1997 Volkswagen Golf VR6

This car is a time warp. It’s a new car, other than the fact that it’s from 1997. It’s done 27 miles from new – no joke!

This VR6 has had two owner's from new, and has spent pretty much all of its 25 years in heated barn storage. This car was intended to be a demo vehicle for Helston Garages, but the vendor purchased it from them the day after it was registered, in August 1997. The Registration Certificate states that the current owner became the keeper in June 2005 (as that is when he updated the V5C), but the vendor has actually had the car in his possession since August 1997. As many years have since passed and the car is still yet to be used, the owner said: “It’s time to move it on”.

Though from ’97, this motor comes with its showroom tyres and the original label on the car keys from the garage.

In the words of the vendor: “It’s fully original; the whole lot”. He is also confident that the engine runs well and there are no leaks of any description. The only thing the owner has changed is the battery so that he can keep it ticking over, driving up to his farm’s front drive and back drive.

Though many of these VR6s have been modded, this car retains its factory state and all of its original OEM parts. The styling of this 5-door, Green VR6 is subtle and fully original. From afar, it doesn’t look much different to a standard Mk 3 Golf, apart from the VR6 badge on the front grille and the small rear spoiler above the rear window. It has a small twin exhaust, a wide C pillar round the rear and a triple set of lights on the front under the headlights. There’s no two ways about it: the exterior of this vehicle is in sound condition.

With grey leather interior, the cabin is finished to a much higher standard than a comparable hot hatch of a similar age, like that of a Subaru Impreza for example. Some VR6s can feel quite plastic-y inside, with block-patterned fabric upholstery (not dissimilar to what one might find on London’s Underground) and a black-on-black plastic dashboard. Thankfully that isn’t the case with this one, invariably due to the leather trim and the pleated door cards, which are a very nice detail. It’s also worth pointing out it has space to seat three in the back as well copious amounts of boot space.

This narrow-angle 2.7 litre inline V6 squeezed two offset banks of three cylinders into a single head, reducing top-end weight and complication. This results in needing two camshafts instead of four. As such, this chain-driven unit produces 174BHP and can do a 0-60mph dash in 7.4 seconds, and goes all the way to a top speed of 140mph. Naturally, being a VW, there hasn’t been a shortage of enthusiasts willing to experiment with tuning them. Not only does that mean there are parts galore to choose from, it also means that big power gains are possible due to the numerous forced induction routes now available, should that tickle a prospective buyer’s fancy.

This car is in original condition, and it has only covered 27 miles in its 25-year lifespan. As previously mentioned, it’s not been taxed since the Helston Garages registered it in 1997 with the intention of using it as a demo car. The current owner purchased this vehicle from the Garage one day after it was registered, and it has been in heated storage ever since. To evidence the originality and completeness of this motor, it even comes with the owner’s manual, a guarantee for the Sony audio system (which will likely be some way past its expiry!), and the original label on the car keys from the garage.

The VR6 is a versatile hot hatch with space to seat five and carry luggage in the boot. While they’re not the most powerful car in today’s terms, it provides bags full of silky, smooth grunt. They’re ideal for daily driving with plenty of torque to overtake on the motorway, along with the benefits of things like ABS and traction control. This car comes with understated 90s minimalism and it is probably one to watch considering how the Golf Mk1s and 2s have performed. This car is both brand new and 25 years old - with only 27 miles on the clock, it would be difficult to come across a finer original than this. As such, we think you’ll have to part with somewhere between £25,000-£35,000 to make this time warp VR6 yours.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Cornwall, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.