Volkswagen GTI Mk. I

            

    

I've always had a thing for the original Volkswagen Rabbit/Golf and its GTI offshoot. The first-generation Rabbit/Golf was a revolutionary design--a sharply creased replacement for the bulbous and obsolete Beetle, it incorporated the space-saving lessons learned from the original Mini into a larger design with more passenger space, a cavernous hatchback, crisp driving manners, and attractive, angular lines.

It was an instant hit in America and directly influenced every subsequent small car sold in this market.

It's only appropriate, then, that the Mk. I GTI was equally seminal--it was the first mass-produced hot hatchback, offering in the dark days of the early 1980s a mighty mite performance car. It was fun because of its agility, not because of a huge engine, and its performance didn't sacrifice utility. This might sound commonplace today; the GTI made it commonplace.

The legendary GTI line has continued, finding its apex in the recent R32 super-hot-hatch, but the original still carries the most purity of line and intent.

My uncle (who was also the nut who owned a fleet of VW Squarebacks) used to ice-race a yellow GTI Mk. I with great effect. He's also a master model crafter--his sickness for all things automotive may actually rival my own--and presented me a custom-painted yellow Matchbox rabbit with his sponsorship decals assiduously affixed--the battered remnant of that Matchbox car serves proudly as the photo for Car Lust because that was the point at which my car lust began to ignite.

During a car-shopping trip several years ago, I tested a GTI with the hope that I might finally own one. However, the fact that it was completely knackered, combined with a steering wheel that made my hands smell like Cool Ranch Doritos, convinced me it wasn't the way to go. And really, that's true of all of the early GTIs--it's very difficult to find an original GTI that hasn't either been abused or completely destroyed.

Here are some great photos and a captivating story about a GTI lover who took matters into his own hands to build and refine his own GTI.

--Chris H.