Over the years VW made a number of limited edition Golf GTI's. We will hopefully be bringing you details on a number of these over the coming months. Not surprisingly the German market has the greatest number of these, the mk2 being the most common base car.

For the first of these features I have details on a not so much a limited edition but more an unusual model. Jacobo from Mexico City contacted GolfGTI.co.uk to let us know about his mk1. The interesting thing being that this model is a mk1 GT with an 1.8 Pierburb carb engine - ie a non-injection mk1, hence 'GT' rather than 'GTI'.

I asked Jacobo why there was not a GTI for the Mexican market and these are the details he sent:

1.mexico´s golf mk1 started up in 1976 with the diesel,l,gl,until 1984 volkswagen de mexico made the golf mk1(caribe gt) in gl,gt,and diesels were descontinuated because the polution levels were impressive,,all mk1 were carburated,the gt´s were double barrel carburated via pierburg carbs,thats why the "I" was missing,no injected cars were built.

2.the jettas and golfs mk1,were named atlantic,and caribes,volkswagen factory in puebla,used to make a kind of contest, where all the employes participate in a game where the best name for a new arrived model,wins a vw beetle,the old one of course,this was in 1977.

3.the factory equipment in caribes gt were two door,stripes on sides,caribe "GT" badges in rear and grille,duck style front spoiler,1800 engine,pierbur doublle barrel carb,recaro seats in front with "CARIBE GT" cloth,4 speed gear box,special liestritz sport sound muffler(this was the best rumble noise i´ll ever heard),13"spider style rims in alluminium,temperature,voltage and clock vdo or jeager instruments in a centre console.exciting car. see the pictures ill sent.



If anyone requires more details on the Caribe GT I can forward questions on to Jacobo.

jv, 27/07/2002

jv@golfgti.co.uk