[[email protected]]

Having a debate with VWoA on this issue as the 20th Anniversary is coming up and some people are saying 1983 and other are saying 1984.
Opinions?
Thanks,
-jamie

 

[Jesse]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (vwvortex1)

Model year was 1983..

 

[bluerrrabbit]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (vwvortex1)

North America or United States of America?
There will be a difference, as Canada got GTI trim packages somewhere in the 70s, then USA got the 1983 model Rabbit GTI.

 

[Dean F]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (vwvortex1)

1983 for the United States, not positive on Canada.
Maybe someone with a 83 can post/email Jamie his/her VIN number that'll put an end to the debate.
Ask them if they know the first year of the Rabbit in the US

 

[130_R]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (bluerrrabbit)

1983
I'm sure someone has an orginal sticker they can post.

 

[vwrabbit]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (Dean F)

First year in the US for the stock rabbit was 76, no?
Tim


[Modified by vwrabbit, 9:44 AM 11-28-2001]

 

[foster]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (vwrabbit)

1983 was the first year for the US, not sure about Canada.

 

[nigel]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (foster)

Pretty sure '79 was the first year for the GTI in Canada. Had fuel injection, points ignition, steel wheels and plaid bucket seats. I have owned an '80 and my friend has a rusty '79. most came without moonroofs also.

 

[83Caddy16v]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (retrohasen)

I believe my '83 brochure has it in there and I think may had an ad and a car & driver road test from '83.

 

[16v]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (vwvortex1)

mine has a build date of 8/83

 

[cabbed-out]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (vwvortex1)

Definitely '83, I drive one. You can tell the difference between an 83 and 84 by the speedometer. 83s had an 85 mph limit and 84s go to 115 mph. I have upgraded to an 84 because 85 mph just isn't fast enough.

 

[vwpat]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (vwrabbit)

quote:[HR][/HR]First year in the US for the stock rabbit was 76, no?
Tim

[Modified by vwrabbit, 9:44 AM 11-28-2001][HR][/HR]​

75, 83 was first for US GTI, and 79 was first for Canadian GTI.

 

[Yellow Rabbit]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (vwvortex1)

quote:[HR][/HR]Having a debate with VWoA on this issue as the 20th Anniversary is coming up and some people are saying 1983 and other are saying 1984.
Opinions?
Thanks,
-jamie[HR][/HR]​

Are you kidding? VWOA doesn't know? That's funny.

 

[HyKlas]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (vwvortex1)

Just to add to the '79 Canadian GTI theory... A buddy of mine has a '79 GTI in his yard and is 90% sure that it was the first year. It doesn't have the door sticker so we don't know the build date but it's titled as a '79 with GTI trim (including the plaid seats mentioned earlier).

VWoA
*edit* Obviously '83 for the US model. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
*edit again* I don't have oil cooler on my '84 either. Build date 6/84

[Modified by HyKlas, 3:53 PM 11-28-2001]


[Modified by HyKlas, 4:56 PM 11-28-2001]

 

[verboten1]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (HyKlas)

mines an 83

 

[Mk1Racer]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (verboten)

Unsure about Canada, but it's definately '83 for the US. As others have pointed out, the speedo is different. The tranny thing is not a definate as some '83 cars came w/ 2H boxes. I'm also not convinced about the oil cooler either. I've got a very late '84 car that didn't come w/ one.
And I'm w/ Yellow Rabbit on this, how come VWoA doesn't know??? I can't believe that no one has an '83 Rabbit sales brochure. Other good sources of info would be MVMA, NADA, etc.
Also, if you look at the SCCA GCR, they have '83 - '84 Rabbit GTI listed on the spec line.

 

[ev_gti]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (retrohasen)

My GTI has a build date of 4/83. When did they start building them? How can I tell from my VIN how many GTI's had been built before it?

-Nathaniel

 

[[email protected]]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (ev_gti)

Its been solved. 1983 was the first model year which means that the 20th Anniverary of the GTI in the U.S. is 2003 MY next year.
Apprently the old records that VWoA uses had it listed as a Rabbit GTI and then in 1984 it was marked as just a GTI. So it was a little bit unclear upon first investigation, but VWoA has found all the original PR photos and such.
Thanks for the input.
-jamie

 

[130_R]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (vwvortex1)

quote:[HR][/HR]Its been solved. 1983 was the first model year which means that the 20th Anniverary of the GTI in the U.S. is 2003 MY next year.
Apprently the old records that VWoA uses had it listed as a Rabbit GTI and then in 1984 it was marked as just a GTI. So it was a little bit unclear upon first investigation, but VWoA has found all the original PR photos and such.
Thanks for the input.
-jamie[HR][/HR]​

So will we get the European 25th anniversary GTI as a 20th anniversary GTI here in the states?

 

[A1Rocco]

Re: What model year was the first GTI sold in North America? (130_R)

So, what, the Canadian GTI's don't count. That's typical America-centric thinking.

Bye the way, it was 79 up here in the insignificant wastelands of the north. I've had two of them and they were very nice, one of them was my favorite car so far. Beautiful green plaid seats with black bolsters, one had a retractable sunroof. One of them had early Scirocco gold 13" alloy wheels with the flat rectangular spokes, very light and zippy, that's how I would discribe that car. Too bad it had a de-stroked 1.5L pig of a motor. Oh well you could always drop a VR6 in there like Shaun Vaneer did at Momemtum.

James.