Same thing that killed the Celica, Prelude and virtually all affordable sports cars: who the f**k wants to pay a whole lot more just to make a car look good? Could you not throw in a slightly longer drive shaft to power the rear wheels at that price point?
I'm wondering why they didn't try to sell it in the US market. Perhaps not as sporty as a Jetta, but it would have been a good entry level car. They could have made a stripped down ute in Mexico.
My 1st car. '79 Scirocco that I updated with an '84 GTI engine and gearbox, plus many other updates (suspension, intake, exhaust etc). Raced that in Solo II and drove it all the time for years! Was sad when it got too rusty to keep going.
I Can Remember Being A 14 Year Old Boy When My Neighbor Bought A New Silver Scirocco In 1977 And It Sure Made An Impression On Me Back Then !!! The Next Year We Bought A New Rabbit Diesel With A Manual Transmission And Eventually I Learned How To Drive With It And Volkswagens Were Always Cool Cars To Me !!! Now 45 Years Later, I Bought A Used Passat TDI And I Feel Young Again !!! LOL !!I I Think Volkswagen Is One Of The Highest Quality Cars Brands In The World And Wish I Had Owned Many More Over My Lifetime …….
I had an '84 US spec Scirocco(Mk2?) as a teenager.If any car ever had a soul-and so reliable it was almost spooky.A sleek,indestructible Sherman tank.Later I had Saabs and a Peugeot 505.Great cars,but the VW put them to shame.Despite the more recent bad press and public opinion ,I went back to VW.It was like coming home.300k miles later I sold it to a nice family from Kansas,for their teenage daughter.Later the mom said she couldn't resist driving it,much to her daughter's resentment.
I'm sure it's a matter of taste, but the scirocco is gorgeous, the corrado not so much. Wish I could mix and match characteristics. I'd take te carrado motor and interior over the 16v. I'm having one restored in California now. totally stock. anyway, get another corrado while they are cheap. I sold my last one in 2008 for $4800 and paid 12k for an intact stinker and will double that and then some to bring it into good nick
Got a mk3 in late 2008, gifted it to my father 11 years later but still I occasionally drive it, BEST car I ever had. The only mainstream car you really look forward to drive everyday. I now drive a merc glc due to children and it’s meah. The sales where great at the beginning until with the facelift they stopped the small turbos and focused on 2.0 engines making it forbidden for the Mediterranean countries like Greece etc where the car was selling like crazy and surprise surprise sales tanked... today with the new 1.5 150 it would sell like crazy, hope they make one again, I would definitely buy one as second car since it is fully useable for a family of 4 with small children
I love my 1988 Scirocco 16V, it was my first car and was such a blast to drive. Sadly the motor blew up a couple years ago and the car has been sitting in my garage since then. Hoping this year I can get it back on the road!
@grantmills4184 Yup! It's still a project, but it does run and drive now. I've been enjoying taking it to local events in the summer. It's all tucked away for the winter currently. Looking forward to warmer weather so I can drive it again :)
@@zanderxymox aye congrats man, that’s awesome you got it running and driving! Sounds sensible to keep it inside during the winter, and best of luck with any future endeavors with it
had a mk1 and 3 mk2s, one of them had leather and power windows. loved every one of them. so beautiful and a little underpowered. had an 88 16v , an 88 e30 M3, a 72 alfa gtv and a 2001 audi s4 all at the same time. now I have kids and a cayman S
I once tried to pass a big rig at a bend on a steep climb only to realise there was another big rig hurtling down towards me! Luckily I manage to duck back. I still can't believe I made such a reckless decision. It was a second chance at life and I've been extra careful since
The first 16 valve head sold by Volkswagen was developed in house, not by Oettinger. The later sold their own quite different version as an aftermarket part starting around 1982.
I loved the 1970s VW brochures so much I made a t-shirt with the front cover. I haven't received mine yet, so I don't know how good it will look: teespring.com/stores/bigcartv
Me too, had a 78 when I was in high school. It sat for a couple years before I got it. Was a nightmare on the fuel injection. After replacing pretty much the whole fuel system. It ran like a top. On the mountain roads in Colorado it was super fun to run. Wish I still had one to this day.
A lot of people had the little "Rabbit," but a fellow student in high school in the mid '80's had a Scirocco, and it was by far one of the coolest looking cars of the time IMHO.
I had an '85 Scirocco turbo. Yes, they sold a turbo version in the United States in '84 and '85, it was a dealer installed kit and was covered under the factory warranty. 133 hp and lots of torque from the small IHI turbo = bottle rocket acceleration.
Thanks for that. This made me a bit emotional. I have one of the last models made a 2017 2L diesel and I profoundly love it! I've driven every car out there as for years my company provided me with endless hire cars and nothing can match the Scirocco's powerful fun driving, ergonomic logical interior and sheer beauty. It's the silver lining on lockdown that I'm not putting miles on it!
My 87 red loaded Scirocco 16v is my favorite car ever.....I loved it. Incredible build quality!! In the real world I could leave cars that were supposed to be faster cause it was so easy to drive fast!
Only ended production of the most recent Scirocco a couple of years ago, SUV T-Roc replaced it in the line up as Coupes don’t sell in high enough volumes these days
@@nicolasansom2681 I had one of the last scirocco’s, brilliant car. Test drove a T-Roc R which was fast but had a really cheap cabin, all scratchy plastic. Driving Golf GTi 8 now and very happy with it but doesn’t handle like the Scirocco did
I test-drove a Scirocco back when they were first introduced to the U.S. I remember one specific thing: It felt "planted" on the road and that you could accelerate around corners without torque steer. If I wasn't a young dad and family man, I would have gone back into the dealership and shouted, "Take my money!"
A fine account of what was one of the best cars to come out of the 70's! The crisply folded body was a breath of fresh air that set styling trends for years.
My first new car was a US 1976.5 Super Scirocco, a limited edition model that upgraded the 1976 emission-strangled 1.6 with Bosch CIS injection. In Spring of 1976 while delivering a friend to his repaired Audi Fox at our Austin Texas VW-Audi dealer, I happened to be gazing into a regular '76. "Interested?" he asked. "Nope," I replied, "at least until VW changes..." And I rattled off a long list of details starting with fuel injection and ending with opening vent wings. "Wait here," he replied. He returned with a fax he had just gotten that day from Wolfsburg announcing the limited edition Super Scirocco with every single change I had noted, no more & no less. "How much do I have to deposit? Will $50 do?", I asked. "Of course", he said. Over the next 3 months he would call with "no progress" updates. Then, "It's on Karmann'a assembly line". Then, "It's on the boat". Since my beloved '65 Alfa Gulia Sprint GT had been dead for almost a year and I had no other money for a new car, I thought I was SOL. Then my Alfa mechanics called to report they had fixed its broken frame as an off the books project; come pick it up. I did; I sold it in 1 day (with full disclosure) and got my Scirocco deposit money the day before the car arrived from the port. Whew! Loved that car: raced it in Hill Climbs, drove the pants off it, used it as a delivery vehicle, and basically used it up in 10 years. BTW, Since I was new to Austin & Texas, I got Ziebart rustproofing, which it never needed there, and didn't get air conditioning, which I did. Good thing I had those vent wings...
I've owned three Scirocco's. 1979,1981 and a 1982. The '79 and '81 were both the same color, kind of a metal flake red, while the '82 was black. I bought the '81 used in 1988. I loved those cars. The '82 wasn't as quick, had a bit more body roll and I do like the original body style better. I had a similar situation in the '79 when it was brand new as the one you describe in the video. I was in the mountains of Pennsylvania hauling ass down this winding road. I came flying around a corner and suddenly there was a Jeep CJ doing about 20 mph. I still remember seeing the Rolling Rock beer tire cover right in my windshield. All I could do was bang it out into the oncoming lane and hope no one was there. I blew by this guy and just kept on going. Scared the crap out of me. The way I drove those cars it's amazing I never crashed one.
Had a 75 lime green that I rolled and wrote off, replaced it with a 77, I put a GTI engine in it and what a car it was. Loved that it had a single windshield wiper. Thanks for the video.
I had a 84 and truly loved it, loaded it down with Nuspeed performance parts and had a close friend who was a VW master mechanic who helped me a lot on it. Really miss that car.
I appreciate this video. The Scirocco is one of my favorites but I know so little about it. Wanted to buy one when they came out. Wasn't cheap in those days.
I love my mk1. It’s been my pride and joy for over 10 years. Knock on wood it’s never been on a tow truck. Excellent chassis on the ragged edge of barely enough.
I always loved the MK1 and got to drive many many mk2s when I worked for a VW dealer in the early 90s, three nights ago I watched George A Romero's original classic 'Dawn of the Dead' waiting for the part where they use a MK1 scirroco from a display to go round the shopping mall and lock all the entrance doors, dare I say it's a 'drop dead gorgeous car' - groan!!
We were out camping at Kelso Dunes, near Baker, California, one week in 1975. It was (and is) in the middle of the howling wilderness, and long before it became part of the Mojave National Preserve. You could go out there, camp, and drive your 4WD or dune buggy up and down the dunes wherever you pleased. As soon as the wind blew, all your tracks would be erased and you'd never knew anyone had been there. About 7:00 one morning, a caravan of seven trucks and a car carrier showed up. Four VW Sciroccos were on the carrier, two red and two two white, all with paint that had obviously been specially polished to a high gloss. The red ones were really pretty against the dunes. The trucks had generators, lights, reflectors cameras, and shade shelters for the bigwigs. The carrier also had a Suburban with a big ass winch on it. Ater they got all the cameras set up (which seemed to take a really long time), they filmed the Sciroccos racing up and down the dunes, doing those stupid jumps at the tops of each dune. I guess someone figured out the Scirocco really wasn't a dune buggy, since the Suburban with the big winch was called on several times to pull one of the Sciroccos out of a ditch they had dug themselves into. They had at least six cameras, taking film from every angle, and those Siroccos raced up and down most of the day, finally knocking off about 5:00. They had a crew with a big water tank and pressure washer to get all the sand off the cars between takes since they'd get covered in the stuff coming down a dune at 50 mph. I'm really surprised they didn't roll one over. One of the crew we talked to said they had two identical models out there just in case something like that happened. We watched them all day. They had a very tasty looking catered lunch out there on the dunes. It took about 90 minutes to pack everything up and get the vehicles back on the carriers. There was a "crowd" of about 15 campers out there by the end of the day watching. The crews were very nice, telling us where the next shots would be set up so we could drive over and see the next runs. They gave us all the food left over from the lunch, even giving us the coolers it was packed in. We all ate a lot better than the hamburgers and hot dogs we were expecting to cook that evening. We had quite a windstorm overnight, a pretty common occurrence there in the springtime. The next morning, almost all the tracks were gone, and you'd never guess what happened there. I assume that one clip of the Siroccos racing around the dunes must have come from that day. It's the first time I've ever seen it on film. Now the Dunes are part of the Mojave Preserve, no one is allowed to drive on them any longer, and all you can do is slog up and down them on foot. Just one more thing that has changed, and not for the better if you liked four wheeling.
My brother had Scirocco MK2 1984 back in 1996 (I was 6 years old). In my mind this is still best looking car ever. My brother often says that Scirocco was more or less dissaponting. Not practical (only 2 doors) and really slow, but to my eyes it's the most beautiful car.
Here in Los Angeles, I had a 1977 Scirocco back in the early '80s, 4 cylinders with a stick, good memories. I'm so old, I can't recall why I got rid of it... cheers!
Stumbled upon this , so many great memories. I had a MK1 GLI in gold colour paint , bought it for $900 in 1988. Great car , thrashed it and it still came back for more.
Drive for over 30 years Scirocco. 3x Mk1 and 2x Mk2. I own my second Mk2 (1990) right now for 22 years and got it just licensed as a historic car hear in Germany (Minimum age 30 years and original condition). Enjoyed your video very much. Nice idea!!
Thanks for this review! I was one of the youngest and first owners of a Scirocco in my City when the Mark 3 came out in 2008. Still remember how many heads it turned when i got it. Nothing else like it on the road at the time 😀still miss that car!! Shame they discontinued it again.
I couldn't find you in that picture, everyone had hair! LOL. What a great memory picture. Same type memory for me in a 2000 CLK 320. Locked in my brain forever. Love the channel; borderline addicted. Thanks for the calm presentation.
Thanks for taking the time to upload. Really enjoyed watching this episode. Forgot to mention the Mk2 Scirocco Storm edition which i brought many years ago in the ugly golden tan addition which was offered to me for less then a bag of chips.
As a teenager I drooled over the 1978 Acid Green Scirocco in my local dealership - still love the shape, particularly the second generation model with the square headlamps and Audi- esque styling. A restomodded version of the Mk2 with a turbo in line 5 cylinder engine and Quattro/4motion drivetrain would be very nice- LOVE YOUR CHANNEL!
I was a Scirocco fan for many years and had all of them. From the Scirocco 1 with 1,5L to the Scirocco 2 in 1,8L 16V. Great memory of times I was much younger.
I really enjoyed your video on the old classic scirocco. I have had my scirocco GT11 for 22 years and it was the last of the production in 1992. I intend to keep I forever.. thank you again and I hope everyone enjoys all the info. You put out..
Had a '79 5 spd. Wonderful car. Decent acceleration, cornering, braking & fuel economy (40+ MPG). A bit of a maintenance prima dona, but we can't have everything.
Bought a new one in 77 best car in the snow I’ve ever owned. Very easy to work on the mechanical fuel injection. Only thing I didn’t like was the different thickness discs to adjust the valves . Mine had a non electronic distributor with points & condenser
My '77 Scirocco saved my ass one night in the Ozarks. I was doing around fifty on unfamiliar twisty two-lane when suddenly I came to a sharp left onto a two lane bridge. The car got me onto the bridge, and wound up sliding at a 45 degree angle, nose to the left. Suddenly the front tires bit and hurled the car around into the concrete rail to the right. Bang. Crunched the front end. I loved that car.
Thanks, another great video. I lusted after a Scirocco in the seventies, it was a hopeless dream as I could barely afford a clapped out mini. Someone in my office did buy one and boy was I envious, how could they afford it, and I was skint. I suppose it pushed me to try harder and move job and eventually be able to get the cars I wanted. Never did own one, in fact I have never driven a VW for some unknown reason. Keep up the good work.
I was really lucky to drive my mates 2009 Scirocco from Scotland to Malta with my dad. On three eurotunnel, Through the St Bernard's pass (the one in the Italian job) Down the autostrada, through the Amalfi coastline and on to Malta. It. Was. AMAZING. A beautiful memory of a time with my late father in a lovely car. Just sublime. Keep up the fantastic videos :)
I had a '76 Scirocco in the early-80s. Loved that car. It wasn't exactly quick, but so much fun to drive. I'm about 5'11" and my hair would graze the headliner. It was silver, which suited the shape beautifully. To this day I miss it dearly. I had a series of GTis afterwards, owning a '91 model for 17 years. Then I switched to the AWD Evolution platform and have lived with the Evo IX for the past 14 years. Sure, I love the car and there are no plans to let it go, but to this day I remember my Scirocco very fondly.
Ahhh.. the Scirocco MK1 was such a sexy car... one of my best friends bought a late 70s one in 1986, with extra wide tires and sporty aluminum rims, painted silver grey including the bumpers - it was a stunner and also great fun to drive! What a great car it was to get around when you're barely in your 20s! Thanks for this story, Big Car!
I too have great memories of the Scirocco. I had a friend who drove his GTI like mad on Belgian back roads. I can vouch for the efficiency of the brakes. It was a fun driver's car. An added fun fact: the military Iltis was powered with a Scirocco engine, and you could drive it on tarmacked roads at over 100 kmh. Well, in a straight line - it didn't corner as well as a Scirocco... But it was awesome!
The family I went to as a kid for summer camp in Kent in early 80s had a Scirocco Storm, loved that car. Still a great shape. (They also had an original Datsun 240Z - good taste in cars!) I really liked the revival version of the Scirocco, shame it never came to the US
I had a Mark 1 85bhp, which I swapped for the 110bhp version as soon as it came out. The seats were uncomfortable over long distances and the brakes could have been better... but what a car! Excellent performance and handling. Congratulations on your entertaining and informative videos. Just one other thing: it's pronounced jor-jetto joo-jar-o!
Yes ! Owned 4 Scirroco's my first car was a 1975 1.5 ts as i couldn't find a solid Alfasud or Sprint kept it for 3 years , then i had a 1.6 Gls sold it 2 years later, bought another and a written off mk1 storm transferred everything and i mean everything ! and made my own Gli Storm sold that a few years later bought a Mk1 Golf Gti , and another 2 years later then i bought a Scirroco GTX, sold that a year later and bought a Jetta 16v wish i still had them all, i know where a mk 1 Scirroco Gli is thats been sat for 20 years i know the owner i'd love another i would put a 1.8 BAM in it LOL, ive got a v6 Audi A4 with a custom supercharger set up which ive owned 16 years, subscribed after watching this video thanks for the memories, the new Scirroco doesn't do anything for me at all.
Erratum: The first bi-motor had a 1.8L engine (based on the 1.6L), not a 1.6L.
Outrageous
@florence Upton In this case the article was right, but I couldn't read.
So is it not ok to say something has "Masculine good looks" any more?
Thats a new one to me it's so difficult to keep up now.
@Big Car Not to take away your memories, but... It's pronounced *she-rocko* by the way
@@Waechter_im_All depends where you live.
It seems insane to me that the Scirocco didn't sell like crazy! Best looking VW ever.
Same thing that killed the Celica, Prelude and virtually all affordable sports cars: who the f**k wants to pay a whole lot more just to make a car look good? Could you not throw in a slightly longer drive shaft to power the rear wheels at that price point?
Jakob Holgersson
Then you would spin out in the wet like crazy.
Because they were seen as hairdressers cars, not serious sports cars.
My 2 was plain ugly
I'm wondering why they didn't try to sell it in the US market. Perhaps not as sporty as a Jetta, but it would have been a good entry level car. They could have made a stripped down ute in Mexico.
Being a Volkswagen fan, I am glad that you did the history of the Scirocco. Thank you for another interesting and enjoyable video.
I'm a big VW fan too (my last car was a GTI). So you'll likely get other VW videos.
Loved the Top Gear commercials:
The new Scirocco TDI. Berlin to Warsaw in one tank.
Now, yeah. Not in the 80s.
"berlin to warsaw in one tank" uhm... are we sure this refers to a tank of fuel and not a tank with a gun?
@@ravenouself4181 Nope!
I used to own a Scirocco 2 30 years ago. Thanks for your video. Brings back good memories.
My 1st car. '79 Scirocco that I updated with an '84 GTI engine and gearbox, plus many other updates (suspension, intake, exhaust etc). Raced that in Solo II and drove it all the time for years! Was sad when it got too rusty to keep going.
I had a 1986 16v. Wrecked it in New England in 1995. That car saved my life. I miss that car.
I Can Remember Being A 14 Year Old Boy When My Neighbor Bought A New Silver Scirocco In 1977 And It Sure Made An Impression On Me Back Then !!! The Next Year We Bought A New Rabbit Diesel With A Manual Transmission And Eventually I Learned How To Drive With It And Volkswagens Were Always Cool Cars To Me !!! Now 45 Years Later, I Bought A Used Passat TDI And I Feel Young Again !!! LOL !!I I Think Volkswagen Is One Of The Highest Quality Cars Brands In The World And Wish I Had Owned Many More Over My Lifetime …….
I totally forgot I had a 1983 1.6 gti
scirroco in 1995 ish .. happy memories . 👍🏻☮❤
I loved my 1982 Callaway Scirocco.
Chassis stiffness was insane. It would lift the inside rear tire 8" off the ground on hard sweeping turns.
I had an '84 US spec Scirocco(Mk2?) as a teenager.If any car ever had a soul-and so reliable it was almost spooky.A sleek,indestructible Sherman tank.Later I had Saabs and a Peugeot 505.Great cars,but the VW put them to shame.Despite the more recent bad press and public opinion ,I went back to VW.It was like coming home.300k miles later I sold it to a nice family from Kansas,for their teenage daughter.Later the mom said she couldn't resist driving it,much to her daughter's resentment.
I've always liked the Scirocco. Great video, really informative as always.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I had a 1992 Corrado with a VR6. Awesome car. I absolutely loved it.
I'm sure it's a matter of taste, but the scirocco is gorgeous, the corrado not so much. Wish I could mix and match characteristics. I'd take te carrado motor and interior over the 16v. I'm having one restored in California now. totally stock. anyway, get another corrado while they are cheap. I sold my last one in 2008 for $4800 and paid 12k for an intact stinker and will double that and then some to bring it into good nick
@@highorbit3282I think Corrado is amazing looking. I love my 92 GTI 16v a little more, though. If I had the $ and space, I’d get a late Rado.
The only German car I have ever owned that I still miss, a mk2 1.8 scirocco gt. I loved it.
My parents had a Mk1 Scirocco from new. Dad said it was the only car he ever owned where the tyres lasted longer than the body panels.
Are you implying good tyres or bad body construction quality?
Got a mk3 in late 2008, gifted it to my father 11 years later but still I occasionally drive it, BEST car I ever had. The only mainstream car you really look forward to drive everyday. I now drive a merc glc due to children and it’s meah. The sales where great at the beginning until with the facelift they stopped the small turbos and focused on 2.0 engines making it forbidden for the Mediterranean countries like Greece etc where the car was selling like crazy and surprise surprise sales tanked... today with the new 1.5 150 it would sell like crazy, hope they make one again, I would definitely buy one as second car since it is fully useable for a family of 4 with small children
I love my 1988 Scirocco 16V, it was my first car and was such a blast to drive. Sadly the motor blew up a couple years ago and the car has been sitting in my garage since then. Hoping this year I can get it back on the road!
Do it!
Have you gotten it on the road?
@grantmills4184 Yup! It's still a project, but it does run and drive now. I've been enjoying taking it to local events in the summer. It's all tucked away for the winter currently. Looking forward to warmer weather so I can drive it again :)
@@zanderxymox aye congrats man, that’s awesome you got it running and driving! Sounds sensible to keep it inside during the winter, and best of luck with any future endeavors with it
I had a 1980 Scirocco S with recaro wool seats, was a beautiful and great handling vehicle
My first car was a 1984 Wolfsburg edition. That was in the US. It is my “rosebud”. The only car I ever truly loved.
I bought the same car new also. Drove it for 15 years. Good times.
had a mk1 and 3 mk2s, one of them had leather and power windows. loved every one of them. so beautiful and a little underpowered. had an 88 16v , an 88 e30 M3, a 72 alfa gtv and a 2001 audi s4 all at the same time. now I have kids and a cayman S
I had an '85 Scirocco, awesome little car to drive!!!
A very honest preamble. You're not alone, I cringe at some of my my own early driving.
Thanks for another good video, I really enjoyed this one. 👍
Yes it's good to hear some honesty on this subject. My own early driving was nothing short of appalling now i come to think of it.
I once tried to pass a big rig at a bend on a steep climb only to realise there was another big rig hurtling down towards me! Luckily I manage to duck back. I still can't believe I made such a reckless decision. It was a second chance at life and I've been extra careful since
Drove a new 1988 16 valve Sirocco with a 5 sp manual from California to Arizona and back,, it felt like a solid car with a nice free revving engine.
The first 16 valve head sold by Volkswagen was developed in house, not by Oettinger. The later sold their own quite different version as an aftermarket part starting around 1982.
loved that car...i owned 3 ...'75,'78 , '86 1/2 16v..... the 16v was awesome !!, still have the original brochure...great memories....
I loved the 1970s VW brochures so much I made a t-shirt with the front cover. I haven't received mine yet, so I don't know how good it will look: teespring.com/stores/bigcartv
Really needed something to watch whilst prepping tea and up this pops! Perfect :D
The most British comment ever, haha!
👍👍
I don't know what the last part means, but I like your attitude!
When I met my wife in 1982, she had a 1979 Scirocco. I wish we had kept it.
One of he best cars ever. I really love driving my MK2, it´s great fun :) Always makes me smile.
My first car during high school. Good times.
Mine too! I had a brick red 82 with the name across the back window
I remember my neighbour having a Scirocco...that design was great in the 80s and 90s!
I owned 2 1978 models. I loved them!
Me too, had a 78 when I was in high school. It sat for a couple years before I got it. Was a nightmare on the fuel injection. After replacing pretty much the whole fuel system. It ran like a top. On the mountain roads in Colorado it was super fun to run. Wish I still had one to this day.
I love my 87 16v... Always liked the lines... As well as the Corrado..
Had a 1980 and a 82 scirocco Great cars.
As a boy driving that car looked a real man back then great video
A lot of people had the little "Rabbit," but a fellow student in high school in the mid '80's had a Scirocco, and it was by far one of the coolest looking cars of the time IMHO.
I had an '85 Scirocco turbo. Yes, they sold a turbo version in the United States in '84 and '85, it was a dealer installed kit and was covered under the factory warranty. 133 hp and lots of torque from the small IHI turbo = bottle rocket acceleration.
Very interesting video. I do have a mark 2 scirocco.
Thanks for that. This made me a bit emotional. I have one of the last models made a 2017 2L diesel and I profoundly love it! I've driven every car out there as for years my company provided me with endless hire cars and nothing can match the Scirocco's powerful fun driving, ergonomic logical interior and sheer beauty. It's the silver lining on lockdown that I'm not putting miles on it!
Loved my Mk2 ... Built solidly, as I discovered when I looked at what was left of the car that drove into me ... !
This comprehensive report is greatly appreciated by us in North America who had almost forgotten about the Scirocco.
My 87 red loaded Scirocco 16v is my favorite car ever.....I loved it. Incredible build quality!! In the real world I could leave cars that were supposed to be faster cause it was so easy to drive fast!
I wish we had more coupés like this now - practical, reliable and stylish. Great vid keep 'em coming! X
That's why we dont have coupes like this now. Not as practical as 4 doors.
Only ended production of the most recent Scirocco a couple of years ago, SUV T-Roc replaced it in the line up as Coupes don’t sell in high enough volumes these days
@@speedwell0560 yes sad but true. I don't like SUVs but the T-Roc convertible looks quite cool even though its a bit daft :-D
@@nicolasansom2681 I had one of the last scirocco’s, brilliant car. Test drove a T-Roc R which was fast but had a really cheap cabin, all scratchy plastic. Driving Golf GTi 8 now and very happy with it but doesn’t handle like the Scirocco did
Drove a Scirocco S on a trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles and back on HWY 1 - one of the best road trips ever!
Nice video
I had a 1985 MK2 in metallic blue, still a very handsome car even now.
I test-drove a Scirocco back when they were first introduced to the U.S. I remember one specific thing: It felt "planted" on the road and that you could accelerate around corners without torque steer. If I wasn't a young dad and family man, I would have gone back into the dealership and shouted, "Take my money!"
A fine account of what was one of the best cars to come out of the 70's! The crisply folded body was a breath of fresh air that set styling trends for years.
I've had 5 of them. As well as just about every other model. Still my fav.
I looove my mk iii, it makes me smile every time I drive it contrary to my {family}GLC
I had a 1980-S, and I really enjoyed this.
My first new car was a US 1976.5 Super Scirocco, a limited edition model that upgraded the 1976 emission-strangled 1.6 with Bosch CIS injection. In Spring of 1976 while delivering a friend to his repaired Audi Fox at our Austin Texas VW-Audi dealer, I happened to be gazing into a regular '76. "Interested?" he asked. "Nope," I replied, "at least until VW changes..." And I rattled off a long list of details starting with fuel injection and ending with opening vent wings. "Wait here," he replied. He returned with a fax he had just gotten that day from Wolfsburg announcing the limited edition Super Scirocco with every single change I had noted, no more & no less. "How much do I have to deposit? Will $50 do?", I asked. "Of course", he said. Over the next 3 months he would call with "no progress" updates. Then, "It's on Karmann'a assembly line". Then, "It's on the boat". Since my beloved '65 Alfa Gulia Sprint GT had been dead for almost a year and I had no other money for a new car, I thought I was SOL. Then my Alfa mechanics called to report they had fixed its broken frame as an off the books project; come pick it up. I did; I sold it in 1 day (with full disclosure) and got my Scirocco deposit money the day before the car arrived from the port. Whew!
Loved that car: raced it in Hill Climbs, drove the pants off it, used it as a delivery vehicle, and basically used it up in 10 years.
BTW, Since I was new to Austin & Texas, I got Ziebart rustproofing, which it never needed there, and didn't get air conditioning, which I did. Good thing I had those vent wings...
I've owned three Scirocco's. 1979,1981 and a 1982. The '79 and '81 were both the same color, kind of a metal flake red, while the '82 was black. I bought the '81 used in 1988. I loved those cars. The '82 wasn't as quick, had a bit more body roll and I do like the original body style better. I had a similar situation in the '79 when it was brand new as the one you describe in the video. I was in the mountains of Pennsylvania hauling ass down this winding road. I came flying around a corner and suddenly there was a Jeep CJ doing about 20 mph. I still remember seeing the Rolling Rock beer tire cover right in my windshield. All I could do was bang it out into the oncoming lane and hope no one was there. I blew by this guy and just kept on going. Scared the crap out of me. The way I drove those cars it's amazing I never crashed one.
Had a 75 lime green that I rolled and wrote off, replaced it with a 77, I put a GTI engine in it and what a car it was. Loved that it had a single windshield wiper. Thanks for the video.
Excellent video! I'm a happy owner of a Scirocco 2012 R :) I is still fun to drive and the maintenance is low and not expensive when needed
I had a 84 and truly loved it, loaded it down with Nuspeed performance parts and had a close friend who was a VW master mechanic who helped me a lot on it. Really miss that car.
I appreciate this video. The Scirocco is one of my favorites but I know so little about it. Wanted to buy one when they came out. Wasn't cheap in those days.
I love my mk1.
It’s been my pride and joy for over 10 years.
Knock on wood it’s never been on a tow truck.
Excellent chassis on the ragged edge of barely enough.
The Volkswagen Scirocco was the best peformence car in the world! 👍
I have a 1981 Mk1 Scirocco. Its my favorite car by far out of over 40 different cars that I have owned. Its an absolute blast to drive.
i have a Golf 3 Cabrio with Kharmann badge from '96; they were a good partnership and it shows...
Reminds me that I miss my 1990 G60 all black VW Corrado. Really love the history -- thank you!
I always loved the MK1 and got to drive many many mk2s when I worked for a VW dealer in the early 90s, three nights ago I watched George A Romero's original classic 'Dawn of the Dead' waiting for the part where they use a MK1 scirroco from a display to go round the shopping mall and lock all the entrance doors, dare I say it's a 'drop dead gorgeous car' - groan!!
We were out camping at Kelso Dunes, near Baker, California, one week in 1975. It was (and is) in the middle of the howling wilderness, and long before it became part of the Mojave National Preserve. You could go out there, camp, and drive your 4WD or dune buggy up and down the dunes wherever you pleased. As soon as the wind blew, all your tracks would be erased and you'd never knew anyone had been there.
About 7:00 one morning, a caravan of seven trucks and a car carrier showed up. Four VW Sciroccos were on the carrier, two red and two two white, all with paint that had obviously been specially polished to a high gloss. The red ones were really pretty against the dunes. The trucks had generators, lights, reflectors cameras, and shade shelters for the bigwigs. The carrier also had a Suburban with a big ass winch on it. Ater they got all the cameras set up (which seemed to take a really long time), they filmed the Sciroccos racing up and down the dunes, doing those stupid jumps at the tops of each dune. I guess someone figured out the Scirocco really wasn't a dune buggy, since the Suburban with the big winch was called on several times to pull one of the Sciroccos out of a ditch they had dug themselves into. They had at least six cameras, taking film from every angle, and those Siroccos raced up and down most of the day, finally knocking off about 5:00. They had a crew with a big water tank and pressure washer to get all the sand off the cars between takes since they'd get covered in the stuff coming down a dune at 50 mph. I'm really surprised they didn't roll one over. One of the crew we talked to said they had two identical models out there just in case something like that happened.
We watched them all day. They had a very tasty looking catered lunch out there on the dunes. It took about 90 minutes to pack everything up and get the vehicles back on the carriers. There was a "crowd" of about 15 campers out there by the end of the day watching. The crews were very nice, telling us where the next shots would be set up so we could drive over and see the next runs. They gave us all the food left over from the lunch, even giving us the coolers it was packed in. We all ate a lot better than the hamburgers and hot dogs we were expecting to cook that evening. We had quite a windstorm overnight, a pretty common occurrence there in the springtime. The next morning, almost all the tracks were gone, and you'd never guess what happened there. I assume that one clip of the Siroccos racing around the dunes must have come from that day. It's the first time I've ever seen it on film. Now the Dunes are part of the Mojave Preserve, no one is allowed to drive on them any longer, and all you can do is slog up and down them on foot. Just one more thing that has changed, and not for the better if you liked four wheeling.
Used to love the Scirocco. Never heard of the bi-motor, that's insane!
Owned one in 1981 when I was 17. It was a rusted out POS with an engine that was burning oil like crazy. Loved that car!
My brother had Scirocco MK2 1984 back in 1996 (I was 6 years old). In my mind this is still best looking car ever. My brother often says that Scirocco was more or less dissaponting. Not practical (only 2 doors) and really slow, but to my eyes it's the most beautiful car.
Nothing a GTI engine couldn't fix.
Here in Los Angeles, I had a 1977 Scirocco back in the early '80s, 4 cylinders with a stick, good memories.
I'm so old, I can't recall why I got rid of it... cheers!
Stumbled upon this , so many great memories. I had a MK1 GLI in gold colour paint , bought it for $900 in 1988. Great car , thrashed it and it still came back for more.
I had a bright orange ‘76 Dasher two door that was great fun when I was in college. My buddy had a Sirocco, I loved it.
Drive for over 30 years Scirocco. 3x Mk1 and 2x Mk2. I own my second Mk2 (1990) right now for 22 years and got it just licensed as a historic car hear in Germany (Minimum age 30 years and original condition). Enjoyed your video very much. Nice idea!!
Thanks for this review! I was one of the youngest and first owners of a Scirocco in my City when the Mark 3 came out in 2008. Still remember how many heads it turned when i got it. Nothing else like it on the road at the time 😀still miss that car!! Shame they discontinued it again.
I couldn't find you in that picture, everyone had hair! LOL. What a great memory picture. Same type memory for me in a 2000 CLK 320. Locked in my brain forever. Love the channel; borderline addicted. Thanks for the calm presentation.
Thanks for taking the time to upload. Really enjoyed watching this episode. Forgot to mention the Mk2 Scirocco Storm edition which i brought many years ago in the ugly golden tan addition which was offered to me for less then a bag of chips.
The shape was writing cheques the engine couldn’t cash.
One of your best good sir 😃
Thanks 👍
Bla bla. Ever heard of the Callaway turbo kit. ? Was meant for the Rabbit, but you could also put it into a Scirocco.
As a teenager I drooled over the 1978 Acid Green Scirocco in my local dealership - still love the shape, particularly the second generation model with the square headlamps and Audi- esque styling. A restomodded version of the Mk2 with a turbo in line 5 cylinder engine and Quattro/4motion drivetrain would be very nice- LOVE YOUR CHANNEL!
I was a Scirocco fan for many years and had all of them. From the Scirocco 1 with 1,5L to the Scirocco 2 in 1,8L 16V. Great memory of times I was much younger.
The Scirocco was a great car and had reliability to go with its good looks.
I really enjoyed your video on the old classic scirocco. I have had my scirocco GT11 for 22 years and it was the last of the production in 1992. I intend to keep I forever.. thank you again and I hope everyone enjoys all the info. You put out..
Had a '79 5 spd. Wonderful car. Decent acceleration, cornering, braking & fuel economy (40+ MPG). A bit of a maintenance prima dona, but we can't have everything.
Bought a new one in 77 best car in the snow I’ve ever owned. Very easy to work on the mechanical fuel injection. Only thing I didn’t like was the different thickness discs to adjust the valves . Mine had a non electronic distributor with points & condenser
My '77 Scirocco saved my ass one night in the Ozarks. I was doing around fifty on unfamiliar twisty two-lane when suddenly I came to a sharp left onto a two lane bridge. The car got me onto the bridge, and wound up sliding at a 45 degree angle, nose to the left. Suddenly the front tires bit and hurled the car around into the concrete rail to the right. Bang. Crunched the front end. I loved that car.
These are still beautiful cars...
Thanks, another great video. I lusted after a Scirocco in the seventies, it was a hopeless dream as I could barely afford a clapped out mini. Someone in my office did buy one and boy was I envious, how could they afford it, and I was skint. I suppose it pushed me to try harder and move job and eventually be able to get the cars I wanted.
Never did own one, in fact I have never driven a VW for some unknown reason.
Keep up the good work.
I almost skipped university because I wanted a Toyota MR2. Thankfully I deferred my enjoyment, but like you I never bought the car of my dreams.
I remember back in my high school in the 1980s, you were the bees knees if you had a Scirocco.
I was really lucky to drive my mates 2009 Scirocco from Scotland to Malta with my dad. On three eurotunnel, Through the St Bernard's pass (the one in the Italian job) Down the autostrada, through the Amalfi coastline and on to Malta. It. Was. AMAZING. A beautiful memory of a time with my late father in a lovely car. Just sublime. Keep up the fantastic videos :)
I had a '76 Scirocco in the early-80s. Loved that car. It wasn't exactly quick, but so much fun to drive. I'm about 5'11" and my hair would graze the headliner. It was silver, which suited the shape beautifully. To this day I miss it dearly. I had a series of GTis afterwards, owning a '91 model for 17 years. Then I switched to the AWD Evolution platform and have lived with the Evo IX for the past 14 years. Sure, I love the car and there are no plans to let it go, but to this day I remember my Scirocco very fondly.
Ahhh.. the Scirocco MK1 was such a sexy car... one of my best friends bought a late 70s one in 1986, with extra wide tires and sporty aluminum rims, painted silver grey including the bumpers - it was a stunner and also great fun to drive! What a great car it was to get around when you're barely in your 20s!
Thanks for this story, Big Car!
my first brand new car -- a silver 1979 -- great car ... thanks for the video.
I had a '86 Scirocco, loved it.
Great video, and a great car. I had 5 back in the day. Also a 1.5 TS Mk1 Scirocco was available in the UK. Time 7:36
I still miss my 1987 Scirocco. My 1.8L NA only got 90hp, but it was still fast with the 5-speed. I threw a rod through the block in 1996.
I too have great memories of the Scirocco. I had a friend who drove his GTI like mad on Belgian back roads. I can vouch for the efficiency of the brakes. It was a fun driver's car.
An added fun fact: the military Iltis was powered with a Scirocco engine, and you could drive it on tarmacked roads at over 100 kmh. Well, in a straight line - it didn't corner as well as a Scirocco... But it was awesome!
I always liked this particular VW.
I owned a Mark II GT in red about 20 years ago. Excellent car and always regretted selling it. Terrific video as always.
Very interesting. I've always liked these cars.
The family I went to as a kid for summer camp in Kent in early 80s had a Scirocco Storm, loved that car. Still a great shape. (They also had an original Datsun 240Z - good taste in cars!) I really liked the revival version of the Scirocco, shame it never came to the US
I had a Mark 1 85bhp, which I swapped for the 110bhp version as soon as it came out. The seats were uncomfortable over long distances and the brakes could have been better... but what a car! Excellent performance and handling.
Congratulations on your entertaining and informative videos. Just one other thing: it's pronounced jor-jetto joo-jar-o!
Yes !
Owned 4 Scirroco's my first car was a 1975 1.5 ts as i couldn't find a solid Alfasud or Sprint kept it for 3 years , then i had a 1.6 Gls sold it 2 years later, bought another and a written off mk1 storm transferred everything and i mean everything ! and made my own Gli Storm sold that a few years later bought a Mk1 Golf Gti , and another 2 years later then i bought a Scirroco GTX, sold that a year later and bought a Jetta 16v wish i still had them all, i know where a mk 1 Scirroco Gli is thats been sat for 20 years i know the owner i'd love another i would put a 1.8 BAM in it LOL, ive got a v6 Audi A4 with a custom supercharger set up which ive owned 16 years, subscribed after watching this video thanks for the memories, the new Scirroco doesn't do anything for me at all.
The scirocco mk 1 was my first car at 18, 40 years later I can’t find or afford one . Brilliant car!
Always wondered how the Corrado came about - now I understand it was mostly due to the weak sales of the MRK 2 Scirocco. Fascinating vid!
Fond memories, my older brother bought a TS when launched, it was like the sportiest car on the road in 75 in the Netherlands.