Many of us will have driven secondhand MKI Golf GTIs back in the day, doing so not so much to save money but because they were already extinct having been replaced by the heavier, slower, less agile MKII version by the time we could afford to buy (and insure…) one. In fact, the Golf is a lesson in how creeping safety standards and consumer expectations corrupt a car over time, leaving it better equipped and much safer but also less agile, less fun, and less pure.

So, we drove used ones because that’s all that was available back when the MKI Golf GTI might have been appreciated but had yet to appreciate enough to make it worth spending the sort of money on them that would have been necessary to preserve them properly.

Of course, now we’re older and wiser - and possibly a little better off - we could probably afford to restore one, but that’s a fraught process and one that inevitably turns out to be way more expensive than even the most pessimistic projection might suggest.

And anyway, a car is only original once and so the enthusiast with an eye to future values (and the one-upmanship that comes of owning the very best example) will be left reeling by this car’s provenance and condition.

Barely run in, it is possibly the last opportunity any of us will ever have to own what is still an essentially brand-new, unrestored, reference quality MKI Golf GTI – and not just any GTI but the very purist, earliest model of the car that blazed a trail for everything that came thereafter.

It is Ground Zero. Or Genesis, if you like your analogies Old Testament. Possibly unique, a car like this is likely to set a new record.

Does that thought put you off? If so, it needn’t because the cost of owning a car can only be calculated after you’ve sold it - and a car like this is almost certainly going to continue to appreciate.

Which, is a long-winded way of saying that we think the final hammer price will start with a 4. Just. Estimate £31 - 42,000. That’s a lot of money for an old Golf, but a fraction of what you’d be looking at if it had a blue oval on the front grille and this is a far, far better car than anything that came out of Dagenham during the same period.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located in Poole, Dorset; in these more difficult times, we are asking you to thoroughly inspect the gallery. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.

1979 Volkswagen Golf GTi

About this auction

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Thinking of selling your Volkswagen