THE COMPLETE BOOK OF VOLKSWAGEN GTI

THE COMPLETE BOOK OF VOLKSWAGEN GTI

Every Model Since 1976

OKTOBERFAST!

How in Gott’s name did time go so quickly? It’s been 50 years since Volkswagen introduced the performance variant of its Golf, inventing – almost unilaterally – the hot hatch. And not only has the Golf GTI – occasionally known as simply GTI – evolved over eight distinct platforms, the model and its branding have remained remarkably true to its original concept. Not to wade into political discourse too deeply, but it’s almost as if you’ve awakened one morning in 2025 and Donald Trump is actually Gerald Ford, only with more doors, horsepower and tech! 

Obviously, in those 50 years much has happened at VW, and much has happened in the global automotive space. Documenting that change is author Russell Hayes and THE COMPLETE BOOK OF VOLKSWAGEN GTI: Every Model Since 1976. In its 240 pages and some 300 pics you’re provided a complete overview of the GTI in all its permutations, along with informative content and perspective on Golf’s various derivatives, including the Scirocco coupe and Jetta sport sedan. 

I was frequently on a Volkswagen showroom in the mid-‘70s. As the owner of a Fiat 128 I was all about the efficiency of a front-mounted engine driving the front wheels through a manual trans, but less enthralled with the Fiat’s 1.1 liter displacement and – at best – modest acceleration. The base Golf was a radical departure from VW’s Beetle roots, while its functionality embraced an enthusiast ethos long before the GTI was made available stateside. 

To Hayes credit and that of his production team, the U.S. marketplace and Volkswagen of America are given a proportional place at the editorial table, with details of the GTI’s initial intro on our shores, its press reception and those variants unique to the American market. And THE COMPLETE BOOK OF GTI does this for all eight of the GTI platforms.

In those early years of the Golf and subsequent American-spec GTI I was simply kicking tires, but for a short time kicked those tires as a sales rep at Bavarian in Fort Worth, a BMW/VW store that would subsequently be sold to Autobahn. At that point the GTI had morphed into the more refined MkII, while the earlier Scirocco had become the more performance-oriented Corrado. (Volkswagen still owes me a $250 bonus on the sale of a Corrado, if anyone at VW is reading this…) In its MkII guise the GTI was liked but – at least in Cowtown – not loved. I remember showing the GTI to a cousin, and while not selling him a GTI I did my part in him subsequently buying an Acura.

In the late ‘70s my wife and I took the plunge and bought a Scirocco, something we could do with but one child and no real time for the extended road trip. Despite not offering much horsepower, the Scirocco platform was immediate and, for its size and relatively modest price point, amazingly visceral. As I moved to selling BMWs the Scirocco became a 3 Series, and while the BMW offered a larger presence and more prestige, it was notably less fun.

In all of its iterations, the MkVII, produced from 2012 to 2019, is perhaps the GTI at its most compelling. The platform occupies a sweet spot between comfort and composure, there’s enough tech to feel modern and enough horsepower to be entertaining. And with its last model years now 7+ years old, the price points are accessible.  

I’ve not returned to the Volkswagen fold in those subsequent 40+ years, but a new or gently used GTI is always in the back of my mind. And if that GTI – new or used – is in the back of your mind, not only will you find Hayes treatment of his subject a damn good read, you’ll also find it to be a credible buyer’s guide. 

THE COMPLETE BOOK OF VOLKSWAGEN GTI: Every Model Since 1976 is available from Motorbooks (an imprint of the Quarto Group), from your local bookseller or at www.Quarto.com. It is $50 in the U.S., and my review copy was provided by the publisher.