Javi Martin
Volkswagen Golf. Few mainstream cars raise as much expectation as a Golf, and few mainstream cars are as well known around the world – no, the Golf is not a premium car, however much some might insist –; Whether you're talking to a car enthusiast or a neophyte, the Volkswagen Golf is one of the most well-known carsOn the one hand, this is logical, the Golf has always been a great car, a very balanced model with exemplary performance, and on the other hand, the fans, always passionate and willing to defend their tastes tooth and nail, have raised the German model to the Olympus of Cars.
If we are to believe the press, the Volkswagen Golf has never been the best at anything, but it does everything well without standing out in any particular area. That makes it a great package, a really interesting car, although with the latest editions it has lost some steam, it no longer stands out as much and its rivals have taken a lot of ground. It is also true that compact cars no longer have the same weight in the market, now it is the SUVs that rule the sales and that Volkswagen has lost that benchmark image it once had, but let's be honest, the Golf is no longer a Golf. However, the brand has already made it clear: The Golf will always be part of the Volkswagen catalogue, even when we can only buy electric cars.
One of the details that has always been part of the history of the Golf is its image and its approach, which has generally been very conventional, very Germanic; correct, functional, without extravagant designs... Some say that it is a little lacking in passion, although the Germans show their passion in a slightly different way to the rest, right? However, Although it has been a very serious and very formal car, there has been no shortage of experiments and strange things., although some of them have not left Germany and that surely has an influence.
VERSIONS OF THE VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
The Volkswagen Golf, since it made an appearance back in the late 70s, has had some special editions which, generally, always enhanced one of the model's virtues or added something special to the whole. On other occasions, as happened in South Africa, the Golf stopped being a Golf to become a more economical model, a conversion that could be considered the least Golf in all of history.
It is not the only “not very Golf” conversion that the German model has undergone, certainly, there are some that do not seem to make much sense and, nevertheless, were put on the shelves. Many of these versions are barely remembered, although There are some that shape the Volkswagen Golfs most sought after by collectors. due to its low production and high performance.
VOLKSWAGEN CITI GOLF
The least Golf conversion in history, the one we mentioned before, It is called Citi Golf and comes from South AfricaThere, for various reasons, there is almost a dedicated automobile industry, which also develops its own models, some of which are very interesting.
That is not the case here, to be fair. The Volkswagen Citi Golf is actually a Golf MK1 that remained in production when the second generation of the German compact was launched.Apparently, when the Golf II was introduced, Volkswagen officials realised that the price increase would be too much for the South African market, so they decided to sell the Golf MK1 as a low-cost option within the range.
Production of the Volkswagen Citi Golf lasted until no less than 2009. and evolved in a variety of ways. While its exterior hardly changed – larger bumpers in body colour, side skirts, wheels… – the interior came to feature elements from the Škoda Fabia, combined with Volkswagen steering wheels and instrumentation. A very peculiar car.
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF COUNTRY
The Golf Country is possibly the best-known “rare” version of the German compact. A Golf MKII converted into a pseudo off-roader It did not have the acceptance that was expected, and on the one hand it is logical, when it appeared, vehicles with country aspirations did not have the same commercial pull that they have now, that and the fact that in terms of performance, the Golf Country was a disaster. And of course, we must not forget that it was 30% more expensive than any other Golf.
Input, The Golf Country's suspension was raised 18 centimetres compared to the other versions “normal” models and was fitted with a four-wheel drive system –Syncro system– that could send up to 48% of the power to the rear axle. It was notable for the spare wheel placed on the boot door or for the front with the steel tube fenders.
Under the hood was a 98 hp gasoline engine - a 1,8 liter naturally aspirated engine - with which it was incapable of exceeding 155 km/h.. It also had no differential lock or reduction gear and the suspensions were too soft for the road… There were different variants, such as one equipped with the 8 hp 112v Golf GTI engine, which was only available to those responsible for the project – 50 units were manufactured.
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF G60 LIMITED
Among all the special Golfs, The Volkswagen Golf G60 Limited is the most desirable and the most sought after by collectors. It is a G60 taken to its maximum expression, with more power, better tuning and specific details that make it extremely special. The only problem is that only 71 units were manufactured, entirely by hand, by Volkswagen Motorsport.
The name “G60” already gives you an idea of what this is all about, right? But this is not a G60 engine that we all know, but a specific variant for this version. In fact, the cylinder head of the Golf G60 Limited is multi-valve and the supercharger system was modified to improve engine breathing and cooling – that is why, for example, two of the front headlights are missing. The result was a 210 hp, a 0 to 100 in around seven seconds and a maximum speed exceeding 210 km/h.
Aesthetically, it is relatively easy to recognize. To begin with, the photos show in all cases a five-door body, a front apron very similar to that of the Golf GTI MKII and a front with only two circular headlights, adorned by a blue contour line. The rims are from BBS.
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF HARLEKIN
We don't really know what the German firm was thinking, but after launching the Volkswagen Polo Harlequin, which by the way, was well received, they decided to do the same with the Golf. Basically, It is a Golf made of scraps: panels, doors, bumpers, moldings... Each element was a different color. and gave it a very peculiar image. It looked like a typical car that had been repaired with scrap parts, but had not been painted.
The colour configuration of the Volkswagen Golf Harlequin was based on four base colours: Pistachio Green, Tornado Red, Ginster Yellow and Chagall Blue.It was handcrafted, with each element being a different colour and not following the usual production line. It is possibly the ugliest Volkswagen Golf MKIII ever built.
In total, 264 units left the assembly line., of which just over 110 cars are believed to have survived. It was only sold in the United States and Mexico and seems to have a legion of fans, with some people decorating their modern Volkswagens in the same colour scheme…
BRAZILIAN VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
Known as the Volkswagen Golf 4.5, it is a redesigned Volkswagen Golf IV that was sold only in Brazil and some other South American countries.. Clear changes can be seen in the headlights, the grille and the rear, changes that to our eyes seem rather inappropriate and give it a strange appearance.
However, a tour of the network of networks takes you to very particular places. where they claim that it is the most beautiful Golf to date and that the brand was even inspired by this Golf MK4.5 for the design of the ninth generation of its most beloved model.
The existence of the Golf MK4.5 is due to the astronomical development and production cost of the Golf V, which made it uninteresting to bring to South America; they would have to charge a high price and sell very few. The solution was a redesign of the Golf IV, which greatly reduced costs and allowed Volkswagen to continue selling its most sought-after model in South America.
BONUS TRACK: VOLKSWAGEN CADDY
There was a commercial version of the Volkswagen Golf, a car that is not unknown to enthusiasts, but which, on the contrary, tends to go unnoticed because it is not a high-performance or super-striking car. It is a pick up, a cargo vehicle that was sold in the United States, Europe and South Africa. in the 70s and 90s.
Said pick up, called Rabbir Pick up in the United States, was built on the elongated Golf MKI platform and was intended to compete with the Subaru Brat, a model that had gained considerable popularity at the time. Production took place in Pennsylvania and the units sold outside of America were known as the Volkswagen Caddy – in the United States, the term Caddy is related to Cadillac and that is why it was preferred not to use it.
Production of the Volkswagen Golf pick up continued in the United States until 1982, in Europe it was sold until 1992 and In South Africa its commercial life was extended until no less than 2008.
