The Golf GTI is a phenomenon, a brand within the Volkswagen brand, an automobile world view and an unmistakable design statement that has now attained sales of 1.7 million units. It is an original among sporty compacts. Spectacular stories have always circulated about how the first GTI (Gran Turismo Injection) came into being. At the center of these stories there is always a "secret society" of people who pushed through the GTI right up to production stage against the clock and opposition from their superiors. Many of the tales about these developments that have been passed down are true, but just as many of them have become distorted over the decades and are often wrong. The fact is that the Golf GTI was the ingenious idea of a few men. This is their story and the story of the first GTI.
Everything began, as always, with the Beetle
Let us fade back to 1973 when Volkswagen launched a very sporty version of the Beetle. The "Yellow and Black Racer," as it was called, differed from the normal Beetle in that it had a black hood and engine cover, slightly wider tires (5.5 instead of 5 inches), sport seats with head restraints (!) and a proper leather steering wheel. Technically, it was still the same old Beetle with 1,600cc, 50 horsepower, no more. Despite its relatively modest output, this "aggressive model from Volkswagen" even caused a stir in the German parliament.
Yet, to the dismay of a few insider experts it was popular among the public. This fast looking Beetle model sold out in no time at all, and this paved the way for a two-year project in Wolfsburg that – even within the company – only a handful of people would know about.
The founders emerge
It is still 1973, March 18 to be precise. On this day, memorable from today's perspective, test engineer Alfons Löwenberg wrote an internal memo to a few colleagues from the Research & Development department. He proposed that Volkswagen should consider putting together a proper sports model. After all, a new vehicle with the project code EA 337 (the internal code name for the future Golf) had reached the final stages of development – and a modern front-wheel car with high-performance would open up a completely new group of customers for Volkswagen.
Recipients of the memo were reluctant at first. Only chassis specialist Herbert Horntrich and development chief Hermann Hablitzel were at least somewhat receptive to Löwenberg's idea. However, Löwenberg kept at it and found other like-minded colleagues such as marketing man Horst-Dieter Schwittlinsky and Anton Konrad, Volkswagen's PR director at the time. Konrad – who had been manager of the Formula V association for many years and enjoyed race car driving as a hobby – was particularly taken with the idea. He was also aware, however, that the seedling called sportiness needed to be cultivated with extreme discretion within the company. The high development costs for the new model that would be launched as the Golf in 1974 had already put a strain on the company's finances.
Secret meeting over beer and sandwiches
Konrad invited the secret developers of this "Sport Golf" work group to meet at his home. Over beer and sandwiches, Hablitzel, Horntrich, Konrad, Löwenberg and Schwittlinsky sorted through the possibilities like co-conspirators. Hablitzel was now definitely on board, and his tacit approval allowed Löwenberg and Horntrich to get down to work. Taking a Scirocco prototype with a rock-hard chassis, they lowered the suspension dramatically, souped up the basic 85 PS 1.5-liter Scirocco engine to about 100 horsepower with a two-stage carburetor and crowned it with an exhaust pipe that resembled a stove pipe and sounded like one too.
Prototype 1 is over the top
Today, Konrad remembers the car as "a roaring monster". The secret team soon agreed that this was not what they wanted. The Sport Golf should have a sporty image, but it should be civil. So, Löwenberg and Horntrich decided to build a more reasonable version. The result was not quite as ferocious, but it was still quite fast. The whole undercover group felt much better about this new model, and Hablitzel plucked up some courage. He informed development chief Professor Ernst Fiala about the sporty car and asked him what he thought. Fiala delivered a fatal blow: "It's far too expensive, you're all mad," he retorted briefly and succinctly.
However, Hablitzel and his men would not be deterred. The prototype based on the Scirocco was officially declared a chassis test platform, but its development continued unofficially. Löwenberg fine tuned the engine, while Horntrich configured the chassis for the proposed beefy tires. 205/60 HR 13 would be the tire size, which back then would have even put a Porsche 911 to shame – the quintessential Teutonic sports car still ran on 185/70 tires in 1974.
Management says it's a "go" in Spring 1975
Not surprisingly, the "chassis test platform" caused a great stir when Hablitzel & Co. demonstrated their latest projects to Volkswagen management at the Ehra-Lessien test center in Spring 1975. Even Professor Fiala was now taken by the Sport Golf in a Scirocco outfit – and he gave his approval. At the end of May, an official vehicle proposal was sent to the development department: A sporty version of the Golf is needed.
The Golf becomes the GTI
At the same time, Sales sensed the good market opportunities for a sporty Golf, and Volkswagen still needed a crowd pleaser for the upcoming International Motor Show in Frankfurt. The project suddenly acquired momentum from all quarters. Six prototypes with different configurations were created, ranging from a speedster trimmed for maximum sports car performance to a modestly understated version. Chief designer Herbert Schäfer was responsible for all the fine details that would set the future GTI apart from its less powerful rivals. The red stripe on the radiator grille, for example, and the larger front spoiler, modest plastic wheel well extensions, matte black frame on the rear window, black roofliner, golf ball knob on the gearshift lever and checked pattern of the seat covers.
Technical fine tuning
Herbert Schuster, the new test manager, immediately declared chassis development a top priority. To cut costs, he reduced the width of the wheels from 6.0 to 5.5 inches and shrunk the tire size to 175/70 HR 13. He did, however, also add stabilizers for the front and rear axles and developed a spring/damper configuration that provided a perfect synthesis of comfort and sportiness. In collaboration with Audi, an ultra-modern 1.6-liter fuel-injected engine delivering 110 PS was produced.
World premiere in 1975 at the IAA in Frankfurt
The former undercover team finished its work right on schedule. When the 46th Frankfurt International Motor Show opened its gates to the public on September 11, 1975, a red wonder celebrated its debut at the Volkswagen booth: the Golf GTI concept car. "The fastest Volkswagen ever" boasted the advertisement – and that was no exaggeration. The GTI accelerated from a zero to 100 km/h in about nine seconds, leaving considerably larger and more expensive cars behind. The cautiously announced price of "under 13,000 German Marks" was still at least 5,000 German Marks less than its key German rival. As a result, car show visitors were so enthusiastic about the car that company management had no other choice than to build a special series of 5,000 cars.
GTI mania begins
The GTI ended up costing 13,850 German Marks when it was launched in mid-1976. Despite the higher price, dealers still managed to sell ten times the planned sales volume in its first year on the market. And that came as no surprise: "Climbing an Alpine pass in the GTI – this is one of the most exciting driving tasks that a car enthusiast can have" is how the German automotive magazine "auto motor und sport" extolled the GTI. That sums it up, even 33 years later.
Note:
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