Mk1 Golf - was it really so much better than the opposition?

[Guest]

The golf had problems when it was launched. It was a different era and diehard VW owners had been raised on Beetles and varients/fastbacks. It was possibly given a wide berth by those as an unknown quantity like the K70 before it. As for better-to be perfectly honest I guess other era hatchbacks were "getting old hat" as your choices would have been Maxi / Simca 1100 / Renault 4/16 etc. So the Escort / Allegro etc is not a real comparison.

[Pete-M]

Don't forget, it was the 'Escort class' that the Golf was built to compete in. That hatchback was about, but it was nowhere near the default choice and you quite probably get a 1600 GL Escort for the price of a 1.3 CL Golf...

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

My mother had a 1.3CL which she bought new in 1982. It was like a tractor, but a fairly well built tractor nonetheless.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:DeLar ... in_Britain

 

Here is a list of the top ten selling cars in the UK from 1974-2009. It would be far more interesting if it was a top-twenty or thirty, but it is interesting to note the Golf was outside the top ten in sales from 1974-1998, made its first entry in 1999 and after that year it has been included each year and steadily rising to its current high point of number 5. I do think it is marketing; Golfs are an aspirational choice and we live in aspirational times.

[254575]

My mother had a 1.3CL which she bought new in 1982. It was like a tractor, but a fairly well built tractor nonetheless.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:DeLar ... in_Britain

 

Here is a list of the top ten selling cars in the UK from 1974-2009. It would be far more interesting if it was a top-twenty or thirty, but it is interesting to note the Golf was outside the top ten in sales from 1974-1998, made its first entry in 1999 and after that year it has been included each year and steadily rising to its current high point of number 5. I do think it is marketing; Golfs are an aspirational choice and we live in aspirational times.

 

as i already said, its revisionism, pure and simple

[morris_ital_lover]

The thing that interests me about that link is that it confirms that ford has been for the recent future, THE best selling brand and... the Focus has a 10 year spell as top dog, only being knocked off by the fiesta!

 

m0rris

[Mr H Sceptre]

I also found it interesting that the Vauxhall Zafira crept in there for a couple of years. Was also quite suprised to see the Autoshite favourite the Triumph Acclaim in there........

[warren t claim]

Do diesels outsell petrols yet?

[Mr H Sceptre]

^Yes.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/05/diesel-car-sales-overtake-petrol

[254575]

^Yes.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/05/diesel-car-sales-overtake-petrol

 

hang on. thats an LRP pump in that pic?

 

i thought they all went

[M'coli]

It is an LRP pump, it was still labelled as such when the Streetview car went past last year:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 52.27,,0,5

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Oh, Goofs were adequate. They heeled over like a 1975 Lincoln Continental. They rattled, rotted, and had a horrible build quality (what we got in the States).

 

The aspirational quip makes me do a nose pepsi. Like the swanky suburban types who pined away for that perfect 320i in the 70's. It was comical then and comical now. Them and their turtleneck dickies. Good God.

 

But wasn't the awful Rabbit built by Rednex in the US?

 

My Mum had a GTi new in 1982, a black one. It was the thing to have back then and it was certainly reliable, well built and very brisk.

 

I had a few Rolfs back in the day. I restored a 1974 1100N 5 door in Senegal red with rubber floor covering houndstooth check trim and horribly low gearing. It needed wings, front panel etc and once it was finished it was quite pleasant. Until you got to 50 mph and realised that you'd run out of gears. I fitted a Jetta Formel E 3+E box to make it driveable.

 

I restored a very early T plate GLi Convertible in silver with blue hood, original alloys etc. Don't have any particular views on it, neither loved nor hated it.

 

Although I like to see a nice early one with the small rear lights and metal bumpers, I'm a bit indifferent to them. They weren't very dynamic and both the Escort Mark 111 and the (superb) Mark 1 Astra/Kadett were better cars. The 1300 Astra in particular was a great car to drive and a much sharper and neater car overall. Alas, they're now all but forgotten because it's not a Golf.

[warren t claim]

Although I like to see a nice early one with the small rear lights and metal bumpers, I'm a bit indifferent to them. They weren't very dynamic and both the Escort Mark 111 and the (superb) Mark 1 Astra/Kadett were better cars. The 1300 Astra in particular was a great car to drive and a much sharper and neater car overall. Alas, they're now all but forgotten because it's not a Golf.

 

Exactly!

[scooters]

I had an 88 mk2 8 valve gti from 2005 till 2007. Great car for the shitter cheap reliable fast easy tp work on.

 

Mk 1 s are now in the relm Of classic tosser prices and image like the type 2. present company excluded

[MrRegieRitmo]

My mother had a 1.3CL which she bought new in 1982. It was like a tractor, but a fairly well built tractor nonetheless.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:DeLar ... in_Britain

 

Here is a list of the top ten selling cars in the UK from 1974-2009. It would be far more interesting if it was a top-twenty or thirty, but it is interesting to note the Golf was outside the top ten in sales from 1974-1998, made its first entry in 1999 and after that year it has been included each year and steadily rising to its current high point of number 5. I do think it is marketing; Golfs are an aspirational choice and we live in aspirational times.

 

as i already said, its revisionism, pure and simple

 

Same goes for the 3 Series! Interesting jostle between the 3 Series, Mondeo & Clio in 2005 & 2006 - by 2007 the Mondeo dropped off completely! Back again for 2008 & 2009 & it was the Clio that didn't feature....

[Mash]

I was inspecting a really early Golf at the NEC show last year or the year before and remember looking at the dash and thinking "huh, that looks a bit shit". I was quite surprised a how poor quality it looked and how I was expecting it to be much better thn BL or Japanese stuff inside.

[Torsten2001]

I had a minty Mark 1 1500cc Golf just after my Wolseley 1300 and it wasn't a patch on the 1300. Soulless and harsh, solid but not much fun to drive or as interesting - never had another