Early GTI (S1)

Plenty of Campaigns on ebay going cheap, which is very surprising, but no early GTI have come up for sale recently. Early GTI more valuable than the campaign?

They seem to be - there was one on ebay a few weeks back - a silver one which had been resprayed etc but unfinished and I think without trim.

Another one (Mars Red) looked well tidy but had full webasto sunroof which seemed to put people off as didn't make silly money (If I had the cash I would have taken a look - it was tidy!)

IMO S1 GTis are worth more than Campaigns (assuming a similar condition). Two reasons:

- The Campaign is simply a GTi with additional options that can easily be retrofitted, the S1 is a lot different to the S2 with parts difficult to find. This and the fact the S1 is the original GTi make it more desirable. Many people prefer the looks too.

- Supply and demand. There are a lot of nice, standard Campaigns out there, partly due to a large number of cars sold in '83. There were simply not many S1 GTis sold and very few are left. Check the Register statistics - 32 S1s (some of those are not GTis!), 341 Campaigns!

Cheers
Rajan

They should be, the small tail lights are how the car was designed (by an automotive legend) and unsurprisingly they look much better than the large rear lights of later models, don't you reckon?
This may not be the best place to say it but I'm a bit confused about why people value the Campaigns so highly, S1's are rarer, better to look at and the originals. Swallowtails even more so, straight off the drawing board…

I have always believed that the Campaign only really fetches more money as they are the newest and therefore normally  in better condition.

I agree - S1's should command a higher price - look nicer too

I don't think I could ever part with mine, not for all the money in the world!

Cheers
Rajan

(VW purists look away now)
I'm doing a small light conversion to my S2
(Guigiaro purists rejoice!)

Debord said

(VW purists look away now)
I'm doing a small light conversion to my S2
(Guigiaro purists rejoice!)

Guigiaro had a hand in my other passion - Lotus Esprit! :y:

I can see that, I've always thought the Mk1 Esprit looked like a flattened Mk1 Golf. The folded paper styling is still looking good after all these years.
 
Gotta be the Mk1's in both cases though…the Esprit even made a great looking submarine!

MK1 Esprit? - Series 1 if you don't mind

Seriously tho, does look good although Series 3 Turbo HC will be my first purchase :wink:

no early GTI have come up for sale recently

Think Dubboy owns them all

Hairyarse - agree S1 Espirit looks great, but S3's lot faster. You need to get a crashed S3 and stick the engine etc into an S1 with dead engine. If its a Lotus though, has to be a Lotus Elan 130 sprint :twisted:

Last year I saw an early black GTI (S1) in the breakers yard, it was on a T reg. The interior was totally different to the later GTI, the seats were checkered and the dials conical, very attractive IMO.

I want one :mrgreen:

Anyone know what a sound S1 would go for?

Cheers

That is a good question!

I think a mint, original, post '79, less than 20k miles would be into 5 figures. More for a pre'79 LHD example.

A tidy A1 post '79 example, I would guess reach ?3-4k.

A rough one would still probably be over ?1k.

Difficult to value them, because as you say they come up so rarely. Also there are more critical areas than an S2 to look out for. Trim, seats, alloy wheels, gearboxes (4-speed), some engine parts like points dizzys, etc are near impossible to find but quite easy on an S2. This makes a complete car even with a rusty shell quite valuable.

I have been offered really good money for mine, but I still wouldn't sell.

Cheers
Rajan

There is a poster on here who's mate found him a late 5 speed S1, totally original and complete (exept the rust) for ?150.

I think he owes his mate a pint :wink:

stew72 said

There is a poster on here who's mate found him a late 5 speed S1, totally original and complete (exept the rust) for ?150.

I think he owes his mate a pint :wink:

Only the one?!

Hairyarse said

stew72 said

There is a poster on here who's mate found him a late 5 speed S1, totally original and complete (exept the rust) for ?150.

I think he owes his mate a pint :wink:

Only the one?!

if he reads this I should er, I mean his mate should, have one hell of a hang over on sunday morning at BVF  

arrrhhh, its all becoming clear now…………thats why you want to go to BVF    

Anyone got an SI for sale which requires work?