Volkswagen Golf mkI GTI

RETROSPECTIVE

The genesis of hot hatches began in 1976, thanks to the first Golf GTI. The Mark I, was in fact unveiled with no great expectations from the VW group, being almost the result of a spare-time work by the team that created the normal Golf, but the feedback received at the Frankfurt Motor Show was so amazing that also shocked the vertices of the German brand, still unaware of the revolution that was coming. Since then and until today, hot hatches have become a real phenomenon, thanks to the practicality for everyday use and performance that have nothing to envy to most renowned sport cars.
The Golf GTI MK I introduced an era, and of course, made it in step with the times to which it belonged. The body was more pronounced compared to a normal Golf, the classic appeal to sportiness could be seen in the red stripes on the front grille and in the seats with plaid lining. Even the shift knob with the shape of a golf ball has become a classic, thanks to this model. Performance, highly respected even today, were the result of a low weight (just 830-kg) and the 1.6cc 4-cylinder, capable of delivering 110-hp: the result was translated in 8.8 seconds to go from 0 to 100 kph and a top speed of 180 kph.