MK 1 Rivage GTI Convertable for sale. Best in UK

The Rivage is essentially the equivalent of mainland Europe's Classicline.  All Rivage models are GTI's.
 
470 Rivage GTI models sold in the UK; 252 Rivage Leather models sold in the UK, 218 were cloth models, and are hence a rarer model to obtain. 2 colours were available Blue and Green metallic.
Only 170 examples are known to now exist, and are fast become collectors vehicles, with ultra low mileage examples commanding up to £10,000, from classic car retailers.


The car was registered on 4th november 1992 by the supplier dealer Dovercourt VW at St Johns Wood London. It was used as a demonstrator for 6 months then put up for sale.

Mr Douglas Moore bought the car on 11th November 1993 from Dovercourt for £10750.00.

I have all original purchase invoices and hand over check list etc to prove this.
Mr Moore then owed the car until 2010 when he sold it to the owner that I bought it off last year.

The car comes with Rees of invoices to prove that Mr Moore has had the car serviced in accordance with recommendations and to prove the mileage. That cam belt was done 26 th Feb 2009 along with major service at a cost of £538 with mileage at 51125.

We believe Mr Moor had the car fully repainted in around 2007. Not due to any accidents or rust, I may hasten to add.
MOT docs with the car.
Dec 1995 showing 17901 miles
Stored and not ran over winter
March 1997 showing 23230 miles
Stored and not ran over winter
May 1998 showing 30067 miles
June 1999 showing 34982 miles
June 2000 showing 38774 miles
July 2001 showing 41991 miles
August 2002 showing 43467 miles
August 2003 showing 45240 miles
October 2004 showing 47486 miles
November 2005 showing 48039 miles
November 2006 (now computerised slips) showing 48857
November 2007 showing 49916 miles
November 2008 showing 50887 miles
November 2009 showing 52098 miles
August 2010 showing 53317 miles expired August 2011
Stored over winter by me
MOT'd by me on 13/04/2012 showing 53967
The vehicle currently displays a current correct mileage of 54,500.

Mr Moore then sold the car to a chap in Coventry Mr Ralph Howes ( owners club member) in 2002. Ralph bought the car on June 11th 2010. But due to a new job and working away the car was scorned and stored in his fathers garage in Liverpool.
Whilst is this possession, Mr Howes had a brand new sonnelle Mo Hair hood professionally fitted at Car Hoods Northern ltd on 21/04/2011 at a cost of £395.00. This is brand new, no leaks tears or marks and is an exact match of the original. ( I am an owners club member so no what they should look like)

I bought the car from Ralph in August last year. Due to his farther wanting it out of the garage.
The car was brought straight home and sorned until March this year.

Over the winter, I have detailed the engine bay, fitted a new black powder coated rocker cover.
Fitted a new Front springs and discs and pads and flexi brake line. Have OSF spring disc/ pad and brake hose but never got round to fitting them yet.
I also fitted a new VW fuel pump. With the car having sat in storage for many years, it is prudent to change due to sediment gathering.

The car has an immobiliser fitted, has both set of original VW keys etc.
I had the serviced on 18th April 2012 by a local independent VW specialist, who commended me on the underside and mechanicals of the car.

The hand book pack is all complete with every book, service book that should be in it, as well as having the original Rivage sales brochure with it that Mr Moor got and the original VW price list from 1992, as well as countless VW service invoices and receipts.

In April this year I changed jobs and had to remove my private plate K11 JPH, from my company vehicle, instead of putting on retention I have put it on the golf. This will be removed prior to sale.
Whist inbetween the old job and waiting for my new company car. I ran the car daily for a month, putting circa 300 miles on it, (the majority of the mileage that I have done in it) and it runs as sweet as a nut, oil pressure is spot on, not noise or rattles and pulls hard if required.

No boys racers have owned the car so it has not been molested or stupid speakers cut into the door panels or rear shelf. Not been lowered, or fitted with a stupid exhaust. You will realises if you come to look at the car I am a VW man through and through and only like honest original cars in original factory condition / specification.

In August 2012, I decided to invest £4000, in having the Golf fully lavished with an exact VW colour code paint job. The car was carefully stripped and transported to "The Spray Shop" in Barnsley where they maticulously spent 7 weeks, taking the paint back and laviously fully repainting it with 6 layers of top coat and 4 coats of laquer, then the arduous task of wet sanding for 4 days and buffing brought the finish back to a deep lustre, far better than factory finish. Since then the whole body work has been covered in 4 layers of Swissvax, Carnuba wax!

The wheels were shipped off to Rimtech in Milton Keynes for a laser diamond cut treatment., with the inners being painted in original factory code silver. Having displayed pictures of the wheels on the MK1 Golf owners website, they have achieved great acclaim, and fellow members have also shipped their wheels to Rimtech.

All the cars VW and name badges have been replaced with OEM new parts from Germany, and have I have had a decal makers match the original Rivage side decal for colour and size.

£200 was then spent to protect the lower body with NOS Wolfsburg rear mud flaps from Germany. These are unobtainable and took me 4 months to find, hence the cost.

Remote Central locking was then carefully fitted to the car, with new style VW "flip" keys. Both the 2 original factory keys are also with the car.


Interior is the original blue Grey tweed, and are in excellent condition, Bollsters are not worn at all, and both seats slide back and forth like new with new polyurethane bushes being fitted. PS heated seat as well. The heated seat switch witch is now unobtainable to buy new, has the centre part of it missing, you can see in mileage photo. It is only 4mm by 15mm but being a perfectionist I have tried to source one all over even in Lithuanian VW specialists!, but am struggling. This is the only defect with the whole vehicle a £2 switch decal, that is unobtainable!

The car has a Kenwood, CD player fitted and has the correct speakers and tweeters fitted as per the factory spec, but I have replaced them for new upgraded ones, that are all hidden behind the factory grills. It also benefits from an electric aerial that works perfectly.

Exhaust is very good, not blowing, no rust, and has been fitted with any silly aftermarket pipes etc. and looks like it has been replaced in the last 3 years or so.

Electric windows and roof both work perfectly. Hood bag is supplied to cover the hood in closed position. Rear windows are manual and work perfectly with all seals and scrapers having been replaced.



PS it was registered first in the UK, so it has not been imported, like many other cars that have been made to look like a Rivage's

I have the car insured on classic car insurance through Lancaster with an agreed value of £8750.00, with a mile limit of 3000 miles per year, although I would never do this sort of mileage.

I bought it with the intention of it being my daughters first car ( next year), a solid, well maintained car that looks cool, only to be told she doesn't want it.
If my father had given me a Golf GTi Cab for my 17th birthday, I would have been over the moon!

Within the boot the original factory build sticker still in good condition, as stuck to the rear cross member, this displays factory build information.

If you are looking for a serious example of a fast appreciating classic, this vehicle has to rate as being one of the best in the UK. A bold statement, but I have no issues of any inspections and stand on this claim.

The car is currently Sorn and under cover in my garage. The private plate will be removed upon sale of the car.

I live in Barnsley South Yorkshire, and would welcome any inspection on the car.

More pictures are available upon request.
£8500 or serious offers, a PX may be considered.