Used Car of the Day: 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

We're going hatchback today with this 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI.


This car has a manual transmission and the seller, who has owned the car for six years, says it appears the mileage is accurate at 164K and that it appears the car has been well maintained and hasn't needed a major service.

The seller says the interior has been restored and has the original radio player, but the A/C is not connected and the rear wiper doesn't work.

Apparently, the body is rust-free. The seller says there is a box of spare parts, and the car is all stock except for a Neuspeed upper strut bar and Euro-style bumpers.

This Maryland-based ride is on sale for $10,500. Click here to check it out.

[Images: Seller]

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Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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3 of 24 comments
  • Golden2husky Golden2husky on Aug 15, 2023

    This is the very model that turned me on to the joys of driving a car that actually handled well. Thank you to my older brother for lending it to me for 2 months when he was in Nepal back in the day!

    • FreedMike FreedMike on Aug 15, 2023

      This. The O.G. GTI wasn't fast by any means (well, it was by 1983 standards), but it was an absolute joy to drive hard. It was light and tossable, and offered the kind of direct, unfiltered road feel that you just don't get much of today. I'd love to have one.





  • Wjtinfwb Wjtinfwb on Aug 15, 2023

    Nostalgia is a wonderful thing... allows us to remember times and things much more fondly than was the actual experience. I get chills every time I see a '79 Trans Am. Then remember what a horrendous owner experience it was and that a Honda Odyssey would leave it in the dust today. Same with these GTI's, the PA built VWs were between awful and terrible, depending on your definition. And the GTI's, while better in their day than most anything else (Escort GT, anyone?), they're pretty miserable compared to a more modern day ride. If you're buying to relive your childhood, great. If you're buying because you remember it being a fantastic car...

  • Master Baiter Pool maintenance: Add chemicals; clean salt cell; clean filter elements.
  • Rollin I love the looks. I mean, sure, I look at every car these days and can't help thinking that it'd be great if the rear window belt line were 6" lower, so that the view would not be just of cars' rooflines, but the actual cars themselves. That way my 'brain' could build up a 360° picture of the surrounding traffic, without having to strain, because my eyes haven't really seen any cars, just a bunch of rooflines (most of them gray in colour). And the C pillar could be thinner. Yeah, I really want someone to resurrect BMW 2002 styling from the '70s, as far as that goes. But in a hatch, of course.Also, if it had a hybrid powertrain, or ICE with a planetary gear transmission... Or a manual. In brown, I know...
  • Moris Nice cars .my nissan 1988 beautiful I own one
  • CKNSLS Sierra SLT I am thankful for those who have served/and serve this country to protect our freedoms.The "usual suspects" are quiet.......
  • KevinB Hemmings ran an article on the 1960 Cadillac Series 62 grille and its complexity. It took a lot of work.https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1960-cadillac-series-62
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