A dirty great GTI deal

Our expert on the market’s best buys. This week, why this classic hot hatch was a savvy auction purchase

Being a no-reserve car helped the buyer to land a good deal.

Look at the trends at the more recent classic car auctions and the selling prices would suggest that going the no-reserve route will see the hammer fall declaring a strong price – that’s why we’re seeing an increasing number of classics being sold this way – but sometimes it is possible to grab something that’s more of a bargain.

The buyer looked beyond its appearance.

Clearly something of a stranger to a bucket and sponge or a regular interior clean, this four-owner, five-door GTI was a candidate for those who look beyond the grime and see what was really there. It was dirty all over, with some green mould build-up around the wheelarch and window trim. The grey bumpers and, again, those wheelarch trims, had faded and were ripe for a serious spruce-up, while the paint desperately needed a serious clean before a set-to with the mop and cutting paste. But beyond the muck was a great car waiting to get out.

The history more than made up for it, too.

There were 36 stamps in the book and in the lady vendor’s 14 years’ ownership it had been serviced twice a year. Another good sign was that the owner’s manual and service book were still there, an indication that mechanically it had been well cared-for. And that history helped make this thoroughly deserving GTi stand out.

Fundamentally it was a good car – and the buyer spotted that.

In all, here was proof that looking beyond the grubby exterior is the way to make a good buy. Eighties Volkswagens are fundamentally decent cars, and for all its appearance was still a solid example that had plenty of life left in it. The interior was dirty for example, but the seat facings, dashboard and door panels really weren’t bad – a testament to how well built these cars were when new. This GTi certainly was no concours winner, but as an example of why these cars still make perfectly handy usable daily drivers, this was it.