Volkswagen Golf Mk1 (1974 – 1983) Review

Volkswagen Golf Mk1 (1974 – 1983) At A Glance

4/5

+Invented the family hatchback as we know it today, good to drive, easy to own, practical

-Cramped, rusty, difficult to find in standard form

The Golf Mk 1 tends to vie with the Alfasud for the title of ‘Car of the ’70s’, but we’d swing in favour of the German car. It may not be quite the barrel of laughs the Italian car is, but it’s not far off. It’s just as good looking, too.It combined fine engineering, a carefully considered technical package, and excellent EA827 engines.

The Golf gets the nod because of its hatchback, sturdy build quality and the early adoption of diesel engines. Constantly developed throughout its life, offered with engines spanning 1.1- and 1.6-litres, there was a Golf for everyone. And it started a legend that endures to this day.

There were two weak links – it was cramped in the rear and the brakes were poor (in RHD form).

Ask Honest John

How much is my 1985 Golf Convertible worth?

"I have a 1985 MkI Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet, which I have owned since 1999. I am considering selling it, but I'd like some idea of price. It's an automatic, nearly new MoT, new hood about three years ago, always garaged, regularly used for short journeys, and always roadworthy. Good seat covers, the rest pretty original. Potential for someone to turn into a classic. "
It is quite difficult to provide a valuation for a car such as this, as the value is determined by what a buyer is prepared to pay for it, because much of the used car trade are only interested in newer vehicles. We would suggest finding a similar model to yours for sale online to get some idea of its value. We found quite a few examples for sale for anything from £4000 up to £14,000 for a slightly younger model.
Answered by David Ross
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