Why you often see the Volkswagen Golf II 30 years after production ceased

You can safely call the golf a car with a Calvinist tendency. Since its birth in 1974, the compact Volkswagen has been a bit boring and each new generation has been given a somewhat predictable appearance, but from a purely rational point of view, there was not much criticism. However, the second generation of golf in our country has not even come close to sales in terms of sales Figures that Opel from the Kadett II I managed to fade away. Holland was then still an Opel country, and the Kadetts dominated the streets.

How different is today. Where the Fifth Generation Cadet seems to have disappeared into the eternal hunting grounds, you still see the #2 Golf drive surprisingly often. So while this car is definitely no longer a common used car. Even the copies from the last year of construction, 1992, are already 30 years old. The fact that you have come across it quite often says something about the quality of this model. It really is a car with great endurance. For example, rust practically does not affect the body of a golf car, and engines sometimes require only new oil and a new timing belt. So golf drivers have been loyal to this model for a long time, and if they say goodbye to the Golf II, they still consider it standard to this day. Quality has always been of paramount importance to VW, but perhaps the Golf II was too good from a manufacturer’s point of view. After all, a car that does not break down will not be replaced.

Development started in 1977 Golf II

We go back to 1977. Volkswagen begins developing the second generation of the Golf. Wave #1 is just gaining steam, even the most enthusiastic Beetle riders are slowly advancing. In terms of safety, power, handling and comfort, the second generation should of course take steps without differing significantly from its predecessor. Design proposals from the outside were rejected, and VW management preferred to rely on the conservative designs of interior designers led by Herbert Schaeffer. This causes disappointment at first.

Lots of further development for the first golf

In the eyes of the press and the public, the Golf II does not look like a really new model, more like a further development of its predecessor. Admonition persists to this day in the Gulf, although this cautious approach may be the basis of his success. With the Golf II, special aspects that the customer does not see have been renewed. For example, the cw has been reduced from a respectable 0.41 to 0.34. Tank capacity increased from 44 to 55 liters, because Volkswagen, in its own words, used every corner. The result: a tank that appears to have been designed by a beanbag manufacturer and has a range of 700 (GTI) to 1,000 km (diesel). Only the engines and undercarriage were adapted for the higher weight, longer wheelbase, wider track and slight improvement. However, the design – the transverse engine at the front, the front-wheel drive, MacPherson struts at the front and the torsion-axle at the rear – does not change.

The second Volkswagen Golf GTI heated up with the arrival of the 16V engine, which came in 1986.

Wolfsburg will repair the entire car body. The first generation Golf was actually very sensitive to rust and Volkswagen did everything they could to solve this problem. The new car must be able to survive from its owner, according to the highest group. If the customer is very impressed with the quality of his golf game, he will also buy his successor, or so reason. Anti-rust treatment is getting a lot of attention. For example, all body parts get a protective coating, the seams in the doors, hood and tailgate get an extra good seal and the “keep-flood” wax filling in the recesses should ensure that the body parts last just as well as mechanical components.

From math teacher to yes

Volkswagen excludes the biggest risk to quality from production: the human factor. At the Wolfsburg plant, 70 robots help with the final assembly. The intention is for 2,500 Golfs to roll off the production line each day and in order to be able to sell them, VW supplies the Golf in several versions. In addition to being a base model, it’s available in C, CL, GL and GLX trims. The lists of options however are quite long. For example, car journalists at the time grumbled that there was only Homecoming in the trunk of the car. However, this deters a few customers. In its debut, the new Golf is available with a 55-horsepower 1.3-liter petrol engine, packed with fuel-saving features such as “Formille E” like a longer fifth gear and starter system. Those in a hurry can choose the 1.6 with 75 hp, the 1.8 (in the GLX) with 90 hp or of course the GTI, which offers 112 hp. Efficient 54 HP Diesel Engine at leisurely pace to their final destination, 70 HP Turbo Diesel makes economical driving more bearable. With the introduction of injection engines and versions with the catalytic converter, the model range will eventually become so wide that there will be a golf fit for everyone, from the math teacher to the yup. There are three versions of the GTI in recent days, the 8V, the 16V and the G60. Extreme was the long-legged rally and country.

Volkswagen Golf 1987, that year the style will disappear from the door window.

At the end of 1987, the model received a modest facelift in line with VW traditions. For example, small windows in the front doors (which cannot be opened) remove the field, so that the outside mirrors are finally clearly visible. Moreover, the fenders on the sides are wider, the grille has only four slats instead of six, and the type designation on the back gets modern cursive characters. Two years later it happened again. Volkswagen installs GL “thick fenders”, as well as in all GTIs.

In the occasion view on the website you can see Many second-generation golf cars are still for salen. Several GTIs, including expensive but also good G60s, are still completely original.