Rarest VW MK1 Golf
The Volkswagen MK1 Golf is as proudly South African as biltong, braai, and rugby. For a bit of reference, VWSA produced a total of 532 588 first-generation Golfs between 1978 and 2009 at its manufacturing factory in Uitenhage, now known as Kariega.
Even though production ceased back in 2009, there are plenty of examples still frequenting the roads and in various states of customisation/tuning.
During that time, there have been plenty of spin-off models like the Billabong, Deco, Life, Tenciti, Citirox, WolfSonic, Storm, and Velociti. Two years before it was announced that the MK1 Golf would completely cease production in the country, VW launched their fastest and most exclusive version of the iconic nameplate – the 1.8i R / R-Line.
Fastest of them all
The limited edition offering was powered by a 1,8-litre petrol engine with maximum outputs of 90kW and 162Nm.
Volkswagen claimed it could do the 0-100km/h sprint in 8,5-seconds with a top speed of 190km/h. Not bad for a car that weighed less than 1 000kg.
Besides the performance stakes, it was also made visually distinctive with red trimmings around the grille, a rear spoiler, 15-inch alloy ‘Velociti’ wheels, and R-line badging.
The red theme is carried through to the inside with a stitched gear lever cover, seats, and handbrake lever. There’s also a dashboard sourced from a Polo, a three-spoke steering wheel, as well as silver dials and pedals. VW made a point of setting it apart from the rest.
As has always been the case with 99,9% of Mk1s, they don’t come with ABS brakes, air conditioning (which could be fitted as an optional extra), electric windows, or power steering – the R-Line is no different. It only came standard with a CD/MP3 player.
One also must remember that VW only made 100 of them, and they sold as quickly as advertised for a (then) purchase price of R115 920 – back when cars were cheap. Another limited edition model was the Citi GTS. Although it was slower than the R-Line, it featured some nifty additions like 15-inch gunmetal alloys, sports seats, and suspension. Only 375 units were produced. These days, you have to look very hard to find one for sale because owners are holding onto them. If one does get listed for sale, it will be priced at way more than what it cost more than a decade ago. Exclusivity drives up the value.