Original Hot hatch???

Some chap who I've never spoken before in my office came over the other day as he'd seen me getting out of my golf. He said that the MK1 golf being the original Hot Hatch wasn't strictly true and another manufacturer had one out before VW. He couldn't remember who it was, but he seemed pretty sure.

Is this chap talking tosh, or does anyone know which car he could be talking about??

Only thing i can think of would be the Lotus specials (Cortina (not strictly a hatch) or the Lotus Sunbeam). I have no idea when the sunbeam was launched (there was a Ti version as well). Beyond that - Dolomite Sprint? but nothing that sold like the Gti…
I await someone with better car knowledge than i to enlighten!

there we're fast hatchbacks b4 the golf, lotus sunbeam is one that springs to mind, but a hot hatch is somthing that is basicly a family car (standard) with a factory sport upgrade,  not really costing much more than the normal version.

I believe its the Alfasud Ti that claims to be the original hot hatch. The Ti version came out in '73.

Start of production dates:

Golf GTi - June 1976
Chevette HS - November 1976
Sunbeam TI and Lotus - 1979

The Golf GTi was FIRST!

I believe its the Alfasud Ti that claims to be the original hot hatch. The Ti version came out in '73.

Forgot about the Alfa… mind you, they had all rusted away by 1976

Caudy said

I believe its the Alfasud Ti that claims to be the original hot hatch. The Ti version came out in '73.

Forgot about the Alfa… mind you, they had all rusted away by 1976

   

you only have to search google to prove him wrong anyway, hardly anything other than the golf gti come up when u search original hot hatch.

i 'rust' my case… :mrgreen:

dubboy said

Start of production dates:

Golf GTi - June 1976
Chevette HS - November 1976
Sunbeam TI and Lotus - 1979

The Golf GTi was FIRST!

I think (unsure) the Renault 5 Gordini was launched before the Golf GTI, and thus could claim to be the very first hot hatch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_5_Alpine

Early Alfasuds were 2 door (not hatchback).

was the R5 Gordini not a rally homologation special, limited production run and all that?

If you forget about the 'hatch' bit (as thats really a70's invention) and just concentrate on the mundane family car hotted up by the manufacturer, stuff like the Mini Cooper, Austin 1300GT and some small FIATs probably set the mould for the GTI to follow. The E-type Jaguar Coupe was also a hatch and very hot but not very affordable to the man in the street

Caudy said

was the R5 Gordini not a rally homologation special, limited production run and all that?

You're thinking about the R5 Gordini Turbo, which was a mid-engined rally special. The R5 Gordini (Alpine on the continent) was their 'regular' production hot hatch.

Paul_C - Ta!

Some chap who I've never spoken before in my office came over the other day as he'd seen me getting out of my golf. He said that the MK1 golf being the original Hot Hatch wasn't strictly true and another manufacturer had one out before VW.

Sounds like he's jealous, presumably he had to go out and drive home in his bland Vauxhell/Ford rubbish.

To be fair he's got a Fiat Coupe, which I've always really liked.

Tell that bloke in the office that Ringo says he's talking tosh

yep the Renault 5 Gordini was out befour the gti and im sure there wont be many  of them around at all they rotted like hell also what about the rocco that was out befour the golf  :dontknow:

susan-and-noddy said

yep the Renault 5 Gordini was out befour the gti and im sure there wont be many  of them around at all they rotted like hell also what about the rocco that was out befour the golf  :dontknow:

The Scirocco was a coupe, not a hatchback. In any case, the GLi (fuel injection 1600) came out in 1979, 3 years after the Golf GTI.

The Golf isn't the first cheap sporty car, its not the first hot hatch either, but its the one which had no flaws and was big enough to be considered a 'family' car too (in its day) - something the Renault 5 is too small to claim. Its interesting looking back over time, that many other manufacturers were planning to do the same thing (Escort XR3, Vauxhall GTE, etc) and its by chance that VW did it first, and is thus accredited for being the 'original' hot hatch.

I think the word that counts is "Best" as in "original and best hot hatch" 8)