The VW Rabbit/Golf Mk1 is dead, no really

[AudiV6]

http://www.germanyandafrica.diplo.de...x=2004826.html

Yesterday (November 2) Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) announced the official end of the Citi Golf era. For 31 years, the iconic car was built in the Uitenhage plant near Port Elizabeth.

Since 1978, workers in Uitenhage produced 517,384 VW Golfs, a car that seems to belong to South Africa like the traditional dried meat biltong. In 1984 the Citi range was introduced with slight changes to the original Golf 1. Still thousands of Citi Golfs are seen, not only in South Africa, but in the whole of Africa.

“Today we are announcing the end of this legend called A1 or Citi Golf,” said David Powels, Managing Director of VWSA, at a press conference.

The Golf 1 was first produced in Germany in 1974, as a successor to the VW Beetle and became a huge success with nearly a million cars sold in the first two years of production.

The VW plant in Uitenhage was upgraded in recent years to make space for the production of new models.

“We are in the final phases of completely rebuilding and re-engineering our plant for new products to be introduced to SA in 2010,” Powels added.

At the moment, only the VW Polo is built in the Eastern Cape, thus Powel assured that the stoppage of the Citi Golf production will not result in any job losses.

Although the last Citi Golf came off the production line in August, VW will continue to sell the car until early 2010.

Not as dramatic as the demise of the mexican Beetle in 2004, but the Golf mk1 (especially the GTi Pirelli) was the only Golf I quite liked.

(I wonder if they start to produce the mk II again. )
I guess they will do some sort of VW Gol, as an replacement.

Nevermind, R.I.P, Senior-Golf.

[maxtortheone]

Originally Posted by AudiV6

and


Not quite the same thing, the Citi has a more curvier roofline. But if the Citi was as good, fun and reliable as the original, then that's something to miss.

And what's the reasoning behind this? The Beetle was canceled because of taxi regulations requiring 4-door cars

[AudiV6]

Originally Posted by maxtortheone

and
Not quite the same thing, the Citi has a more curvier roofline. But if the Citi was as good, fun and reliable as the original, then that's something to miss.

And what's the reasoning behind this? The Beetle was canceled because of taxi regulations requiring 4-door cars

It was rounder because of south-african pedestrian safety standards (as weird as it sounds) so yes it had mk2 wings, it even had a mk4-style interior


The thing is, it was basicly the same car over the 35 years it was built. No matter where it was produced, wolfsburg, westmoreland or south africa, despite it's cosmetic changes, it was still one and the same Car.

The reason was, they modernized the Plant, so they can produce more cars, so the Golf had to be cancelled.

[jayhawk]

How cool would it be to own this car, it had the best of everything from each era of Golf!

FUCK!!

[public]

I still want one.

Edit: the dash is from the Mk1 Fabia.

[NooDle]

I like how they sorta mixed and matched it with parts from the newer Golf you want, yet have the cool styling from the older Golfs...

Any chance of getting one of these imported to Europe (without paying a zillion in taxes)?
I'd quite like me a brand new Golf II/with III bits /with IV interior

[AiR]

That's not the magnesium wheel from the Lupo 3L is it? Because that would make no sense. But it is a stylish wheel, even if it's made from plastic. Also, magnesium kicks ass.

[nsx_23]

I wonder if I can import one.....

[47]

I did not know about the MkIV interior. That's cool...
I'd like one too

Wonder if we could get a group buy discount?

[AudiV6]

Well the easyest way to get one is, getting there (flighttickets will be cheaper next year because of the Fifa Soccer Worldchampionship 2010), buy one with low to no mileage (they going to be cheaper now) and take a Ferry.

The result is, you bought just an real Golf mk1 new, which you cant say over here since 1984, and you've got an real icon.

But if you are the sort of Mk2-guy, dont worry, the Chinese still produce the Jetta 2 (also facelifted a bit)



They even have the Santana and, sadly, a lousy copy of the 1980's Audi 100.

[Dr_Grip]

OMG, the back of this "facelift" is even MORE ugly than the original one.

[AiR]

Talk about strange proportions.

[Jacobfox]

Originally Posted by AudiV6

Well the easyest way to get one is, getting there (flighttickets will be cheaper next year because of the Fifa Soccer Worldchampionship 2010), buy one with low to no mileage (they going to be cheaper now) and take a Ferry.

The result is, you bought just an real Golf mk1 new, which you cant say over here since 1984, and you've got an real icon.

But if you are the sort of Mk2-guy, dont worry, the Chinese still produce the Jetta 2 (also facelifted a bit)



They even have the Santana and, sadly, a lousy copy of the 1980's Audi 100.

[NooDle]

that Jetta is wrong on SO many levels...

[Steve Levin]

Originally Posted by AudiV6

But if you are the sort of Mk2-guy, dont worry, the Chinese still produce the Jetta 2 (also facelifted a bit)

It's like the Tammy Faye Baker facelift though...a vision that shall haunt us for the rest of our days.

Steve

[thevictor390]

Originally Posted by AudiV6

Well the easyest way to get one is, getting there (flighttickets will be cheaper next year because of the Fifa Soccer Worldchampionship 2010), buy one with low to no mileage (they going to be cheaper now) and take a Ferry.

Ferry? Just drive it back

Wouldn't work for those of us on this side of the pond, though, and I doubt we'd be able to get it on the road anyway.

[argatoga]

Originally Posted by thevictor390

Ferry? Just drive it back

Wouldn't work for those of us on this side of the pond, though, and I doubt we'd be able to get it on the road anyway.

Just take a VIN from an old Rabbit and claim it is a '79 year car.

[lip]

Wow, I never new they still make old Golfs in some part of the world until today.

Originally Posted by AudiV6

The result is, you bought just an real Golf mk1 new, which you cant say over here since 1984, and you've got an real icon.

This. Very much. A 2009 Mk1. Way cool.

[AudiV6]

Originally Posted by thevictor390

Ferry? Just drive it back

Wouldn't work for those of us on this side of the pond, though, and I doubt we'd be able to get it on the road anyway.

Ok, but only if you're pick some cow-sculls from the side of the road and bring them to me.

And I developed a solution for the Jetta-problem, when you import one, just take an eu-spec bootlid and some of these:

and the problem is sorted. (the front fits quite nice, its from the passat)

[tranceporter]

i never knew this existed... i want one