COMING TO AUCTION
WEDNESDAY 23rd SEPTEMBER 2015
EASTERS COURT, LEOMINSTER, HR6 0DE
1985 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTi 1.8L MkI CABRIOET
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| Lot number | 51 |
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| Estimate | £3,000 - £3,500 |
| Description | Volkswagen Golf GTi 1.8 MkI Cabriolet |
| Registration | B943 LWV |
| Year | 1985 |
| Colour | Metallic Black |
| Engine size | 1,781 cc |
| Chassis No. | WVWZZZ15ZFK012771 |
| Engine No. | DX115316 |
| Documents | V5; MOT August 2016; invoices; due to have a new MOT |
Crisp, classless and chic, the Golf was not only an object lesson in industrial design, it also freed Volkswagen from the shackles of the obsolete Beetle and went on to propel them straight to the top of the class in the aspirational new world of the Eighties.
Pick of the crop was the Golf GTi, the archetypal ‘hot hatch’ which came out in 1976. Quick, nimble and beautifully made, it had a peppy 1.8-litre engine whose 112bhp could whisk it up to 60 in 8.3 seconds and keep it flying along at three figure speeds for hours on end without fuss.
In 1979 a convertible version was launched, developed and produced by Karmann, who specialised in low volume production. As it was built outside of the regular production system, the Golf Cabriolet never received the more rounded styling given to the Golf Mk2, retaining instead the sharper profile of the Mk1 all the way through its production life, selling alongside its updated hatchback sibling.
This very smart and nicely original 105,000 mile GTi Convertible has spent the last few years tucked away in storage patiently waiting for the vendor to complete a ground-up restoration of his Beetle. Repainted around five years ago in much sought-after metallic black, it retains its original hood which is in good condition.
The majority of Golf GTis got modified and abused later in life as they worked their way down the food-chain, although this example appears to have avoided such treatment and remains to standard specification, including the correct ‘Basket’ alloy wheels. It is currently being comprehensively recommissioned and is due to carry a 12 month MOT by the time of the sale.
Original Karmann Convertibles look ridiculously good value when compared to their Mk1 tin-top stablemate, a situation which doesn’t make sense and is unlikely to last for long we feel.
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