The Volkswagen Golf was a turn of direction for the German marque when it debuted in 1974; front engine, front-wheel drive, with a stylish little body penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, it was very different from the long-in-the-tooth Beetle. So naturally, someone would take it racing.
Not only is this 1975 VW Golf Mk1 the first racer, it also won its first race, with Rolf Nothelle and co-driver Bernd Lilier taking the Group 2 checkered flag at Hockenheimring early that same year. Originally powered with a 1.6-liter in-line four-cylinder engine producing 162hp, it was eventually upgraded with a 1.8-liter engine with dual Weber carburetors and contactless ignition, giving it a whopping 175hp. New BBS wheels and better suspension and brakes were also added, and that’s how it appears today.
The car was fully restored in 2011 by Marcus Nothelle on behalf of Volkswagen, and will cross the block at RM Sotheby’s Essen auction from June 24 to 27 complete with a replacement motor and gears as well as other original Group 2 racing parts.
*Images courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
