Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk1
THIS YEAR’S AUTOCAR Readers’ Champion, judged by the users of autocar.co.uk and voted for on the basis that it changed the car making world more than any other, goes to the original Volkswagen Golf GTI.
The original hot Golf’s real legacy, so often simplified or misunderstood, was to show us the form in which the affordable performance car would flourish. This wasn’t the world’s first hot hatchback, nor even the first factory-tuned version of an otherwise humble family car; it came long after the original Mini Cooper, the Ford Lotus Cortina, the Simca 1100 TI and others. But the Golf GTI hit on the ideal combination of enhanced pace, subtly tweaked style and interior specification and value for money that was subsequently emulated by every car manufacturer seeking to make their compact three and five-door hatches desirable.
Drive a Mk1 Golf GTI today, of course, and you’ll find that even the best example is little like a modern hot hatchback, because 40 years is a very long time in the world of car making. While the driving position is sound even for a taller driver and the clutch is light, the unassisted steering is heavy when manoeuvring and under cornering load, and the five-speed gearbox can be stubborn at times.
Getting the car working to its full ability means doing just that yourself: getting a good 45deg off dead centre on the steering before you feel the tyres bite, timing your gearshifts and using every available pound-foot and horsepower (our late-model 1.8-litre car had 113bhp when it left the factory) in order to maintain your desired pace.
The good news is that, thanks to the combination of physical and mental engagement that this process demands and the creditable speed, grip and precise handling that a good example will still possess, driving a Mk1 Golf GTI remains a thoroughly rewarding experience, even relative to much quicker, easier-going and far more modern performance machines.
So the Golf GTI may be old, but it’s still a great driver’s car and, thanks to the legendary skill of designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, in our opinion it’s also just about the best-looking hot hatchback ever produced.
Well voted, then, readers. Carry on.