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You probably don’t see many 1982 Rabbit convertibles driving around town. It was an expensive Volkswagen and represented a big change as the car maker moved past the Beetle. But something else you don’t see very often is a 43-year-old car with just two owners and a complete maintenance history since new! It shows what this car meant to its owners and the type of care it received. It is also reflected in the remarkable condition of this very original automobile which includes working factory air conditioning.
While technically this model is a Golf Mk 1, the US version was known as the Rabbit and was first available as a convertible in 1980. The original window sticker shows an MSRP of $11,955 which made it more expensive than a Z28 Camaro or a Mustang GT – and much more rare. The body survived all these years thanks to factory undercoating along with Ziebart rustproofing. This Rabbit still wears its original Mars Red paint as verified by a paint gauge, while the convertible top was replaced in 1996. The factory 13” wheels wear 175/70 tires from 2018.
The 1.7L fuel injected gasoline engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transaxle. As mentioned, maintenance has been outstanding throughout this car’s lifetime. Along with oil changes and other regular service, it had some larger items addressed in recent history. The timing belt, water pump, fuel injectors, and radiator were last replaced in 2017. A new clutch was installed in 2008. It received new wheel bearings and CV joints in 2018 and the air conditioning was converted to R134a in 2019. There are many other records for brakes, belts, gaskets, bushings, weatherstripping, exhaust, struts, and more.
The interior is also original and a real time capsule. The black seats with multicolored inserts are still surprisingly comfortable after 43 years, while the fabric is free of any rips with just some minor fading. Both door panels look great as do the door jambs and undersides which defy the car’s actual age. Looking to the front reveals a dashboard in great shape with factory gauges for voltage, oil pressure, and water temperature. All instruments and lighting works properly as do the horn, wipers, HVAC, and parking brake. And while some old convertibles have a musty smell or other strange odors, this one brings no such concern.
The Rabbit represents a turning point for VW as they successfully transitioned to front engine / front wheel drive vehicles. Finding a nice convertible example after all these years can be a challenge, especially if you want limited ownership and 40+ years of documentation. This one brings that all together in a fun little 5-speed package that includes air conditioning. Hopefully its third owner will continue this car’s great stewardship and enjoy the ride well into the future.
