I believe many people would be familiar with VW, given the continued popularity of the Beetle and the Kombi van. However, I would think that there would be a lower awareness for these 1981 VW Jetta GLis, and what are the chances of seeing the last 2 units in Singapore together!
VW was experiencing much success in the North American market with the well-known Golf, but it was observed that consumers still preferred a traditional three-box configuration (i.e. a sedan-style format). The Jetta was thus born when VW stylists essentially added on a new boot to the Golf to produce a larger saloon. Its name is derived from the Atlantic 'jet stream' during a period when VW named its vehicles after prominent winds and currents (eg the Scirocco and the Bora), though it was later revealed that VW did not really name cars based on a theme.
Introduced to the world at the 1979 Frankfurt Auto Show, it was available as a 2-door and 4-door sedan, with a myriad of engine and transmission choices as well. To distinguish the Jetta from the Golf, the interiors were made more upscale such as velour seats. While Jettas in many places came with composite headlamps, US-market versions were sold with four rectangular sealed beam lamps. As an early adopter of passive restraint systems, VW also equipped Jettas with automatic seat belts.
Early reviews showed that the car handled precisely and the large boot space was noted to be generous, but there were some complaints about the lack of rear head room and heavy steering. In Singapore, all Jettas sold was the 4-door GLi variant. The Jetta GLi was powered by a 1588 cc inline-4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 178 km/h with an acceleration of 9.6 seconds. It had dimensions of 4190 x 1630 x 1395 mm and weighed just 855 kg, with a fuel consumption of 8.6 litres / 100 km.
Production of the 1st-generation Jetta ended in 1984 with more than 571,000 made, although the South African variant (known as the VW Fox) continued to be made until 1999. Jettas were sold in Singapore in 1981 by the former VW dealer Champion Motors, where it retailed for S$55,749. Given the relative closeness of their registration numbers, it would not be improbable to think that both units had been sold within weeks of each other!
Although owned by different people, it is impressive that both cars have outlasted their fellow siblings, and at a time when VW in the 80s did not really have the retaining power as before. The fact that they remain on regular plates is the icing on the cake, although the current car ownership climate may make this sight a forgotten memory. Hopefully, you will be able to catch them on the roads (doesn't matter if together or not)!
No comments:
Post a Comment