1980 Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen introduced its Golf MK1 to the United States in 1975, but it went by another name - the Volkswagen Rabbit. It had been introduced to Europe the previous year, in May, and it wore styling Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign. Giugiaro's previous work for Volkswagen included the first generation Passat (1973) and the first generation Scirocco (introduced a few months prior to the Golf). The Golf proved very popular and was the runner-up for European Car of the Year in 1975, coming in second behind the Citroen CX. During much of its extensive production lifespan, it was West Germany's best-selling new car and among the most successful cars in all of Europe.

The engine was placed in the front, mounted transversely, and powered the front wheels. Two four-cylinder four-stroke Audi engines were offered, and both were water-cooled, had two valves per cylinder, and a displacement size of 1.1 and 1.3 liters. The 1.5-, 1.6 and 1.8-liter engines had its valves operated by bucket tappets. Initially, transmission options included a four-speed manual and a three-speed automatic. A five-speed manual became available in 1979.

The chassis was a steel unibody with a 94.5-inch wheelbase, an overall length of 145.9 inches, a front track of 54.7 inches, and a rear track of 53.5 inches. The steering was by rack-and-pinion and the stopping power was courtesy of 9.4-inch front disc brakes with sold rotors, and 7-inch drum brakes at the rear. Tire sizes varied by powertrain selection, but all measured 13-inches. The front suspension relied on MacPherson struts and helical coil springs with lower wishbones and an anti-roll bar. The rear suspension was semi-independent with dual trailing arms connected by a twist-beam rear suspension and coil springs over telescopic shock absorbers.

1980 Volkswagen Rabbit
The 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit came standard with a carbureted 1,457cc engine. It was water-cooled, had overhead cams, a cast-iron block, an aluminum alloy head, five main bearings, solid valve lifters, and produced 62 horsepower at 5,400 RPM and 76 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 RPM. A 1,588cc fuel-injected engine was optional and developed 74 horsepower at 5,000 RPM and 90 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 RPM. The 1,471cc diesel engine remained on the options list, and grew to 1,588cc for 1981.

The Beetle-based convertible body style was no longer available, and in its void came the Rabbit cabriolet which had a Targa-type roll bar for added safety. It was priced at $9,340, much higher than the base hatchback body style which listed at $5,215. Custom and DeLuxe trim levels remained, and both added open-up vent windows. Prices for the Custom and DeLuxe were in the mid-$5,000 to low-$6,000 range.

The styling remained mostly unchanged in 1980, but a year later, new front-end styling would bring it more in line with the Scirocco, with a thicker bumper and wraparound parking and marker lights.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2022