The Volkswagen Golf Mk1 is the first generation of a front-engine, front wheel drive, water-cooled small family car manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen.
Successor to Volkswagen's iconic Beetle, the first generation Golf debuted in May 1974 with styling by Giorgetto Giugiaro's ItalDesign. The Golf Mk1 was marketed globally, and was sold as the Rabbit in North America, as the Caribe in Mexico, and as the Citi Golf in South Africa (1984-2009).
Video Volkswagen Golf Mk1
History
By the early 1970s, Volkswagen had fallen into financial difficulties and Beetle sales began to decline sharply. Replacing the Beetle was vital for the company's continued survival.
The solution had arrived with Auto Union. They had attracted a small following with their technologically advanced Audi front-wheel drive medium sedans. Volkswagen had acquired the Ingolstadt-based company in 1964 from Daimler-Benz. Audi's expertise in water-cooled engines and front-wheel drive would be essential in developing a new generation of Volkswagens. The Audi technology in the Golf would regain for Volkswagen the engineering lead over rear-drive cars that Ferdinand Porsche had bestowed on the original Beetle over its large conventional peers. The small Golf had to succeed in replacing the high-volume Volkswagen coupe. The upmarket Dasher/Passat would be VW's first front-wheel-drive car, and it was relatively well received for its lower volume market, where it competed mostly alongside the rear-wheel drive saloons like the Ford Cortina, although there are already some front-wheel drive cars and even hatchbacks like the Austin Maxi and Renault 16 in this market sector. The Golf would adopt an efficient "two-box" layout with a steep hatch rather than a formal trunk, which would be later added in the Jetta. The water-cooled engine would be mounted transversely in the front. Work on the Golf began in 1969, shortly after Kurt Lotz became head of Volkswagen.
The Golf was introduced to Japan in 1975, and was imported by Yanase dealerships in Japan. Its exterior dimensions and engine displacement were in compliance with Japanese Government dimension regulations, which helped sales.
Maps Volkswagen Golf Mk1
Model history
The first Golf (VW internal designation Type 17) began production early in 1974, although it was marketed in the United States and Canada from 1975 to 1984 as the Volkswagen Rabbit and in Mexico as the Volkswagen Caribe. British sales began in October 1974, where it competed against established British-built smaller family cars including the Austin Allegro, Ford Escort, Hillman Avenger, and Vauxhall Viva. All of these cars were available as saloons or estates, although the Allegro had front-wheel drive. Ford did not switch to front-wheel drive until the MK3 Escort was launched in 1980, shortly after Vauxhall replaced the Viva with the front-drive Astra.
Chrysler Europe had launched the front-wheel drive hatchback Simca 1100 in 1967 and is thought to have been the car that inspired the Golf. This was replaced at the end of 1977 when it unveiled the Horizon, a front-wheel drive hatchback, shortly before Chrysler's European operations were sold to Peugeot, who kept the Avenger in production alongside the Horizon until 1981. British Leyland switched to a hatchback for the Allegro's successor, the Austin Maestro, at the beginning of 1983. The Golf found itself competing on the British import market with the likes of the Datsun Sunny from Japan, Fiat 128 from Italy and Renault 6 from France; the number of front-wheel drive hatchbacks rivalling it from Europe and Japan gradually increased over the next few years.
It was a water-cooled, front wheel drive design in a hatchback body style. It featured firmly sprung and damped, independent MacPherson strut front suspension and semi-independent twist-beam rear suspension, that gave crisp handling and good roadholding, without being too uncomfortable. A very important model was the Golf Diesel, which appeared in late 1976. This was remarkable in how unremarkable it was, with performance very similar to that of a petrol 1100. The 1.5-litre engine used the petrol engine's crankshaft, bearings, and connecting rods, combined with the recently discontinued 1471 cc cast-iron engine block. As with the Golf GTI, the Golf Diesel more or less created a new class of car.
The Golf was designed by Italian automobile designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, of the ItalDesign design studio. For Volkswagen Giugiaro had already done the design for the first generation Passat, and worked on the design for the first generation Scirocco concurrently with that of the Golf.
There was a minor facelift in 1980 which saw the adoption of larger rear lamp clusters (closer to Giugiaro's original concept), moulded black plastic bumpers, and a new dashboard with a more modern-looking instrument display featuring LED warning lights. US versions also received rectangular headlights. This was the last major update before the MK1 was replaced by the MK2 Golf in most markets in September 1983 and in the British market in March 1984.
In its final year, 1983, the Golf enjoyed its best year in Britain with more than 27,000 sales, and in 1981 was the 11th best selling car there, consistently being among the most popular imported cars in Britain. Even in its first full year on sale there - 1975 - it had already established itself as one of the most popular imported cars, with more than 19,000 sales. It was West Germany's best selling new car for much of its production life, and was among the most successful cars in the whole of Europe during its nine-year production run. Despite its success, and the success of the smaller Polo which joined it just over a year later, Volkswagen kept the Beetle in production alongside it until 1978, when European production finished and was switched to Brazil and Mexico for its final 25 years, after which it was rarely imported to Europe.
However, air conditioning became available as an option on the domestic market in August 1975. The possibility to retrofit the installation, together with a larger battery, was offered to existing owners.
Derivative models
Golf Diesel
A Golf powered by a normally aspirated diesel engine first appeared in September 1976. Equipping a compact car with a heavier, noisier and less powerful diesel engine was unusual in Germany at the time, with Peugeot among the few competitors offering a comparable model. The 1.5 litre Golf Diesel, which used fuel at the rate of 6.5 l/100 km (36.2 mpg-US), was one of the most fuel-efficient compact cars of the 1970s.
The diesel engine was derived from the existing EA827 Audi petrol engine. To withstand the higher stresses imposed by the diesel conversion, many engine components, including the cooling system, crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons and piston pins, cylinder head and timing belt, were reinforced or otherwise redesigned. Swirl chambers were added to the cylinder head. In the place previously occupied by the ignition distributor was a vacuum pump for the brake booster. The diesel injection pump was driven by the camshaft drive belt. The diesel engine was no larger than the 1.5-litre gasoline engine.
Early diesel engines had a displacement of 1.5 liters and developed 37 kW (49.6 hp), while later engines displaced 1.6 liters and developed 40 kW (53.6 hp). The noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) characteristics of the early diesels were still unsatisfactory. When the turbocharged 70 hp diesel engine appeared the turbo not only boosted the power output but dampened engine noise as well.
Golf GTI
A sports-oriented variant of the Golf called the Golf GTI was introduced in March 1975 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The GTI was powered by 1588 cc and 1780 cc four-cylinder engines fed by Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, which helped them develop a respectable 110 & 115PS (80 kW) @ 6100 rpm and 140 N?m (103.3 lb?ft) of torque @ 5000 rpm. With a curb weight of just 810 kg (1,785.7 lb), the GTI could accelerate 0-60 mph in 9 seconds. Top speed was 180 km/h (111.8 mph).
The 1976 Volkswagen Golf GTI is closely associated with the "hot hatch" class of sporty small cars of the 1970s and early 1980s, but the Golf GTI was not the first hot hatch. Other cars with some of all of the characteristics of this class included the 1971 Autobianchi A112 Abarth and the 1967 Simca 1100 Ti. The GTI's competition included a number of small saloons, including the Ford Escort RS2000. When the Escort switched to front-wheel drive for the third generation model in 1980, Ford launched an XR3 model which was comparable to the Golf GTI in design and performance.
Volkswagen initially built the GTI only for the home market of West Germany, but launched it onto the British market in 1977 as special order only in left-hand drive form, with a factory right-hand drive version finally becoming available in July 1979 priced at £4705 as demand and competition increased. The standard Golf had been on sale in Britain in right-hand drive form since late 1974. The Rabbit GTI didn't arrive in the United States until the 1983 model year.
The Golf GTI was among the first "hot hatches" with mass market appeal, and many other manufacturers subsequently created special sports models of their regular volume-selling small hatchbacks. Within a few years of its launch, it faced competitors including the Fiat Ritmo, Ford Escort XR3/XR3i, Renault 5 GT Turbo and Vauxhall Astra/Opel Kadett GTE.
The GTI became available with right-hand drive in July 1979 priced at £4705 (compared to £3935 for the 1460cc 70 hp GLS and £4149 for the competitor Renault 5 Gordini), when more than 1,500 examples were sold. Although the subsequent recession saw new car sales fall considerably during 1980 and 1981, sales of the Golf GTI reached nearly 5,000 in 1981. This also came in spite of the arrival of a popular new British-built competitor - the Ford Escort XR3. By 1983, the GTI accounted for more than 25% of total Golf sales (some 7,000 cars). In 2004, Sports Car International declared the Golf Mk1 GTI to be the 3rd best car of the 1980s.
Golf GTD
Presented at the March 1982 Geneva Motor Show, the Golf GTD combined performance and economy. The car's appearance package and suspension were based on the Mk1 Golf GTI. The engine was a version of the 827 model diesel, with power boosted by the addition of a turbocharger system. To increase the performance of the 1.6-liter naturally aspirated diesel, the GTD was equipped with a Garrett turbocharger with a maximum boost of 0.7 bar (10.2 psi), which raised power output to 51 kW (68.4 hp) and a maximum torque of 130 N?m (95.9 lbf?ft) at 2600 rpm from the 40 kW (53.6 hp) and 98 N?m (72.3 lbf?ft) at 2300 rpm of the naturally aspirated engine. To make this power increase possible, more than 30 changes to the base engine were made, including increased oil circulation, a more efficient oil pump and reinforced or higher quality components. Due to the increased thermal load on the pistons, they were cooled from below by means of oil jets, and the engine was equipped with an oil-to-water heat exchanger on the flange of the oil filter element.
The turbo engine weighed about 8.5 kg (18.7 lb) more than the naturally aspirated engine, and once all the accessories were factored in weight grew by 18 kg (39.7 lb). Average fuel consumption of less than 6 l/100 km (39.2 mpg-US) was possible.
Golf Cabriolet
The convertible version, named the Golf Cabriolet (or Typ 155) in Europe and Canada ("Rabbit Convertible" in America originally and renamed in 1985 to "Cabriolet"), was sold from 1980 to 1993. It had a reinforced body, transverse roll bar, and a high level of trim, and kept the pre-1980 style of rear lamp clusters. The Mk1 Cabriolet is of unibody construction built entirely at the factory of Karmann, from stamping to final assembly; Volkswagen supplied the engine, suspension, interior, etc. for Karmann to install. The vinyl or cloth tops were heavily insulated and manually - or beginning in 1991, electrically - operated, with a heated glass rear window.
The body of the Cabriolet did not change through the entire production run except for a larger fuel tank. The space saver wheel was fitted from the outset in 1978, when pre-production models were built, unlike the saloon which adopted this in 1984. In an attempt by Volkswagen to keep the car's styling current, all Cabriolets from 1988 on were fitted with a "Clipper" kit out of the factory, featuring smooth body-coloured bumpers, wheelarch extensions, and side skirts.
Prior to the 1984 model year the highest standard specification was the GLI, essentially a GTI but sporting a different moniker. It was only in late 1983 with the introduction of the 1984 model that an officially badged GTI version of the cabriolet finally became available.
There were a few special editions of the Cabriolet including the Etienne Aigner, Carat, CC, Wolfsburg, and Best Seller editions. One of them was produced in Italy using Golf II Country engine and transmission by ACM, called "Golf Country Cabrio" and sold as "Biagini Passo".
Rabbit Pickup/VW Caddy
A Golf-derived utility model with a pickup-truck style rear bed was developed for the American market. This Mk1 variant was called the Rabbit Pickup in the US, and entered production in 1978 at the Westmoreland plant. An almost identical version for Europe called the VW Caddy went into production in 1983 at the Tvornica Automobila Sarajevo (TAS) plant in Vogo??a near Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Approximately 200,000 units were produced at this location until the factory was destroyed in 1992 during the Bosnian War.
VW Jetta Mk1
In August 1979 a sedan version of the Golf called the Jetta was introduced. Essentially a Golf Mk1 with a trunk grafted on, this three-box body style was offered in two- and four-door versions and was targeted at more conservative buyers. In North America the Jetta was a sales success, but sales numbers in Europe lagged behind expectations.
Regional variations
United Kingdom
The right-hand drive model Golf proved popular on the British market, where it went on sale towards the end of 1974. It appealed to buyers who were looking for a modern, smaller and practical family car. It gained a reputation for high build quality and reliability, at a time when British products like the Austin Allegro were gaining a reputation for dismal build quality and poor reliability, and the British car industry was being plagued by frequent strikes. In its first full year on sale in the UK in 1975 it was the 14th best selling car in Britain, with more than 19,000 units sold. In 1981, the facelifted version of the Golf GTI was voted Car of the Year by What Car? magazine, ahead of some all-new models like the Austin Metro and MK3 Ford Escort. In 1983, its final full year on sale (the MK2 Golf was not launched in the UK until March 1984), it sold more than 25,000 units and was Britain's 14th best selling car despite being almost 10 years old.
South Africa (Citi Golf)
From 1984 to 2009, Volkswagen of South Africa manufactured two variants of the Mk1 Golf, the five-door Citi Golf and the Volkswagen Caddy pickup. Earlier, the original Golf Mk1 had been manufactured with petrol or diesel engines.
On 22 September 2006 in order to celebrate the continued success of the Mk1 based Citi Golf in South Africa, Volkswagen SA announced the limited edition Citi R which is powered by a 90 kW (120 hp/123 PS) 1.8L fuel injected engine with a five-speed manual transmission as well as a GTI trademark red outlined front grill.
The 2007 VW South Africa Citi Golf range starts with a standard Citi Golf, in either 1.4 or 1.6 litre fuel injected models. Many variants of the standard version are/were available with different extras packages, which included the Citi Rhythm, Citi.com and so on. The range topper is the CitiRox, also available in 1.4i and 1.6i, made as sportier versions of the standard Citi to replace the previous sports version, Velociti and Citi Life. The later Citi Golfs produced feature modern features, such as a new dashboard adapted from a ?koda Fabia, and minor body "facelifts" such as revised tail-light clusters.
The 2009 VW South Africa Citi Golf range consisted of four new models:
- CitiRox 1.4i and 1.6i
- CitiSport 1.4i and 1.6i
- TenaCiti 1.4i
- CitiStorm 1.4i
Production of the Citi Golf ended on 2 November 2009, after 377,484 cars. The final edition was a citi mk1 where 1000 vehicles where manufactured and only available in a 1.6i engine. The colors available for the citi mk1 was shadow blue and black magic pearl.
North America (Rabbit/Golf)
In 1978, Volkswagen began producing the North American "Rabbit" version of the Mk1 Golf at its Westmoreland plant. Former Chevrolet engineer James McLernon was chosen to run the factory, which was built to lower the cost of the Rabbit in North America by producing it locally. Unfortunately, McLernon tried to "Americanize" the Golf/Rabbit (Volkswagen executive Werner Schmidt referred to the act as "Malibuing" the car) by softening the suspension and using cheaper materials for the interior. VW purists in America and company executives in Germany were displeased, and for the 1983 model year the Pennsylvania plant went back to using stiffer shocks and suspension with higher-quality interior trim. The plant also began producing the GTI for the North American market in the fall of 1982, for the 1983 model year. 'Rabbits' were built in Pennsylvania until 1984. The first Volkswagen Caddy pick-up, based on the Mk1 Golf, was also created at the Pennsylvania plant.
Canada continued to import the more desirable German made Rabbit until the 1981 model year when Volkswagen Canada began to import the US made version.
The original U.S.-spec Golf saw use in a taxi fleet. The Yellow Cab Company of Lexington, Kentucky, bought eleven Rabbits in the late seventies as part of an effort to save money on fuel, estimating an annual savings of $135,000 in gasoline costs.
By 1982 the gasoline powered Rabbit had a 1715 cc engine, an iteration used only in North America, which offered 74 hp (55 kW).
The Volkswagen Rabbit GTI, the North American version of the high-performance Golf GTI, debuted in Canada in 1979 and the United States for 1983. Assembled from parts made in Mexico, Canada, Germany and the U.S. in Volkswagen's Westmoreland assembly plant, it had the same Mk1 chassis, and the same A1 body type as the Mk1 Golf GTI that had been on sale in Europe since 1976, with a few exceptions. Key distinct features of the Rabbit GTI were its squared front end styling, and its alloy "snowflake" wheels. The interior came in red or blue felt and leatherette trim. The squared styling of the front end, particularly the wraparound direction indicator lights, gave it added safety and slight improvement in performance. Under the hood, the engine was a JH 1.8 litre four-cylinder gasoline engine that ran on unleaded fuel; in addition to being marginally larger than the regular engine it also had lightened pistons, bigger valves, a higher compression, and a free-flow exhaust as well as other minor improvements. The JH 1.8 litre was transversely mounted, and it would peak in stock condition at 90 hp (67 kW), delivered through a close-ratio five-speed manual transmission. For 1984 the Rabbit GTI was back, now with an updated engine offering 100 hp (75 kW). In total, 30,000 of these 1.8 litre Rabbit GTIs were built in Pennsylvania.
When the Rabbit GTI first appeared in Canada, it featured the 78 hp 1.5L (79) and 1.6L (80) K-Jetronic engine and wide ratio five-speed transmission. It was initially available in red, white, and black. These Canadian cars were German-built and were nearly identical in bodyshell and interior appearance to the 81 kW (110 PS; 109 hp) Golfs built in Europe. Unfortunately for enthusiasts, the entire driveline and running gear was identical to the other Canadian versions. Five-MPH bumpers were fitted as well as anti-intrusion bars within the doors. The towing eye integral to the front of the European car was deleted as the crashworthy bumper's shock absorbers had towing facilities as part of their design and the car had been crash-tested for Canada with the North American front apron. The car was very attractive but drove no better or worse than a Rabbit of the same era. Only with the arrival of the American GTI was a faster Golf available in Canada, and it was down 22 hp (16 kW) compared to the 1.8 litre Golf GTI Mk1. A small number of European specification GTIs made it to Canada under an agreement with the government that allowed foreign soldiers training at Canadian military facilities to bring their personal vehicles with them. As a result of this, VW made available (for many years) all unique European model parts required through VW of Canada. It was possible then, although expensive, to build a "real" GTI. Some enthusiasts did so based on the reputation of the European car.
Mexico (Volkswagen Caribe)
In May 1977 the Mk1 Golf was launched in Mexico as the Volkswagen Caribe. It came standard with a 4-speed manual transaxle and a 1.6 litre 66 HP carbureted engine. The car was an instant success. Initially, only the 5-door body was offered, but in 1978 the lineup expanded with the 3-door body. Two initial trim levels were offered; "Base" and "L", with the "GL" trim level added in 1979.
The 1980 Caribe lineup remained essentially unchanged except for a slightly restyled front grille with rectangular headlamps.
In 1981 an improved Caribe was offered to the Mexican market, with looks matching the recently face-lifted North American VW Rabbit model. New features included revised bumpers, new taillights and a new front grille design. A diesel engine became an option in the Caribe range this year.
In 1983, the Caribe received an improved dashboard designed for the 1980 European Golf. Trim levels were also updated, with the previous "Base" level rebadged as the "Caribe C", the "GL" level unchanged, and the mid-level "L" trim level being dropped.
In 1984, inspired by the success of the Mk1 Golf GTI, VW Mexico launched its own "hot" derivative; the Caribe GT. Based on the US-spec Rabbit GTI, this souped-up version featured a 85 hp (63 kW) 1.8 litre engine with dual carburetors rather than the electronic fuel injection of the GTIs.
Starting in 1986, close to the end of Caribe production, some special versions were offered. The "Caribe City", based on "Caribe C" trim, was offered only in Pearl Gray or Turquoise Blue paintwork and featured a distinctive "City" badge.
1987 was the last production year for the Mk1-based Mexican VW Caribe series. The GTI-like Caribe GT was superceded by a somewhat downgraded "Caribe Pro" which retained the sporty feel of the GT. The Pro was offered only in a 3-door body, with two paint choices: Tornado Red or Black. "PRO" label graphics were attached to the lower doors and the hatch.
The "Caribe Plus" also appeared in this last production year of the VW Caribe in Mexico. The Caribe Plus got the GL trim level, but was offered only in a Alpine White for the body colour and much of the trim, including the front grille and the bumpers (which were the plastic-molded ones as on the European Mk1 Golfs). Even the interior's upholstery and carpets were Alpine White.
After 10 years of success, the Caribe City, Pro and Plus made up the final production of the VW Caribe between 1986-1987. The "Plus" could be considered the "Last Edition" Caribe, since it had a short production run until March 1987, when the whole Caribe range was dropped in favor of the introduction and production run in Mexico of the Golf MkII.
See also
- Volkswagen Group A platform
- Volkswagen Golf for an overview of all generations of VW Golf
- VDub
- list of discontinued Volkswagen Group petrol engines
- list of discontinued Volkswagen Group diesel engines
- Hot hatch
- Small family car
References
External links
- Golf at Volkswagen International
- Volkswagen Golf at Curlie (based on DMOZ)
- Volkswagen Golf Mk1 on Facebook
Source of article : Wikipedia
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