WHAT’S IT LIKE TODAY?

WHILE the GTI is light by modern standards, weighing around 810kg, you still have to work that engine hard and extend it to get it going – but the fuel-injection system means throttle response is good, and that the raspy engine likes to rev, too.

But the GTI isn’t just about straight-line pace. The relative lack of mass comes into its own when you experience the car’s handling; the Golf feels genuinely light, agile, and keen to corner surprisingly hard given it’s a 45-year-old design.

The steering weights up and is heavier than in a modern hot hatch, but the trade-off is that it also offers much more communication.

One of the real thrills is managing everything. That weighty steering still has a little kickback, while the brakes need a good prod – but that’s to be expected given what we’re used to, and the change in engineering approach after all these years.

The GTI’s engine and mechanical-feeling, but slightly vague shift action are at the heart of the experience. Even today, in a world dominated by turbochargers and the flexibility these give, the GTI feels quick enough, thanks to its lack of bulk. You have to work it, but that’s the joy of the package. All the parts feel like they work so well with each other – like the car was designed by engineers who really understood each other’s goals and worked together to achieve one objective.

It’s almost half a century old, the Mk1 Golf GTI, but even today you can sense the magic that made this car so special and why it revolutionised this sector forever.