When Volkswagen commenced development of its replacement for the venerable Beetle, it adopted a new engineering philosophy. No longer were the oily and noisy bits located at the rear; the latest offering featured a front-engine, front-wheel-drive mechanical layout. It proved a winner with buyers, cementing the Golf name in the market. Volkswagen sold the Golf in North America as the Rabbit, and this 1984 GTI variant is a gem. It presents nicely for a survivor of this period and is a turnkey proposition. However, its greatest attraction could be the seller’s decision to offer the Rabbit with No Reserve. They have listed the GTi here on eBay in Houston, Texas. Bidding has raced to $6,300, and with No Reserve to hamper proceedings, this German gem is only days away from finding a new home.
Volkswagen released the Golf in 1974, with the latest offering marketed in North America as the Rabbit starting in 1975. Its styling marked a radical departure from the curved Beetle. Penned by ItalDesign, the Rabbit was crisp and clean, with the Hatchback design increasing versatility. This Rabbit left the factory in 1984, making a striking visual statement in Black. It has remained part of the same family since Day One, and its condition suggests they cherished this survivor. The shiny paint is contrasted by a relatively subtle Red pinstripe and a few other trim pieces highlighted in the same shade. The seller’s decision to shoot their images while the car was wet makes it challenging to identify any cosmetic shortcomings. However, the panels are straight, and the car’s location should have protected it from rust. The trim is in good condition, the glass is clear, and the GTI retains its sweet factory alloy wheels.
Apart from the styling, you couldn’t find two cars from the same marque with such different design philosophies as Volkswagen’s original Beetle and the Rabbit. The Beetle’s air-cooled rear engine is legendary, sending its power to the road via the back wheels. Volkswagen started designing the Rabbit with a clean slate, specifying a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout for greater packaging efficiency. The approach paid dividends, because the Rabbit’s interior is surprisingly spacious. This GTI features the 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine producing a factory-quoted 90hp and 100 ft/lbs of torque. Interestingly, it was the most potent motor available in 1984, but wasn’t confined exclusively to the GTI. Buyers ordering the Cabriolet received the same powerplant, although with the drop-top weighing over 200 lbs more, the GTI was the undeniable performance champion. This car sends its power to the road via a five-speed manual transmission, while this package also includes front disc brakes and suspension upgrades for improved handling. Potential buyers can consider this Rabbit a turnkey proposition. The seller has meticulously maintained this beauty, describing it as a blast to drive. Therefore, flying in and driving home is a viable option for the winning bidder.
The seller encourages us to look beyond the fact that this Rabbit’s interior is begging for a deep clean and appreciate its overall condition. Trimmed in a Red combination of vinyl and cloth, the upholstery shows no appreciable wear. Even the outer front-seat bolsters, a known weak spot, look surprisingly good. The carpet should present acceptably with some TLC, and the pad is crack-free beneath the protective cover. This interior doesn’t feature air conditioning, but the factory sunroof makes up for it. Aftermarket additions include a leather-wrapped sports wheel and a CD player.
Hot hatches were initially considered a 1980s phenomenon, but they are re-emerging in various locations as a genuine market force. They combine practicality, performance, and an engaging driving experience. Volkswagen’s Golf/Rabbit GTI is considered the father of the breed, setting standards that other manufacturers aspired to. This 1984 GTI is a beauty, making it easy to understand why it has attracted eleven bids. The other listing statistics are equally impressive, indicating that potential buyers like what they see. Do you share those feelings? If so, would you consider joining a potential bidding war to give this GTI a new home?
Unfortunate decision to jettison the original four horn button stock steering wheel, but I see the “golf ball” shift knob is still there. These were fun cars in their day, handling well and quick for the time. Drove one, but I never owned one. I did have a Rabbit convertible (1982, if I recall) that shared some of the interior upgrades from the GTI (the cool wheel, Recaro-esque seats). Hard to find these anymore.
Nice find! There was a point in time where these were all over the roads of the US.
I’ve owned a couple of the GTi’s and the Rabbit Diesel as well as a convertible and they were ALL indestructible vehicles; easy to work on; great to drive; and super economical!
Whoever “stole” the steering wheel should be flogged in public as it takes away from the overall aesthetic of the interior but if this were my car I would swap out those tires old seats for leather!
No AC is another issue but that can be fixed given after market parts for these are quite plentiful.
Great write up!
I had the GLI (Jetta 4 dr) version with back on black interior. Virtual Rocket ship and invisible to radar! Really fun car, lots of good times were had in “Darth” (inc testing of aforementioned radar invisibility (remember, those were “double nickel” days)
By radar invisibility, do you mean by physical means? I used to run my car with a radar / laser jammer and a product called “Veil” that dulled up the reflective surfaces on the front of the car.
The last car I bought new was an ’83 GTI in silver with blue interior.VW only offered the first gen GTI in four exterior and two interior colors. Being a Westmoreland, PA product, its fit and finish were very inferior to my Karmann convertible, but it sure was fun to drive!
One of the greatest factory go-carts out there. Always wanted one of these. The swapped steering wheel or lack of ac would be the least of my concerns. I consider our 5spd 2012 fiat 500 pop a brother in arms.
Wondering what it will get bid to by the end of the auction?
This was the car I wanted in high school. My chemistry teacher, who looked exactly like Walter White minus the porkpie hat, had one.
Just the regular Rabbit was a blast to drive.
The Beetle was also known as the “Bug”.
Thus the Rabbit was the “ Bug’s Bunny.”
Mechanically, the Starter was positioned right above the exhaust manifold with a heat shield to protect it.
My starter failed and when the dealer installed a new one they forgot to put the heat shield back.
The new started was fried in short order.
I loved the car but let it go when it would unexpectedly veer off course. I think the CV joints were responsible.
The flywheel also sheared off right where it bolted on. Mechanic said he’d never seen anything like it.
That was probably due to the nut behind the wheel.
Had some young fellas in a Camaro at the stop light.
I revved the poor Rabbit ‘till she screamed to beat them .
They did take note.
It was worth it!
Do you ever look back to your younger days and realize what a jerk you were?
Nice GTI!! I have had many of them!!
The last one I owned is now owned by VWoA.
I saw the EBay ad that claims free shipping, but the vehicle has to sell for more than 10K.
So, add 4K to the current bid and shipping is free!
My GTI story starts off with an 85 Porsche 911 Cabriolet. I was a contract driver for a High End auto wholesale dealer. Delivered a MB300D to the dealer in Fort Knox, and picked up a low mile 911 to go to Columbus. 911’s are a great road car, and I did one very straight 50 mile stretch on cruise control at 120 (Escort and CB both on HIGH gain) to add to my Porsche history. Got to the dealer right at 5pm and the boss had already left and they said come back tomorrow. I didn’t want to park a newish 911 outside at a budget hotel, so I parked the 911 inside and they gave me a GTI demo to drive. I was a Mini racer in the 70’s, and took it as my personal task to drive that GTI as if it was a stolen Cooper S. What great cars they are, and that GTI was the highlight of that trip! Years later when I had a used car lot of my own, I tried to keep one around as much as I could so I could go out and “relieve stress”.
I have to note, that a black car, without A/C, in Houston is a type of Hell I personally wouldn’t want to visit, but this family didn’t seem to mind.
Good luck with the sale. These are Great cars.
I never had a,Rabbit. But had 3 Sciroccos. So the under hood view is familiar. Good reliable cars that rusted away. Living in the Chicago area in the late ’70s and early ’80s. We kind of specialized in the care and feeding of Rabbits and Sciroccos. The Chicago area streets were not kind to the CV joints and wheel bearings. But we had the tools to repair those easily. So our repair rates weren’t as high as most shops. So we did see alot of them. I just sold my diesel Rabbit pickup a few months ago. And I miss the driving position. It always felt natural to me.
Hate to be a Debbie Downer, but am I the only one who gets annoyed when exterior photos show a wet car? I feel like this (deliberately or inadvertently) masks the paint’s true condition. Other than that, sweet car. Never seen one with such an intact interior lol. But yeah, to Euromoto’s point, that aftermarket steering wheel has gotta go!
Don’t see why the steering wheel had garnered so much derision. I like it much better than the original.
Interestingly saw online where almost the exact same car, with a very similar momo wheel and alpine type radio, same black over red, in similar condition, sold for 10k in january 2024. The site is ‘cars&bids’.
Bought one brand new in 1984; black with the more understated blue interior. Mine had A/C, no sunroof. Great car, reliable, and fun to drive, but needed a taller 5th gear/overdrive for long freeway driving.
How many of you all know about the Rabbit S? Precursor to the 83 and 84 GTIs.
Just curious…