Volkswagen Golf I 1.6 GLS
(1975 - 1978)
Car articles about Volkswagen Golf I 1.6 GLS by year
The first Golf GTI is considered the founder and prime example of the hot hatch category, while the BMW 1802 touring was created in times of cost-cutting pressure and also sold poorly. The former still delights countless fans today, while most car connoisseurs hardly remember the latter. Despite the clear signs, anyone who thinks that this comparison is a pure show trial is mistaken...
Audi had developed a remarkable dynamic at the end of the 1960s. Under chief developer Ludwig Krauss, the basic elements that would one day save VW from ruin were created in Ingolstadt. The bottom end of the VW retread was the VW Polo in 1975, which was also a child of Audi development and initially nothing more than a slimmed-down Audi 50.
In its very first year, the VW Golf became the best-selling car in Germany. Looking back, it must be said that the transition from the Beetle to the Golf was smoother than expected. The 1975 test takes a close look at the Golf LS.
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VW Golf LS - as green as hope
The VW Golf was the most important new model for the brand from Wolfsburg since the post-war period; without it, the Volkswagen world would probably look very different today. Reason enough to go back to the very beginning and enjoy the qualities of an early Golf LS. This driver's report tells the story of the successful model and shows the early Golf in many new and historical pictures. A sound sample and sales literature are also included.
"A Volkswagen that is fully suitable for everyday use, unobtrusive, with a top speed of more than 180 km/h, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 10 seconds and correspondingly safe handling? Such a car would have been considered pure utopia in the past, and even when the Golf was launched in the summer of 1974, no one could have expected such a treat. But today it is on the market as the Golf GTI." This is how the 1976 test of the Golf GTI conducted by Automobil Revue began. We have reworked and republished it. Because this car, which initiated a new class of vehicles, deserves a place in the automotive genealogy. This is also shown by the summarized findings of the AR testers: "The Golf GTI from VW is one of those few affordable cars that are fully suitable for everyday use and can bring joy to the enthusiastic expert on the road thanks to their performance and handling. With the rear door and the rear folding bench, this spacious two-door car can be transformed into a station wagon if required, just like any Golf, and it also offers the good winter performance of a front-wheel drive car. As always, it is up to the driver to use this fast, safe vehicle in traffic in such a way that it does not attract unpleasant attention."
At the end of the 1970s, car visionary and gourmet Günter Artz had two Porsche 928s fitted with VW Golf bodies. This quite elaborate conversion combined the inconspicuous appearance of a somewhat wide Golf with the driving performance of the top sports car from Zuffenhausen. Both cars have survived and continue to inspire today. This report portrays the second Nordstadt Golf produced with 928 technology and tells the story of the project.
Everyone knows it, it became the progenitor of a new class of car, the VW Golf GTI, developed and produced by the Volkswagen company, which until shortly before was known mainly as the builder of the VW Beetle and a few less successful successors. The GTI was able to keep up with many a sports car that was several times more expensive and could easily be used in everyday life. This made it a trendsetter, and its imitators have continued into the modern era. This driving report, illustrated with current and historical images, aims to find out just how good the original introduced 40 years ago was.
Current market prices for Volkswagen Golf I 1.6 GLS
3-Door Sedan, 69 PS, 1471 cm3
5-Door Sedan, 69 PS, 1471 cm3
3-Door Sedan, 50 PS, 1093 cm3
5-Door Sedan, 50 PS, 1093 cm3
3-Door Sedan, 75 PS, 1577 cm3
5-Door Sedan, 75 PS, 1577 cm3
3-Door Sedan, 69 PS, 1439 cm3
5-Door Sedan, 69 PS, 1439 cm3
3-Door Sedan, 110 PS, 1588 cm3
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Auctioned vehicles of Volkswagen Golf I 1.6 GLS
| Brand | Model | Year | Status | Auction name | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Golf GLS 1976 Sold RM/Sotheby's St. Moritz (September 15, 2023) |
Golf GLS | 1976 | Sold | RM/Sotheby's St. Moritz (September 15, 2023) | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1 GLS 1977 Sold Classic Car Auctions UK Classic Car Sale (September 24, 2016) |
Golf 1 GLS | 1977 | Sold | Classic Car Auctions UK Classic Car Sale (September 24, 2016) | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1 GTI 1977 Sold Aguttes Car Collection & Automobilia (November 5, 2016) |
Golf 1 GTI | 1977 | Sold | Aguttes Car Collection & Automobilia (November 5, 2016) | |
| Volkswagen Golf GTI 1978 Sold RM/Sotheby's St. Moritz (September 15, 2023) |
Golf GTI | 1978 | Sold | RM/Sotheby's St. Moritz (September 15, 2023) | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1 (Jg. Ca.) 1978 Not Sold Dutch Auction Company Classic Car Auction Extravaganza (September 28, 2024) |
Golf 1 (Jg. Ca.) | 1978 | Not Sold | Dutch Auction Company Classic Car Auction Extravaganza (September 28, 2024) | |
| VW Golf 1 (Rabbit USA) 1978 Sold Bilweb Auctions Holmgren's Volkswagen Museum (September 22, 2018) |
Golf 1 (Rabbit USA) | 1978 | Sold | Bilweb Auctions Holmgren's Volkswagen Museum (September 22, 2018) |
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