For Sale: 1990 Volkswagen Corrado in Katwijk, Netherlands

Picture it: 1988, and Volkswagen unveils the successor to the Scirocco. It came within a whisker of being called Scirocco all over again, but at the very last moment the people in Wolfsburg settled on 'Corrado'. 'Taifun' was briefly considered too, but since that name carried connotations of havoc and destruction, they pivoted to Corrado: Spanish for 'to run'. Meanwhile, the project's costs were spiralling out of control. So they decided they might as well turn it into a high-end sports coupe. Every Corrado that rolled off the line already had a buyer lined up, a clever move, because it soon became clear the car was no runaway sales hit. The main reason? Its price: a G60 would quickly set you back well over 85 thousand guilders. In 1995 the curtain fell on the Corrado. All told, fewer than a hundred thousand were built worldwide. Our example is Tornadorot with a black cloth interior and fitted with the dependable 1.8 16v engine we know from the Golf II GTI. Originally delivered new in Italy and maintained by the Italian Volkswagen dealer Auto Righi in Chiavari. In 2010 the car joined a German collection. At that point the Corrado had covered just 30,000 km. Six years later, with 32,953 km on the clock, it moved to Belgium and once again took pride of place in a collection. Understandably so, because as the years roll on this car becomes ever more special. Now, in 2026, it sits with us in Katwijk. No expense or effort has been spared to keep it in top condition. And so it stands ready for the new owner who recognises and appreciates the beauty and unique character of this red coupe, and who will lovingly and gently slot it in among their collection of German youngtimers. But the man or woman who says: hell no! I'm going to drive 15 thousand a year for the next ten years is of course most welcome too. Our asking price still doesn't quite exceed the original list price, but it's getting awfully close. So much for depreciation. The Corrado was always the Volkswagen for people who didn't really want a Volkswagen. Too expressive, too headstrong, too impractical. And precisely for that reason, so good. This is your chance to own one that hasn't been driven into the ground, hasn't been butchered by bad modifications, hasn't been forgotten in a barn. A genuine enthusiast's car, ready for the next 35 years. Sometimes I wonder whether Volkswagen would ever dare build something like this again. I don't think so. And that's exactly why this one is here. **Distinctive features** - First registered November 1990 in Italy (Liguria) - Tornadorot (factory code LP3G) - 1.8 16V engine, 136 bhp - Complete Italian service history from delivery onwards - Manual five-speed gearbox - Cloth interior - Maintained for years by official VW dealers - Accident-free history, Carfax - Exceptionally low mileage for its age With an espresso in hand and Ligurian memories on my mind, Nick Slinger