Over 100 guests accepted the invitation to the opening of the special exhibition "Strong types. The best of 40 years of the Golf GTI." The highlight is a unique GTI that was presented to Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1977. The legendary star designer, who designed the original Golf, gave an exciting introductory talk and was then available for photos and questions.
A reminder of Golf's past
Giorgetto Giugiaro, long-time head of ItalDesign and trusted partner of Volkswagen, was the guest of honor at the Volkswagen AutoMuseum on June 9. He recalled the prehistory of the Golf, the basic design of which he fixed around 1970. He also created the Passat and the Scirocco. As an idea for the GTI, he added the red stripe around the grille - a reminiscence of cameras designed by ItalDesign.
In 1977, Giugiaro was offered a Golf GTI - and spontaneously requested a four-door model, although this was not even planned at the time and only came onto the market four years later. The car was composed accordingly at Karmann in Osnabrück and reinforced with an Oettinger four-valve engine. Giugiaro reported with relish on fast, wintry cornering in the mountainous regions of his homeland as he left Italian super sports cars in his wake.
However, the four-door was built a second time - for the famous conductor and director of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan. He was a self-confessed automobile enthusiast and liked to use Wolfsburg products. He also owned a T2 Bulli with a separate sleeping compartment. However, the whereabouts of these two vehicles are unknown - which makes Giugiaro's unique four-door GTI all the more deserving of its place of honor in the special exhibition.
"Strong types" show
During the opening of the exhibition, Giorgetto Giugiaro met up with companions from the early days of the Golf, such as the then Head of Press Anton Konrad and Test Manager Herbert Schuster. Racing driver Hans-Joachim Stuck, who was the first to appear in the Formula 1 paddock in a Golf GTI, also enjoyed the hours spent together at the AutoMuseum. The "Starke Typen." exhibition runs until September 18, 2016.
