In 1979 VW brought out the Golf Cabriolet and, especially in North America (where it was called the Rabbit Convertible), this little ragtop quickly gained an image as a 'fun' car that appealed to the younger generation and it soon became the most fashionable automobile to be seen in. Buyers simply ignored the limited rear seat room and its unwieldy convertible top and just enjoyed the drive.
Built by Karmann at their Osnabruck factory in north-west Germany, the Cabrio model was initially based on the Mk 1 Golf GLI three-door body with a fixed roll bar and extra reinforcement added to maintain structural rigidity. For the following 13 years the Mk 1 bodyshell was retained, although many variations and special editions were produced during this period. From 1988 onwards all Golf Cabriolets came fitted with the factory Clipper kit.
Eventually, in 1993 the Golf Mk III Cabriolet replaced the Mk 1 (there was no Mk II Golf convertible). Six years later, the Cabrio got a facelift, with front and rear panels from the Golf Mk 4 added to the Mk III bodyshell. These models are sometimes referred to as the Mk 3.5 Cabrio. The story came to an end in 2002 when Volkswagen discontinued the Golf Cabriolet, but today the model is highly regarded and cherished by enthusiasts around the world.
This book is a compilation of road & comparison tests, technical & performance data plus an invaluable buyers guide. Models covered: Golf Cabriolet & Rabbit Convertible, GLi, GTi, TDi, Clipper, Avantgarde, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, Mk 1, Mk 3 & Mk 3.5. A total of 160 fully illustrated pages. SB.
