Was trawling the for sale section a while ago for things I couldn't afford when I found this: While I'm familiar with the "10 million" mk2s, as well as the Rallye, Fire and Ice cars, Limited, Edition One etc, I've never seen one of these before.. Found a few more images trawling the net (although information is illusive): I like the idea of a factory sleeper in a nice colour.. Even better without the arch trim as seen in the first pic, although the two green ones have it fitted so perhaps that's been removed.. 7 slat grill doesn't look right either. Looks like a normal Gti minus the red bits and badging, note the half smoked tail lights too, a couple of years before they appeared on late spec cars. Etka shows the "Special" decal, but it's NLA and has no part number or remarks.. (Illustration no. 169-10 if anyone's a*sed). Can anyone shed any light on these cars? For someone who considers himself reasonably knowledgable about Mk2s, I'm intrigued...
I'm fairly sure the overseas one is a Golf Driver, made to look like a GTI by VW, hence GT rather than GTI. I recall seeing them either in ski resorts or around Munich. Never sold in the UK.
Cheers Chris - so you're saying the GT was the foreign equivalent to the Driver, evidently with a few nicer bits? Found a bit more on German Wikipedia: I wonder how a RHD one ended up over here...? Want!
Good info trawl. I definitely remember the smoked rear lights. Pretty much as far as I know. I only saw them, so the appearance was the only guide. Looking at the green one, the exhaust is a decent guide - no cutout in the rear skirt for the twin pipe. I'm not sure what that car is. It's a 16V model, RHD, but is it one of the "Mk2 Campaigns"? Embarassingly I actually own an '89 Campaign (project), and I don't think it's got the 'Special' stickers fitted, but can't recall if they all did have them back in the day or not.
Cheers - good spot with the exhaust aperture My first thought was just that it was a campaign that someone had tinkered with, but I'm 99% sure they didn't come with that sticker. Did they have the half smoked lights? I thought those came in with '90 spec, but now I'm not so sure.. Would be interested to see the interior. It states in the German blurb that the Gti specials were rarely ordered(?); perhaps they were offered over here and hardly anyone bought one..? According to the German Wiki, in 1990 std GTs cost DM 24,795 with no special options whilst the "Special" edition cost DM 27,180. Likewise the std GTDs were 24,945 DM, whilst the "Special" version was 28,110 DM.. so the Specials were around 10-12% more expensive.. although I suspect a lot of this difference would be swallowed up by adding options to the standard flavours, so they probably weren't over priced. Do you have a thread for your Campaign? Ideally that's what I was after, but decent ones were like hens teeth..
I can't recall if the UK ones had them, but the overseas Driver GTs definitely did. Literally nothing - it's just been an as/when project, as I've been too busy on my Mk1. Gradually gathering bits - a set of good Le Castellets recently landed as they'd long since been swapped for aftermarket alloys.
Sounds like the Fatherland got the smoked lights before we did then - don't think the Campaign / "1 in 10 Million" cars over here had them.. Found something in another thread: So, from this and the German wiki site, it appears that in Germany the "1 in 10 Million" golf was a variation only on lower specced models rather than the Gti: The site also states: So my guess is that the German "Gti Special" is roughly equivalent to our "1 in 10 million", since VW applied the 10 million milestone to lower spec models in the fatherland since they sold few Gtis, but used it on Gtis over here in order to better capitalise on their popularity. Doesn't explain why daveangel's dad's car had a "1 in 10 million" handbook, although the car clearly wasn't destined for the domestic German market since it was RHD. I think the only probable differences between our "1 in 10 million" and their "Gti Special" were the rear lights (smoked over there, normal over here) and the "Special" sticker on foreign cars. Possibly one or two badging differences too. "Striped sports seats" would fit with the rainbow interior.. So in conclusion, I reckon the blue car in the ad was an import that's had the grill and badges changed, and lost it's arches and rear bumper stripe. The lack of red striping on the two green ones in the original post would fit, thanks to your observation that they're lesser specced models so wouldn't have had the red stripe to begin with; special edition or otherwise. I wonder how common RHD imports are from Germany at this time... must be pretty rare if there weren't that many "Gti Specials" produced over there anyway..
I think the GT in general was a driver, I know in the states they have a GT which was a detuned GTi with a few luxury bits missing. I know Richard_MK2 has a Golf GT badge on his black mk2, I don't know if it's still on now though.
There was a bit about the special edition on E38 too I think off the top of my head as the guy was also selling on there and somebody added some info on it found off google.
I had a RHD one of these. My father bought it from new when he was in the forces in germany. Its a european version of the golf in 10 million special equipmetns. His was completely UK spec but because he bought it in Germany it had the Special decals on the rear pillar. I know this as the owners manual had the golf in ten million cover on it, and we had it from new.
Ive seen a couple ofn these "Special" Mk2 in the past. A german guy who i used to live next to had one, but it was a LHD, but uk registered. Im sure mine is. When i bought mine, it came with the GT badge, red line all around the car and a red logo below the badge. It originally came with small bumpers with the red trim, and arch trims? This is one of the reasons i bought it as it stood out from the rest.
From what I've seen of Richard's car, it's a 1992 Driver, based on the seats that were in it (60/40 rear folding with driver pattern and seat type itself) and someone's added a GT badge somewhere down the line. What does the V5 say it is Richard?
Its down as a 1.8 Driver mate, which is what it basically is... Thing is the previous owner who had owned it since new said this badge was on it from the factory. As was the red line, red trim small bumpers and arches and had been left totally standard. but did come with GTi steelies, red stripe grill and complete green tinted glass all around... Reason i asked him was because it caught my eye. He was also a 65 year old guy, so not a VW enthusiast, or a guy who would change anything from the original spec. He had left it totally original, with every service/mot at VW. Was registered on the 30/ 01 / 1992, so quite a late model. There is a couple on ebay for sale, but are listed as MK3 badges... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-GOLF-GT-Re...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item35a7d002fd http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Genuine-VW-Go...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item19bacea580 The badge is definately genuine, and looks like its been there for years, but i would say mine is basically a late 1.8 Driver with GTi looks...
Thanks for all the info So it appears that the GT is basically the German equivalent of the Driver over here, but with a few differences. Wouldn't surprise me if Richard's "GT" came from the factory badged like that, if they had a glut of badges left at the end of production. We already know that some Gti bits found their way onto late drivers. Looks like the Gti Specials were basically specced the same as the "1 in 10 million" golfs over here, with a few different colour options, 15" RAs, half smoked rear lights and perhaps a lack of red striping, judging by JaySteed606's pic (cheers chap ) Really intrigued by Jay's pic actually, since it's the only original example I've seen of a 16v Special, (grill badge) but it's got no beesting, black trim and epic ride height - wondering if it was a publicity mock up..? Daveangle - sounds like yours was a bit of a mix and match of German and UK specs.. Shame you don't still have it - sounded like a nice motor. Interesting stuff
Sounds like Richards car is a dealer special rather than being changed then, probably a few of them out there I think.
Exactly what i thought. Mine did come with Gti parts such as - Green tinted glass Central locking GTI steelies 4 lamp grill with red stripe Small red stripe bumpers Arch trims Same 239 front brake setup as the 8v's, ect... So probably a mixup of bits and pieces... I really wish i had kept it as it was now, as it seems to be quite unusual!!! Ive only ever seen one like mine with the red stripe, ect... Same colour too and on a J plate. Its weird that this one posted below doesn't have a GT badge?
^^ This one's had trim whipped off it, so the badge isn't original. The real mystery in these is what RHD cars were doing being made. There enough LHD "Drivers" made, but the car wasn't UK imported (AFAIK). Would a dealer on the continent take an order from someone working overseas for a RHD, Euro-spec, Mk2? ie a near factory-spec 1-off (at the point of ordering).
