The Legendary Golf GTIs: From Group 4 Glory to World Champion Status
Golf I GTI Group 4 “Pierburg”
Nicknamed after its main sponsor, the Golf I GTI “Pierburg” was originally equipped with a specially tuned GTI engine featuring a two-valve cylinder head. This car gained fame in 1980 when rally legends Per Eklund and Hans Sylvan piloted it to numerous podium finishes in Group 2 competitions.
By the second round of the 1981 German Rally Championship, Group 4 regulations allowed the installation of a 16-valve Oettinger cylinder head—a significant upgrade that found its place in the Pierburg GTI. A faithful reconstruction of this hill-climb racing machine was completed in 2011 using a bare body shell. That same year, the car made a stunning comeback at a rally in San Marino, reunited with its original drivers, Eklund and Sylvan.
Golf II GTI Group A “World Champion”
The Golf II GTI “World Champion” earned its legendary status during the 1986 FIA World Rally Championship, becoming a symbol of Volkswagen Motorsport’s dominance. Driven by Kenneth Eriksson (Sweden) with Peter Diekmann (Germany) as co-driver, the car clinched the championship title in the debut season for Group A vehicles.
To meet the demands of rally competition, Volkswagen Motorsport’s team in Hanover implemented significant upgrades. These included trimming the car’s weight to just 880 kg and boosting its output to 176 PS. After being meticulously restored in 2009, this historic GTI has continued to compete in classic motorsport events such as the Edelweiß-Bergpreis.
