Volkswagen of America started promoting the Mk1 Golf (badged because the Rabbit right here) in the US as a 1975 mannequin, which was good timing so quickly after the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. The VW plant in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, started constructing Rabbits in 1978, and the Mk1 technology stayed on sale right here by means of the 1984 mannequin 12 months. Here is a type of final-year Mk1s, a four-door present in a Phoenix automotive graveyard.
The Rabbit Convertible stayed on the Mk1 Golf chassis right here right through 1993, although its title modified to the Golf Cabriolet for the 1985 mannequin 12 months. South Africa was the ultimate place that the Mk1 was out there new, with gross sales persevering with right through 2009.
This one is a gasoline-burner with the base-grade L trim degree.
The engine is a 1.7-liter SOHC straight-four with gasoline injection, rated at 74 horsepower and 90 pound-feet. A 65-horse carbureted model of this engine was out there outdoors of California, paired with a four-speed guide transmission. Rabbit customers might additionally get a 52-horse diesel engine for 1984.
The fuel-injected 1984 Rabbit L four-door got here with a five-speed guide as normal tools, and it had an MSRP of $7,075 versus the carbureted four-speed automotive’s checklist value of $6,740 (that is about $21,370 and $20,358 in 2023 {dollars}). At the moment’s Junkyard Gem has the elective three-speed computerized, which tacked on one other 200 bucks to the value tag ($604 of immediately’s bucks).
This automotive’s odometer confirmed simply 118,634 miles on the finish. Bear in mind to make use of the handbrake!
The driving force’s seat was patched with upholstery tape.
There is a sealed head gasket set sitting on the passenger seat, so we are able to assume that this automotive got here to this place as a result of the blown head gasket by no means bought changed. Which is a disgrace, as a result of it isn’t a very tough job for these vehicles (as such issues go). Perhaps the block or head was cracked, anyway.
This being an Arizona automotive, it has air con. That was a $650 possibility ($1,963 in immediately’s cash).
For 1985, this automotive’s successor lastly adopted the Golf title in the US. The Rabbit title got here again for 2006-2009, then bought the axe once more. In the meantime, it took till 1990 for the Passat title to take over; first there was the Dasher, adopted by the Quantum.
These brutes in Westmoreland let some Rabbits die, in order that yours can stay longer.