Volkswagen Golf GTD: the Diesel alternative to the Golf GTI

The Volkswagen Golf, in GTI form, has been an icon since the model’s very first generation. Yet the Golf range has included several other notable variants, with the Golf GTD among them.

Like the GTI badge, the GTD designation has been part of the Golf story from the outset. It also adopted a sportier appearance, while pairing it with the well-known economy of Diesel engines.

This example, currently listed on Collecting Cars, appears to have been preserved in particularly appealing condition, having spent its recent years carefully stored and maintained.

Now based in Italy, it is being offered through an online auction. At the time this article was published, bidding stood at €2,400, with four days left to run.

Its bodywork is finished in Helios Blue, while it was first registered in October 1983, four months after leaving the production line.

It has covered 121,710 km and retains its original 70 hp 1.6 Turbo Diesel engine. That may not sound like much, but it is worth remembering that this Golf GTD weighed just 865 kg.

The cabin is in similarly good order to the exterior. It even retains the golf-ball-shaped gear knob, although an “E” takes the place of the number “5” among the ratios. After all, this was the ‘magic’ gear for achieving better fuel Economy.

Volkswagen Golf GTD inspired by the Golf GTI

The Volkswagen Golf Mk1 GTD was unveiled at the 1982 Geneva Motor Show, five years after the marque introduced the first Golf GTI. It shared the sporty styling of its more performance-focused counterpart, but replaced the red details with silver-coloured trim.

For this Diesel model with greater sporting ambitions, Volkswagen used its existing naturally aspirated 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine and fitted it with a Garrett turbocharger.

In production specification, output rose from the 54 hp of the 1.6 D version to a more substantial 70 hp, while torque increased from 98 Nm to 130 Nm.

Combined with the model’s low weight, this made for more ‘enjoyable’ performance and a top speed of 155 km/h. At the same time, average fuel consumption could remain below six litres.

A perfect combination? It would seem so: like the GTI, the GTD remains an essential part of the Golf family today.

Source: Collecting Cars