By the end of the 1960s, the writing was on the wall for the original Volkswagen Beetle. It was slowly being outpaced by its rivals but still had its group of ardent fans. VW toyed with many ideas to replace the Bug and in the end, one design stuck: the Golf. With crisp lines by Giorgetto Giugiaro and a water-cooled four cylinder engine up front mounted transversely, it was the antithesis of the Beetle. The Golf would be known as the Rabbit upon arrival in the US, a name which would be resurrected for the fifth generation Golf in this market. This clean 1982 Rabbit Diesel comes from our reader John, who featured his 1983 Porsche 911SC Targa with us a few months ago.
Tag: mk1
By the time the late 1960s rolled around, Volkswagen saw the writing on the wall when it came to the Beetle. It was time to plan for its replacement. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Golf (or Rabbit as it came to be known in the US), was one of the first mass produced front engined, front-wheel drive, transverse engined compacts to gain success after the introduction of the trailblazing Mini in 1959. In 1978, Volkswagen began to produce this compact hatchback in the US at the Westmoreland, Pennsylvania manufacturing plant under the Rabbit badge. But before the domestic Rabbits began to roll off the line, the very first Rabbits to appear in the US were distinguished by their curious rear bodywork, with a drooping panel line around the rear tail lamps. These early Rabbits became known as the “swallowtail.”
It’s rare to come across these early Rabbits, but this 1975 model for sale in Florida is one of the earliest we’ve featured here on GCFSB, with a build date of December 1974. For the purist, this is certainly a chance to snag what has to be one the earliest, most well preserved Rabbits on US shores.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1975 Volkswagen Rabbit on eBay
Comments closedIt seems that a lot of the cars we know and love from the 1980s have been taking flight when it comes to values. Whether it’s the ubiquitous E30 M3 or the 4000S Quattro that sold for over $12,000 yesterday, it’s apparent that the this era has now evolved into classic territory for us thirtysomething folks who remember these machines fondly from our youth. This 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel for sale in Maryland might not have the pace and cache of the Mk1 Rabbit GTI, but it’s an honest to goodness survivor sure to please the Volkswagen enthusiast.
Click for more details: 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel Survivor on TheSamba
Comments closedThere was a lot of chatter about the Mk1 Volkswagen Callaway Turbo GTI that was purchased by our friend Lance Miller from Carlisle Events. Nostalgia…
1 CommentSpecial edition models are nothing new to the automotive world. Many times a manufacturer will release such a model due to lagging sales, to commemorate…
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