Corrado timeline

1981

Volkswagen begins development of the Corrado, at this point codenamed EA 494. The original proposal was for a ‘shooting brake’ estate, in the vein of the Lancia HPE. It’s decided early on that the coupé should share its underpinnings with the Golf MkII.

1984

VW decides to keep the Scirocco MkII in production alongside the new model as a cheaper alternative as long as demand allows.

1986

The car’s working title becomes Taifun – as in Typhoon – which fits in with the wind-derived names of the Golf and Scirocco models. The final Corrado name is based on correr, a Spanish word meaning ‘to run’.

1988

Volkswagen launches the Corrado not as a replacement for the Scirocco, but as a more upmarket sibling. The fastest version at launch is the supercharged G60, which costs £19,000.

1992

The narrow-angle VR6 engine – already familiar to Passat owners – is squeezed into the Corrado. There are two versions – the 178bhp SLC for the US and Canada, and the 187bhp VR6 for Europe.

1995

Corrado production ends after 97,500 examples have rolled off the production line – barely a third of the number of Scirocco MkIIs made. It’s the last Volkswagen coupé until 2008, when the Scirocco name is reintroduced for a new two-door based on the Golf MkV’s mechanicals.