Body style: Hatchback
Segment: Compact
Production years: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983
While the Italian and the French carmakers were enjoying great success with their Fiat 124 and the Peugeot 504, Volkswagen was stuck with the already dated Beetle.
Thus, the German carmaker was in great need of a new product to replace the famous people’s car.
Different prototypes were produced starting with early 1950s, but only one of the development projects was considered the basis of the new Golf, the EA337.
Kurt Lots, Volkswagen’s Director General, visited the 1969 Turin Auto Show and selected his favorite cars, 4 out of 6 being designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro.
Giugiaro was invited to work on the project EA337, VW providing him with the basic dimensions and the power-train options.
Giurgiaro’s “folded-paper” design featured sharp corners, flat panels, rectangular headlamps and wide tail-lamps. By the time the Golf I entered production, the definitive version featured round headlamps and narrower rear lamps.
Even though the Golf I was designed as a successor to the Beetle, the new model was actually completely different in terms of mechanicals: VW shifted from the rear-wheel drive and the rear-mounted air-cooled engines to a front-wheel-drive system and a water cooled powerplants. With the engine transversely mounted ahead of the front axle, the space created within the footprint of the car allowed maximum use.
While the Beetle had a traditional chassis and a body two-piece construction, the VW Golf I featured a monocoque design.
Two of the four available powerplants were borrowed from Audi, while the other 2 were part of the original EA111 development project. Their power ranged from 50 hp to 70 hp.
ENGINE SPECS - 1.1L 4MT FWD (50 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1093 cm3 |
Power: | 37 KW @ 6000 RPM 50 HP @ 6000 RPM 50 BHP @ 6000 RPM |
Torque: | 58 lb-ft @ 3000 RPM 78 Nm @ 3000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.9 gallons (45.0 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 87 mph (140 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 15.8 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 145SR13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 150.4 in (3820 mm) |
Width: | 63.4 in (1610 mm) |
Height: | 55.5 in (1410 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 54.7/53.5 in (1,389/1,359 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 94.5 in (2400 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 4.9 in (124 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 13 cuFT (368 L) |
Turning circle: | 32.8 ft (10.0 m) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 1708.6 lbs (775 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 2733.7 lbs (1240 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 27.7 mpg US (8.5 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.3L 4MT FWD (60 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1272 cm3 |
Power: | 44 KW @ 5600 RPM 60 HP @ 5600 RPM 59 BHP @ 5600 RPM |
Torque: | 69 lb-ft @ 3500 RPM 93 Nm @ 3500 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.9 gallons (45.0 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 93.2 mph (150 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 14.6 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 155SR13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 150.4 in (3820 mm) |
Width: | 63.4 in (1610 mm) |
Height: | 55.5 in (1410 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 54.7/53.5 in (1,389/1,359 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 94.5 in (2400 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 4.9 in (124 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 13 cuFT (368 L) |
Turning circle: | 32.8 ft (10.0 m) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 1708.6 lbs (775 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 2733.7 lbs (1240 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 27.7 mpg US (8.5 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.5L 4MT FWD (70 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1457 cm3 |
Power: | 51 KW @ 5600 RPM 69 HP @ 5600 RPM 68 BHP @ 5600 RPM |
Torque: | 81 lb-ft @ 2500 RPM 110 Nm @ 2500 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.9 gallons (45.0 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 98.2 mph (158 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 12.9 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 155SR13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 150.4 in (3820 mm) |
Width: | 63.4 in (1610 mm) |
Height: | 55.5 in (1410 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 54.7/53.5 in (1,389/1,359 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 94.5 in (2400 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 4.9 in (124 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 13 cuFT (368 L) |
Turning circle: | 32.8 ft (10.0 m) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 1818.8 lbs (825 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 2821.9 lbs (1280 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 26.7 mpg US (8.8 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.6L 4AT FWD (54 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1588 cm3 |
Power: | 40 KW @ 4800 RPM 54 HP @ 4800 RPM 54 BHP @ 4800 RPM |
Torque: | 74 lb-ft @ 2000 RPM 100 Nm @ 2000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Indirect Injection |
Fuel: | Diesel |
Fuel capacity: | 11.9 gallons (45.0 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 88.9 mph (143 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 16.8 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-Speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 155SR13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 150.4 in (3820 mm) |
Width: | 63.4 in (1610 mm) |
Height: | 55.5 in (1410 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 54.7/53.5 in (1,389/1,359 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 94.5 in (2400 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 4.9 in (124 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 13 cuFT (368 L) |
Turning circle: | 32.8 ft (10.0 m) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 1862.9 lbs (845 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 2821.9 lbs (1280 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 35.1 mpg US (6.7 L/100Km) |