Description
Supplied new on 12th October 1983 by Coulthurst & Grimshaw Volkswagen in Wilpshire, Blackburn, this is one of the final Campaign specification Mk1 GTIs – the run-out "sales campaign" specials with a steel sliding sunroof, green-tinted glass, grille-mounted foglights (unique to this model), and Pirelli P-Slot alloy wheels.
This example has had five previous keepers. I bought it privately in December 2002 and have owned it ever since. The car has seen a great deal of work to maintain its integrity.
The bodywork remains as it was when I bought it. A pair of front wings and a bonnet were fitted in the mid-1990s, and these now require replacement due to corrosion. As far as I can tell, the majority of the remaining paintwork is factory original. There's a small blister under the windscreen rubber that hasn't changed since I bought the car. The lower rear valance under the bumper could use some attention. The tailgate also shows some corrosion along the lower inside edge, though it's still perfectly presentable from the outside. The original options sticker is still present on the rear panel, and the door jamb retains its factory barcode. The car has an honest patina and hasn’t been tarted up for sale.
The front and rear seats were retrimmed in black leather (rather than the original cloth) sometime in the ’90s. There's a small hole and a mark on the rear leather. The rest of the interior is original and complete, including the correct leather trimmed steering wheel. There are additional gauges in the lower tray – a voltmeter, oil temperature gauge and oil pressure gauge. The MFA trip computer works correctly.
In 2018–2019, the car underwent a thorough mechanical and structural overhaul by “Crazy Quiffs” – the UK’s most respected Mk1 Golf specialists. The underside was stripped back to bare metal, all corrosion repaired properly (with a receipt showing 39 hours of welding), new outer sills fitted, and everything repainted and rustproofed. The interior was removed during this process and carefully reinstalled.
At the same time, a correct DX-code engine was sourced to replace the 16v KR engine it had when I bought it. The replacement engine was fully rebuilt with new piston rings and bearings, the cylinder head skimmed with new valve guides, and made unleaded-compatible. The car also received:
- New clutch
- All new brake lines and a full brake system overhaul
- New fuel tank, filler neck, and all fuel hoses
- New front wishbones
- New clutch cable
- New dashboard wiring loom
- Full K-Jetronic fuel system overhaul and setup
Since then, the car has covered around 5, 000 miles without issue, including a 3, 000-mile round trip to the Wörthersee GTI Treffen in Austria. It remains reliable and strong, needing only routine servicing, a new exhaust (fitted in 2023), fuel line and a coolant tank/ radiator switch in that time.
The car has a comprehensive history file with receipts back to the mid-1990s. It comes with the original supplying dealer’s tax disc holder, all four correct Pirelli P-Slot centre caps, and a current MOT.
It’s not perfect – the front wings, bonnet and rear valance will need attention – but this is a very honest, well-preserved example of a rare Mk1 GTI variant with a huge amount of the expensive, difficult work already done. I bought this GTI back in 2002 because I wanted the best version of the best hot hatch and for me that meant a Campaign-spec Mk1. I’d grown up seeing these cars on the road and in magazines, and the grille fogs and P-Slots marked them out as something a bit special. They were the final flourish of the Mk1 GTI, built before the Mk2 arrived, and they’ve always felt a little more desirable as a result.
What sets this one apart is how honest it is. It hasn’t been reshelled, resprayed, or modified beyond recognition – it’s still very much an authentic original GTI. It even made it through the 'Max Power' era unmolested, save for small holes in the dash where alarm lights once helped it stay safe. It wears its years with pride, and you can trace its life in the paperwork. It has been owned and maintained by enthusiasts.
I’ve had it for over two decades. It’s been part of my life far longer than most people keep cars. I’ve driven it across Europe and back, attended countless meets, and always trusted it to do the miles. I’ve even got photographs of it with the previous three owners, and I’ve taken it back to its original supplying dealer (now a Honda garage), as well as to some of the MOT centres it frequented in the 1990s.
I didn’t use it for around a decade – it sat in storage until the Crazy Quiffs restoration. The car had to be treated right, and they were the best people for the job. Everything underneath is solid, protected, and sorted. Mechanically, it’s one of the most complete Mk1s you’ll find.
My favourite thing about this car is how it drives. The steering is alive, the chassis alert, and it’s light in a way modern cars never are. It’s a raw, mechanical, analogue hot hatch that rewards proper driving.
I’m only selling because I’ve done everything I set out to do with the car, and it’s not getting the use it deserves. It’s time for a new custodian to take it forward and enjoy it properly – to take it to the next level.
