The GTi version, launched in Europe in 1976 and in the USA in 1983, was responsible for the creation of the pocket rocket genre. Many other automakers followed the formula, and launched sport versions of their entry-level hatchbacks. The idea was very straightforward: take a small, light and economical car and add a few hints of performance, making it sporty without losing practicality. This version was one of the first cars to use a mechanical fuel injection, which increased the 1.6 engine power to 108hp. In 2004, the Golf MK1 GTi was considered, by Sports Car International magazine, the third best car of the 80's.

In 1980, there was a small facelift in the model. The lanterns increased, becoming more like Giugiario's original concept; The bumpers have been revisited; the dashboard gained more current instruments and, in the United States, the headlights became square.

Like its predecessor, the Beetle, the Volkswagen Golf MK1 proved to be influential. In uninterrupted production since 1974, the Golf was one of the first hatchbacks with front-wheel drive. Its competitors Morris Mini, Honda N360 and Fiat 128 were not very successful in the United States, but Rabbit, together with the Honda Civic, started a generation of front-wheel drive compacts for the American market.

There is an ambiguity about the origin of his name. Some say it comes from the sport of the same name, referring to sportiness and refinement, while others say that its name derives from Golf-Strom, which in German means Gulf Stream.

Finding a replacement for the Beetle was Volkswagen's trump card. In the early 1970s, things were not going well for the company. Sales had plummeted, and the Beetle was no longer as attractive, with its weak and noisy engine, and its outdated design. This caused other vehicles, which were nothing but shrunken versions of the larger segments, such as the Toyota Corolla, to start stealing the market.

The solution came through Auto Union. Audi, an integral part of this group, had experience in water-cooled and front-wheel drive engines, mainly because of its medium-sized sedans. This would be essential for Volkswagen's new generation of compacts, as this configuration offers weight and space savings, giving power. When Kurt Lotz took over the company in 1969, studies for the development of Golf began. Audi technology was used for the first time in the Volkswagen Dasher, which was very well received. It was only a matter of time before she finished the Golf MK1.

The first Golf (known within VW as Typ 17) began to be produced in 1974. In the United States and Canada, it was marketed from 1975 to 1984, under the name Volkswagen Rabbit, and in Mexico, as Volkswagen Caribe. As expected, it had a water-cooled transverse engine mounted on a hatchback chassis with front-wheel drive. In addition, its suspension, which had independent MacPherson struts at the front, was very well calibrated, and guaranteed a lot of stability and an aggressive steering, without compromising comfort. Golf won the Car of the Year award from Australian Wheels Magazine in 1975.

There were few changes, until the car was replaced by the Mark 2 version, in 1984, in Europe. However, air conditioning became an option in August 1975. There was also the possibility of installing it in cars already produced, together with replacing the battery with a larger capacity one.

The GTi version, launched in Europe in 1976 and in the USA in 1983, was responsible for the creation of the pocket rocket genre. [4] Many other automakers followed the formula, and launched sport versions of their entry-level hatchbacks. The idea was very straightforward: take a small, light and economical car and add a few hints of performance, making it sporty without losing practicality. This version was one of the first cars to use a mechanical fuel injection, which increased the 1.6 engine power to 108hp. In 2004, the Golf MK1 GTi was considered, by Sports Car International magazine, the third best car of the 80's.

In 1980, there was a small facelift in the model. The lanterns increased, becoming more like Giugiario's original concept; The bumpers have been revisited; the dashboard gained more current instruments and, in the United States, the headlights became square.

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