“Affordable German Performance.”
The 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI three-door hatchback defined the “pocket rocket” for the US market, just as it had established it in Europe since 1977. The Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed Rabbit was a small car by modern standards—the 155.3-inch length puts it squarely in modern Mini territory and makes it more than a foot shorter than a 2026 Golf GTI.
Under the blacked-out, red-lined, and badged hood was a 90 bhp 1.8 liter/109 ci inline four with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection—an engine VW dared to declare was “brawny.” A five-speed manual transmission completed the rest of the powertrain—there was no optional automatic transmission.
Car and Driver recorded a 9.7 second 0-60 time (Road & Track managed a 10.6 second 0-60) in the 1,918-pound car—faster than the same year’s BMW 320i and many other sporting cars of the era. Top speed was 104 mph. Fuel economy was rated at 26 city/36 highway; a 10-gallon gas tank gave a 230 to 250-mile range with a 10% reserve.
The 1983 GTI’s base price was $7,990—about $26,400 in 2025 dollars, which is about 24% less than what a 2026 Golf GTI goes for. Standard exterior equipment included tinted glass, halogen headlights, a urethane front air dam, and a hatchback rear deck lid with rear wiper/washer. Standard mechanical equipment included front-wheel-drive, power-assisted ventilated front disc/rear drum brakes, rack and pinion steering, and Pirelli P6 185/60HR-14 radial tires (a size still readily available) mounted on 14 x 6 inch “Snowflake” alloy wheels. Inside, a sport steering wheel borrowed from the Scirocco, heavily bolstered cloth sports seats, a center console with additional gauges, and a golf-ball shift knob were included.
Options, Period Reviews, & Production Numbers
Options were relatively few and included fully integrated air conditioning (dealer-installed and $630), a sliding sunroof with a deflector ($285), extra-cost paint ($135), and an AM/FM stereo with a cassette player ($350).
The 1983 Rabbit GTI got good reviews—Car and Driver included it in their first 10Best, and Road & Track stated that “if you’re a car enthusiast, we may have the cure for your ills.” The GTI also sold well—Volkswagen built about 30,000 copies over two years at their Westmoreland County, PA plant.
The View From 2025
First-generation GTIs certainly have a following, but many were driven hard when no longer new, so there’s a paucity of creampuffs out there.
According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1983 Rabbit GTI in #1/Concours condition is $64,800, with a more normal #3/Good condition car going for $17,600. Values are also up notably; that perfect #1 car was only $20,600 five years ago. GTIs are regularly featured in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer.
Make mine Black, please.
I have also written about the 1981 Dasher station wagon, the 1981 Sirocco S hatchback coupe, the 1985 Cabriolet, and the 1985 Jetta GLI sedan.
Last updated October 2025.
Eighties Cars 