With the last few generations of Golfs, a hot variant appears from time to time in the lineup. I’m not talking about your garden variety GTI, however. No, we’re talking about cars like the R32 and Golf R that provide near supercar thrills in a rather unassuming, everyday package. But where did this tradition start? Right here, with the Mk2 Rallye Golf. Built in Belgium, this was a homologation special that featured flared wheel arches and projector headlamps to compliment the 1.8 liter supercharged engine hooked up to Syncro four-wheel drive. Initially this car was considered for sale in the US, but Volkswagen ultimately decided it would be too expensive to be taken seriously by consumers in North America, costing nearly two times as much as a GTI. This Rallye Golf for sale in Barcelona, Spain is only one year away from legal importation for US enthusiasts.
Year: 1990
Model: Rallye Golf
Engine: 1.8 liter supercharged inline-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 113,700 km (~ 70,649 mi)
Price: €10,500 (~ $14,427 USD)
Click for more details: 1990 Volkswagen Rallye Golf on Mobile.de
First registration was in Germany at 16-08-1990 and was imported middle new to Spain at 1991. Only 1 owner in Spain. Perfect condition like new. Complete service new including timing belt, oil, filters, spark plugs, new battery, new tyres and lot more. The car have original sunroof, original BBS RM 012 wheels optionals from factory and electric mirrors.
As with many hot hatchbacks, the problem with the Rallye Golf these days is finding an unmolested one. Due to the initial cost and complexity of the Rallye Golf, fewer have been modified than GTIs, but that hasn’t stopped some from trying. This particular car certainly appears as original and looks decidedly purposeful in black. While $14,000 might seem steep for a Mk2 Golf or GTI, this isn’t your ordinary Golf. With the first of these models nearing the legal age for import to the US, will values rise even further? That remains to be seen. But for now, it should be possible to snag one of these, barring transport and importation fees, for well under $20,000. Some might consider that a small price to pay for a cool piece of World Rally Championship history.
-Paul
few know it but there were three US spec rallye golfs made. they all have DOT papers. i had one of them for a few years. i bought it from the ex president of VW Motorsport USA (who was later BBS America President). I sold it to a bona fide 4wd VW/Audi nut. it’s a beautiful tornado red. also of note is that tim o-neil won the SCCA pro rally championship in one of these cars in 1990, i think. they are indeed a neat piece of rally history. too bad that had to call it rallye with an e. for affectation, i guess…
There’s a claim that 7 made it over here originally as part of VWoA’s exploration project, but whether that’s accurate is another matter.
yeah, i don’t know. mike kaptuch, the vw motorsport director told me three. i am sure that tim told me that, too. but i suppose it doesn’t matter so much; they’re still hyper rare.
oh yeah, an interesting thing about the us models: they had the corrado headlights.