Affectionately known as the Volkswagen Rabbit, the Mk1 Golf GTI has proven to be almost as culturally influential as its predecessor, the Volkswagen Beetle. Born in 1974, the Mk1 Golf GTi helped instigate the movement for front-wheel drive hatchbacks, sparking a whole new generation of front-wheel drive American compacts.
Although the general public has long since forgotten the innovative cars that led to their modern day Civics and *******, this little Rabbit was made to last, and its reputation in the world of retro car, Golf tuning enthusiasts is still going strong.
A Brief History of the Rabbit
The first Golfs were introduced into the US and Canadian markets as the Volkswagen Rabbit, and to Mexico as the Volkswagen Caribe. The hatchback body styling hid a water-cooled, front wheel drive with firmly sprung and damped dependent front suspension, and a semi-independent Twist-beam rear suspension that offered comfortable driving, good road holding, and crisp handling.
In those days, BMW Tuning had yet to become popular or generally accessible, so Golf tuning pretty much consisted of factory spec, but that wasn’t too shabby. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Italian automobile architect also responsible for the Alfsud and the Lotus Espirit Mk1, the sassy little Rabbit won Car of the Year in 1975, then again in 1978, and once more in 1981.
Although popular myth may say otherwise, the Mk1 Golf GTi was not the first hatchback design on the popular market. The Renault 5 Alpine actually came first, but the Rabbit was the first sport hatch to achieve a real mass market appeal, inspiring manufacturers all over the world to add sporty- hatchbacks to their compact car repertoire. The basic idea behind Giugiaro’s original design was fairly simple- to cross a basic transportation economy car with a high performance package to make a new breed of car- sporty and practical.
Although aftermarket consumer Golf tuning remained in the distant future, it was actually the Mk1 Golf GTi manufacturers who began the trend, raising the output of the 1588 cc engine to 110 PS by becoming one of the first small cars ever to adopt mechanical fuel injection. The merits of the Mk1 Golf GTi were once again recognized in 2004, when it was declared one of the top three cars of the 80’s.
The Mk1 Golf GTi Today
Today, retro car enthusiast continue to adore the Volkswagen Rabbit, with Golf tuning forums, blogs, and how-to manuals offering tips and fitting free flow exhaust, engine ignition kits, manual choke conversions, engine water pre-heaters, and specialized oil coolers, up-rating brakes, heavy duty clutches, cylinder head work, engine conversion, and even turbo charging. Online car lover communities like Torque cars offer editorials, events, galleries, and chat forums dedicated to car tuning and VAG enthusiasts, with thousands of car specific articles and FAQ’s.
Whether you’re new to the world of Golf Tuning, or an old time pro, you’ll find that the Rabbit is a little car with a whole lot of shared love. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit torquecars.com .