If there are any classic front-wheel drive cars, the Scirocco must be one of them.
After Volkswagen launched the K70 it was clear they were intent on heading away from their air-cooled rear-engine glory days of the Beetle and Karman Ghia and into a new era of water-cooled, front-engine front-wheel drive cars. To soften the blow, they managed to clothe the setup with some nice sheet-metal thanks to Giorgetto Giugiaro, who penned the Golf and Mark I Scirocco.
In 1982, Volkswagen launched a second version of the Scirocco. Although it was based on the same platform, the body was entirely different, more stark, low, lean and angular.
This kind of simple two-box shape has been erased from the market, despite being so visually and functionally successful. It's form over function, and yet it's undeniably fun and sporty. Just how do some simple angles and clean lines evoke so much? It's a powerful reminder that less is more in car design, something totally lost on virtually all of the major automakers today.
Underneath the hood is a small four-cylinder engine. It's not big and powerful, but it's mated to a stick and you can bet it feels fun driving along looking out from the cockpit.
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The seller of this example says they purchased it from the original petite female owner and that it has only 118,000 kilometers, which is only about 73k miles. They say it was a short distance commuter car and was not driven in the winters. Inside, they say it is spotless and all gauges and instruments work. On the outside, they say the paint still shines well, but there is some surface rust. Mechanically, they say it starts, runs, shifts, and stops fine.
Volkswagen sold nearly 300,000 MK II Scirocco but they have seemingly vanished from US roads, as their original owners usually drove them into the ground and they often succumbed to rust. Finding a good clean example of the MKI generation is extremely difficult and the second generation is getting harder too.
Available here on ebay in Ontario, Canada with bidding starting at $2,000 and no reserve.
That "nearly 300,000" number is worldwide Scirocco II sales. That number was closer to 80,000 in the US, including about 12,000 16V models (1986.5-1988), making these models an uncommon sight even when new.
ReplyDeleteWhile they were based on MkI Golf underpinnings, they felt like a completely different car. Power and set-up were more in line with the MkI GTI. At about 2000 lbs, they were a lot of fun.
In addition to the decidedly more sporting design and driving experience, assembly was outsourced to Karmann, and quality was far better than contemporary Westmoreland Rabbits. As a bonus, they were easy to work on also, and had good aftermarket support.
What killed a lot of Sciroccos (other than owners enjoying the life out of them) was rust. The 1st and 2nd gen Sciroccos were known for leaks, particularly around seals, cloaked drains and other things that further encouraged rusting (in case the non-galvanized body was rust-prone enough).
Of course, sellers like to say it's "surface rust" (which is this NOT). This seller also wants us to believe the lower door rot came from that ONE TIME they didn't dry the car properly before storing it. Sorry, but no.
Thanks all good points, it's so hard to find the U.S. sales numbers so again thank you! Definitely puts this into even better perspective.
DeleteYeah, I agree rust IS rust, and I was suspicious of the one time wash claim too. If that happened to everybody...no cars would be left.