VOLKSWAGEN: It's easy not to make a mistake! - Lot 27

VOLKSWAGEN: It's easy not to make a mistake! Golf II GTI - 1988 Special order, unique color: Midnight Blue Pearl One owner from 1988 to 2022 Outstanding factory condition Only 48,720 km Full history Favourable CT Serviced for sale Chassis n° WVWZZZ1GZKW158223 Vehicle of German origin To be registered as a collector vehicle The Golf II GTI presented here is a restyled model presented for the 1988 model year and affectionately nicknamed "large squares" by enthusiasts. It no longer features the small rear quarter windows and offset mirrors inherited from the 1970s. Above all, under the hood, the 1.8-liter eight-valve engine has evolved: mechanical K-Jet injection has been replaced by Digifant electronic injection. The result? Even more torque and smoothness. Our example is equipped with the 1800 code PF engine, catalyzed in accordance with the strict German standards of the time. Ordered by Regina Hélène Schmalstieg from the Auto Brunner dealership in Cologne, then one of Germany's largest Volkswagen distributors, this Golf was manufactured on September 26, 1988, delivered to the dealership on September 30 and put on the road on November 2. Remarkable feature: this was a special factory order, with a customized, non-catalog color: Mitternachtblau / Midnight Blue Pearl code LC5V. This paint code is, of course, shown on the manufacturer's label affixed to the rear crossmember. This very deep blue has indigo, almost violet highlights, depending on the light. At night, it looks rather black. In sunlight, its pearlescent effect is fully revealed. Well-known on late-career Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet models, notably the rare Etienne Aigner limited series or Corrado coupes, this hue is atypical on a Golf II GTI. At the time, Volkswagen offered off-list colors known as Sonderwünsche. Only the largest dealerships could handle these special orders, which involved longer lead times and higher costs. They enabled the manufacturer to test future colors with a demanding clientele. Of course, this model also benefits from sought-after options: Crank-operated sheet-metal sunroof (a Golf GTI without a sunroof is like a banana split without a banana!) Right-hand exterior mirror adjustable from the inside Green tinted windows Gamma cassette radio, the most upmarket Volkswagen available at the time Electric antenna Koni sport suspension with Eibach springs, fitted by the dealer. Our model's seating position is ideal: neither too low nor too high. And, of course, there are the legendary 14-inch wide, perforated sheet-metal wheels. This model probably has no equivalent on the market today. With the exception of the upper part of a rear fender panel and a small spot above the left front bumper, the car is entirely in original paint. There are no scratches or pock marks, the panels are perfectly aligned and the occasional stone chip is not worth mentioning. The interior is equally remarkable: the checkered fabric upholstery (code HY) and bucket seats are perfect, and the typical Volkswagen smell of new is still present - a veritable time capsule. The engine compartment is the final touch: no corrosion, everything in its place, black and clean, just like in 1988. Spare keys and key code are present. All identification stickers, plates and barcodes are still in place. A major service was carried out at an official German Volkswagen dealer in 2018. The current owner acquires the car in April 2022. The complete file includes the purchase invoice with option listing, vintage Koni manuals, stamped service book with option label, original German vehicle registration document, dealership invoices, Gamma car radio code card and manuals, as well as several German TÜV reports. A unique example in terms of its configuration and options, as well as its concours condition, as appealing to the enlightened enthusiast as to the collector sensitive to the authenticity, history and coherence of a model that has become more than mythical.