWER (bhp/rpm)    160/5800
TORQUE (lb ft/rpm)    166/3800
TOP SPEED    134 mph
0-60mph    7 sec
CONSUMPTION    28 mpg
GEARBOX    5-sp man
LENGTH    13ft 3in (4m)
WIDTH    5ft 7in (1.7m)
WEIGHT    2381lb (1080kg)

The full story is available in the Spring 2011 issue of Classic Car Mart.