This 1981 Volkswagen Golf GTI was sold new in France and purchased by the seller from its second owner in Paris in December 2005. The car was imported to the US in December 2006 under the 25-year rule, and now shows 156k kilometers (~97k miles). Power comes from a 1.6-liter inline-four paired with a 5-speed manual transmission, and modifications include Koni STR T shocks and struts, a four-light Hella front grille, a Shine Racing front suspension brace, and 13″ alloy wheels from a 1982 GTI. Maintenance since 2007 includes a new timing belt, brakes, struts, ball joints, control arm, hoses, shift linkage, and more. This Mk1 GTI is offered with a set of OEM steel wheels, records back to the 1990s, a certificate of authenticity from the Volkswagen Museum, assorted literature, spare parts, and a clean Massachusetts title in the seller’s name.

The car was repainted in its original Alpine White at some point in the early 2000s according to the seller, and the finish is shown up close in the large photo gallery below. The seller notes some flaws, including overspray on several gaskets, orange peel below the front grille badge, and a bubble near the left rear window gasket. The black lower body stripes were decals from the factory, and were painted on during the respray.

A detailed walk-around and start-up video can be viewed above. A four-light Hella front grille is currently fitted, though the inner yellow lamps are not connected. This GTI sits on factory 13″ Spider-style alloy wheels sourced from a 1982 model, which were refinished in 2007, and are mounted with Dunlop tires from the early 2000s. The stock front grille and OEM steel wheels are included as pictured in the gallery. The trunk-mounted spare still wears a 1981 date-coded Continental tire according to the seller.

According to the seller, the cabin retains factory upholstery, and is said to be stock aside from early 90s Cabriolet carpeted floor mats. Early-model equipment includes a radio-delete binnacle and single center-mounted auxiliary oil temperature gauge. Factory instrumentation is said to work well aside from an inaccurate clock.

Custom defroster inserts have been installed to prevent the original dashboard vinyl from pulling away. The six-digit odometer shows 156k kilometers (~97k miles), of which roughly 7k kilometers have been added by the seller over the past 13 years.

The naturally-aspirated 1.6-liter four features Bosch fuel-injection and produced 110 horsepower when new. It sends power to the front wheels through a 5-speed transmission, and mechanicals are claimed to be stock. The seller performs his own oil changes, with the most recent completed in March 2018.

Maintenance records following the seller’s purchase in December 2005 are summarized in the spreadsheet above. Notable repairs include a new timing belt, tensioner, gaskets, ball joints, and control arms at 150k kilometers as well as a replacement shift linkage, engine mounts, and various filters at 152k.

New front brakes were installed in 2017, along with machined rear drums with new shoes. The Koni STR T shocks and struts were installed by Southshore Autoworks of Kingston, Massachusetts in July 2018. The seller states that the car was undercoated early in its life while with the original owner in France.

A service manual, custom Griot’s car cover, and additional literature accompany the car, along with a handwritten letter from the original owner regarding his purchase new in France, which is shown in the gallery.

The included certificate of authenticity from the Volkswagen Museum states that this GTI was built in October 1981 with green-tinted windows as the only option.