By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse
Fifty years ago, VW unveiled a car that would change perceptions of the Volkswagen name ….. and it wasn’t the global selling Golf!
The Scirocco was a stylish coupe which proved the inspiration for its ‘big brother’, the Golf. It was developed by Italian, Giorgetto Giugiaro, who was behind the design of a string of European cars, including the Mk1 Golf itself.
The three-door Scirocco was actually launched six months before the Golf to help resolve any teething problems ahead of a big moment – production starting on the high-volume hatchback. The cars were very similar, sharing suspension and floor pans.
Over the the first two generations of the Scirocco (between 1974 and 1992) VW sold 800,000 of the cars. They started out with modest 1.1 to 1.5 litre engine options and in 1976 a GTi variant went into production with a 1.6 litre engine. By 1981, a redesigned Scirocco was launched with engines going up to 1.8 litres.
In 2008, VW increased engine capacity to 2 litres, with petrol and and diesel versions available, as part of a third generation. Another upgrade came along in 2014.
The last model was the Scirocco GTS which ran until 2017 and included the same engine as the Mk7 Golf.
Inevitably, Scirocco engines were efficient, coupled with a car displaying a top build quality. Today, the car is a very attractive buy. Prices for the third generation models start as low as £5,000, with early eighties examples coming in at a similar price.
For a company founded on delivering sober and solid cars, the Scirocco certainly broke the mould and helped re-energise the Volkswagen brand.