The First Five-Door VW Golf GTI Belonged To The Man Who Designed It

The Original Pocket Rocket

Car body styles often move in and out of fashion. That has largely been the fate of hot hatches today, especially in the U.S., where larger vehicles like pickup trucks and SUVs dominate. But there was a time when hot hatches enjoyed mainstream attention, and one model that helped ignite that interest was the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

The Golf GTI was introduced in 1976 as a performance-oriented version of the regular Golf, combining the practicality of a family hatchback with the performance and handling of a sports car. The formula proved successful for Volkswagen, with the first-generation Mk1 GTI selling around 462,000 units. Interestingly, the Golf itself was not designed entirely in-house, but by renowned designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who also penned several iconic cars, including the BMW M1 and the DMC DeLorean, the latter better known as the time machine from the Back to the Future franchise.

A GTI Unlike Any Other

This particular Golf GTI was reportedly the first five-door example, built for and driven by Giugiaro. Thanks to a visit by AMMO NYC STUDIO to Italdesign's headquarters in Italy, the historic car was given a closer look. The car, which had logged around 44,000 km (27,340 miles), featured unique details, including ATS wheels and a custom interior.

According to Italdesign, Volkswagen was looking for a new design direction at the time when the Beetle was aging. The automaker flew to Italy and was impressed by several show cars, later discovering that they shared the same designer. Giugiaro went on to design the Golf and other VW models, including the Passat, Scirocco, and Jetta.

AMMO NYC STUDIO/YouTube

Fifty Years Later

During the tour, other notable designs were also showcased, including the Nissan GT-R50, a limited-edition take on the R35 GT-R created to celebrate the 50th anniversaries of both Italdesign and the GT-R nameplate. As a bonus, the firm also shared the basketball it designed for Molten, which was used during the Olympic Games.

Today, the Golf GTI is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the GTI Edition 50, which produces 321 horsepower, about 80 hp more than the standard version. Volkswagen also offers the Golf R in the U.S., a more powerful all-wheel-drive version of the hatchback. Neither model is available with a manual transmission anymore, though enthusiasts can appreciate that the automaker plans to keep the hot hatch spirit alive with a combustion powertrain through 2030.